Moir Recruitment News

Moir Group recently hosted Dr Roger Collins who spoke for us on the very popular topic of leadership. Roger asked the very captive audience the question, “Leadership: Where Did We Lose Our Way & How To Get Back On Track”.

Roger discussed tightening our overall leadership terminology and discussed the 3 levels of leadership:

1. Self – this will become more important as individuals need to respond

2. Team/corporate/individual – The is a primary focus and the psychological aspect is very dominant in this field

3. Shared/collective – Roger spoke about the case study of McDonalds and the CEO Charlie Bell and his impact on a collective and a shared leadership approach, backed up by the core values within the McDonalds company

He advised us to consider moving away from a normative and idealized leadership, this is low narcissism with high humility as well as a level of spirituality and authenticity. Then moving to a descriptive approach, which is a much more task orientated and problem solving style, developing relationships, advocating change and always looking externally to network, and successfully and confidently represent your brand. Try not to think of leadership as a single causal factor. Ensure your organization is aligned with your culture, policies and practices with the outcomes that you expect of your leaders.

Overall Roger believes that most leadership behavior can be learnt and although leadership potential and aspiration can be identified early within individuals, your organizational culture plays a big role in the development of your future leaders. As well as this, the timing of their development is significant as results can be short term but development may be longer term. You need to have persistence and also patience in developing your leaders. Leadership is developed more effectively from actual experience rather than formal training and education, think of the 80:20 rule.

Overall, shift your emphasis away from formal development to strategy and issue related at work development with reