Moir Recruitment News

At our recent lunchtime event we were delighted to have guest speaker Sean Spence speak to our candidate community. Sean’s topic was “how do you stay positive when you are going through a career transition?” What things do you need to do every day that will keep you positive?

Asking yourself “How am I going?” is an important first step. Sean then uses a framework he calls FEROCITY, which is shorthand for considering 8 possible strategies that really can work for you.

Focused – You must have a target or targets, think about how you choose them and what works for you. For example, Sean will retreat to a coffee shop, where everything is taken care of for him and there is no interruptions from family or friends. This enables him to be in the moment and stay focused on his target for the day

Energised – What do you do about your energy? Think about your physical, mental, emotional and also spiritual energy. Reflect on what is your meaning and purpose in life, what is it about your whole being that keeps you on “song”

Respected – Respect yourself! What are you good at? Find the most influential person you know and catch up with them and ask their opinion and feedback of you. Be vulnerable, trust them and really listen to their feedback

Organised – It not about time management but more about rhythms and pacing yourself. Think about your circadian rhythms, what parts of the day do you work best? Are you a morning person or an evening person? Understand your own rhythm and make your day work according to this

Caring – Without caring about people and issues, you’ll have no followers and your leadership and impact will be diminished. On the flip side, you also need to be cared about and include your family, friends and colleagues in this. Empathy is a very powerful force to create engagement with others.

Innovate – To innovate you need a target, a process and a reason. You can only actually innovate on “something”. Know what you need in terms of the rate of change you can tolerate

Timeframe – When your timeframe is out of whack, when you are buried in fighting fires and seem to have no connection to your future and cannot look ahead. Are you trying to just exist and get through day to day?

Youthful Passion – When you are in touch with your youthful passion there is something very charismatic about this. People will follow you, your impact is enhanced and this makes your career more sustainable. When you are attached to your passions you are also a lot happier in yourself. During career transition you can tend to lose your passion and feel lost and adrift. As you are changing and going through this transition, allow the idea that your passion will return

You can also use the FEROCITY strategies to lead your team, monitor and sustain their focus and also re-energise them.

So when you are feeling fragile, flat and stale and wondering how to LIFT yourself. Then stop and RESET and use even just one of these buttons……..FEROCITY   

To find out more about Sean visit www.seanspence.com.au and head to our events page to see details about all our upcoming events. 

Whether you look at it from a humanitarian or commercial perspective, gender equality benefits the whole of society.  This was acknowledged at the G20 summit in Brisbane last year, with leaders committing to reducing the workforce participation gender gap by 25% (target date 2025)

They also acknowledged that there are a number of barriers to workplace participation, namely:

• A need for Social change – creating new social norms that see men sharing domestic and caring duties, and that change stereotypes around the types of work undertaken by men and women.
• A need for Policy change – establishing clear policy to break down barriers to female workforce participation, such as providing affordable childcare and reducing disincentives for women to work more hours and more days.
• A need for Workplace change – making sure employers are focusing on eliminating workplace inequalities such as wage gaps and under representation of women in leadership pipelines.

This week at our Moir Group event, Alex Coward, General Manager of Organisational Development at TAL Life will be discussing some of the ways that TAL are addressing these issues, including:

• How TAL has used measurement tools to prove the business case for investing in gender equality programs
• The reason why all roles at TAL are offered on a flexible basis
• A snap shot of the programs that have created the greatest impact; and
• How TAL’s own group of Male Champions of Change are challenging the status quo

For more information on Alex Coward’s presentation or any of our other events, please head to our Event Page. 

by Angela Farmeary

Head of Learning - Moir Group

Benefits of Networking

The more people you know, the more people you can influence. Always remember your connections will also have connections, giving you an even wider network. You never know who people might know - this is very important! Exchanging information allows new insights you may not have thought of. Expanding your contacts can open doors to new opportunities. Engaging with your contacts, means you sow the seeds for reciprocal assistance when you need help. The most successful people share information. Offer to help others out, people remember this and people will return the favour. Use the principle of 'what goes around comes around'. Ask people: "How can I help you?" and "What can I do for you?" Doing this also lifts your self-esteem and puts you into a more positive mind set.

How to build the best network

Start with people you trust and respect that have similar values to you. This may be current work colleagues, ex-work colleagues, close friends, University friends, family friends, contacts through sports clubs, contacts through your kids schools etc. Approach them for advice, in general most people will be happy to help. Ask your current contacts for referrals, this is an easy way to build your network. Offer to help people, as what you give out will come back. Keep all your contacts on Linkedin then you will never lose their details.

Always let your network know that you are looking for a job. Spread your “feelers” as far as possible and always thank people for their help. You can also ask friends or contacts to refer you into their current employer or ask them for a contact you can approach directly. Be aware that many companies have a monetary referral bonus they pay to internal staff.

It’s all about quality not necessarily quantity. Some of the best-connected entrepreneurs don’t have the biggest networks or the highest number of connections on LinkedIn. Instead, they might work with a smaller, tightly knit groups of connections. Before you approach people for advice the number one thing is knowing what you want, it is much easier for people to assist you if you know what you want. Always be positive and grateful, thank people for their help and aim to help them in return in some way. If you are unemployed then treat this as a full time job. If you are employed then dedicate at least an hour a day to building your network.

Networking is not always a natural thing to do for many people, but it will help you and is definitely worth making the effort to do consistently.

Click here for more information on Moir Learning Services.

At our recent Moir Group event held in North Ryde, JP Morgan’s Chief Economist Stephen Walters gave his perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the Australian and the global economy in 2015. Despite how he was quoted in the media during the previous week, Stephen was positive about the outlook for the Australian economy for the coming year. 

In particular Stephen Walters highlighted

• Australia’s low level of government gross debt as a % of GDP, relative to OECD average (significantly higher)
• Australia’s benign inflation forecasts and cooling wages growth
• Ongoing low interest rates
• Domestic tourism sector’s likely growth, benefiting from the lower AUD
• Continued rising house prices, leading to higher construction rates

Stephen did note the following areas of caution for the year ahead

• The lack of consumer and business confidence
• The lack of productivity growth
• Rising unemployment rates (Australia is now slightly higher than the US in this measure)

From a global perspective, Stephen noted some ongoing uncertainties, especially in Greece, and noted that in 2015 the Australian economy may be impacted by changes in US interest rates.  

Concluding on a positive note, Stephen felt that if Australia is able to address the challenges of  productivity growth, consumer and business confidence, the economy will be well positioned for growth in the coming 12 months.

If you are interested in hearing another view on the nation’s economic outlook for 2015, see our short interview with David McDonald, Chief Investment Strategist, Australia  - Credit Suisse

To find out more about our other upcoming events, visit our events page

Fiona Bones, Google Regional APAC Finance Director.

Hosted by Gabriel Fernandes, Consultant, Moir Group

We had the pleasure of having Fiona Bones, Regional APAC Finance Director of Google, speak to our network of up-and-coming Technical or Commercial Finance professionals at our Sydney head office. Fiona spoke candidly about her diversified and somewhat unconventional career path to securing a senior finance role with Google.

Some key career learnings;

• The value of a diversified career and mind in today’s workplace
• Expect the best, prepare for the worst
• Success is about being savvy and ready to take good opportunities that come before you
• Your manager is a short part of your career and rarely a reason to leave your company or position you otherwise like
• In making career choices be sure that the value you give to the business is balanced with what value the business can give to you
• In driving your career - be thorough, pro-active and persistent

The session was highly enjoyable and we continue to receive positive feedback from those who came along. It’s worth mentioning that as a result of this networking event one of the attendees went on to interview with Google.

Gabriel Fernandes, Consultant, Moir Group

Interview Preparation

Congratulations, your well written resume has helped you secure a job interview. How you perform at the job interview is crucial, and will ultimately decide if you are successful in securing a job offer. To increase your chances of success, ensure that you are well prepared:

Importance of Preparation

This is one of the most important areas of the job interview. Even if you have been told it is just an “informal” meeting, turning up unprepared can completely jeopardise you chances of any job opportunities within the organisation. Therefore, prior to your interview, ensure you do your research:

The Company & Industry: You may know who the company is, but it is up to you to ensure you have a detailed overview of the company structure, values and vision and market positioning. Be sure you know what the company does, and its range of products or services. Check out their website, and also do some Google searches so you have up to the minute information. Check out any industry specific news. What are their competitors doing, how do they rank compared to their competitors?

The Position: Thoroughly read the job description. Ensure you know your own resume very well and how it relates to the job description. As you read through the key competencies of the job description, think of some examples where you can demonstrate previous experience that reflects these competencies.

Asking Questions Usually towards the end of the interview you will be asked if you have any questions you would like to ask. Aim to ask some open questions, thinking about how you can add value to the organization. At first interview, always avoid any questions around salary, these can be asked later in the process. Some questions you could ask include:

• What are the key goals and objectives for the role in first 3 to 6 months?
• Why is the role available?
• Where would you see this role in 3 to 5 years?
• How would you describe the company/team culture?
• What makes a person a success at the company?

The Final Basics It’s common sense, but always ensure you know where you are going and where the company is located. Can you park, or is it best to get public transport? Aim to arrive around 10 minutes early for the interview. Any earlier than this and it’s best to go and get a coffee before you turn up at reception. Ensure you have the contact details, including direct telephone number, of the person you are meeting.

Smart presentation is also of the utmost importance. If in doubt, then choose to err on the side of conservatism. Be positive, a firm handshake, good eye contact, smile and believe in yourself!

We are delighted to have Paul Mitchell from The Human Enterprise, a trusted adviser to some of Asia-Pacific’s most senior leaders, speak at our upcoming event. In Paul’s own words:

Trust in our leaders is at an all-time low. Our political leaders, business leaders, even religious leaders are coming under attack. Yet with trust, business seems to go so much faster and easier, and is so much more enjoyable and rewarding. And at the heart of trust is being an authentic, no B.S. leader.

Enjoy some of the key ideas from one of the world’s most sought after leadership development experiences: BlessingWhite (in conjunction with Professors Goffee and Jones, from the London Business School): “Why Should Anyone Be Led By You? What It Takes To Be An Authentic Leader”. See why dynamic organisations such as Red Bull, Rolls Royce, Microsoft and Fujitsu are insisting their leaders lead by being themselves.

Our speaker, Paul Mitchell, is a trusted adviser to some of Asia-Pacific’s most senior leaders. His clear memorable messages, sense of fun and exuberance, will ensure you leave with a new resolve to be the best leader you can be.”

You can check Paul out on http://www.thehumanenterprise.com.au/ and also see details of our upcoming event, Thursday 20th March http://www.moirgroup.com.au/events_media.htm.

Successful job sharing is just that, an art form.  You must get all the right components aligned; the people, the job, the organisation, the attitude and you can create a work of art.  It is more Picasso than Rembrandt, in that things at first may appear disjointed yet once it works, it is a masterpiece: you end up with seamless, professional delivery and individual and organisational success.

Let’s start with the odd maths behind the concept.  That is, 1 +1 = 1.   Job sharing is about two people doing the one job. It can’t just be any two people.  This is one of the main keys to success. 

The people that do job share have to be real partners.  They have to complement each other, trust one another and have the same work ethic and passion for success.  It is not the same as part time work and only works for the internal and external clients, if it is seamless and the partners always work as one person. 

Job sharing allows an organisation access to an untapped market.  Highly experienced people who enjoy working, are highly experienced in the role so they know how to do the job, have a very high degree of work efficiency and have proven ability to get results.

Do they need to share all parts of the job? Operationally and day to day yes, projects sometimes, management not necessarily.  Again it is about the people and the attitude and combinations of more senior and less experienced people or one being a manager of the team and the other a team member, can all work, with the right combination of personalities

Can it be in any role, discipline and company? If you get it right, yes it can.  So how do you get it right and what makes it a success?  Using the Moir Group values, I will demonstrate this: 

Partnership and Persistence 

• The right people who have the same work ethic and trust each other is the key.   Competition between job share partnerships is a big no and a similar persistence to succeed is a must. 
• You must have access to each others emails to partner properly and you only need to worry about the emails on your working days. 
• Best to have a cross over day if possible and challenge is to optimise this day with your partner.

Rigour

• It is essential that all days of the week are covered.  It is important no one else in the organisation feels they have to cover for any gaps. 
• Communication is the key and everything needs to be detailed in a hand over email and you must use the database properly and record everything, so nothing is missed.
• Must have remote access so, even if you have to leave early, you can finish things off and be responsible for completion on your days. 

Care and Passion:

• Must share successes and disappointments no matter who starts and finishes the sale, project or task. 
• Can still be an individual as far as professional development and internal and external projects go.  
• Must share the same care and passion for your clients, candidates and internal business partners. 

All this has been proven in the Contracting and Temporary division at Moir Group.  Here we have built up a team of highly experienced and successful consultants and six of our team members job share with each other.   They have over 70 years of recruitment experience between them and contribute extensively to the growing success of the Moir Group. 

The job share experience for Moir started in 2009.  The goal was to build our interim business from a starting point of one contractor we had on the books in Brisbane to the highly successful and diverse national contracting and temporary business Moir Group has today.

Seamless delivery is the key as well as team work internally and high work ethic of the partners.  The team is made up of focussed consultants, some of whom have young families and can only work short days, who use remote office access and their strong desire to succeed, to make it work.

The overall attitude of the business executive team and the other consultants at Moir, who work full time, is also essential to success. The team at Moir support the model because it has proven success.  It allows the whole organisation to partner with experienced colleagues and have a great diversity of experience to work with and learn from.

I hope this has helped paint the picture for you and I’m happy to share the experience and answer any questions about how to make the most of job sharing within your organisation and profession.  I believe if done properly, job sharing can work no matter what the discipline, the organisation or the level of role you have and the benefits to all concerned are endless.  

This is a great article on working Mums and stay at home Mums, written by Dr Carolyn Ee. For similar articles you can check out her blog on http://carolynee.net

http://carolynee.net/a-letter-from-a-working-mother-to-a-stay-at-home-mother-and-vice-versa/

A winning resume should follow a very simple but effective outline.  It should be clear and highlight you, your strengths, current work place and work place achievements. 

Make sure you include:

• 3-4 key strengths
• Tangible career achievements
• Details of your current or most recent role
• Simple, clear and up to date information
• And keep it to no more than 4 pages

Make sure you are honest and be positive in your writing.  Ensure you include both tangible achievements as well as responsibilities.  Your resume may be the document that helps you to progress your career within your current organisation or introduces you to a new organisation and career path.  Ultimately it becomes the document that sells you, so it is very important that your resume is a winning resume.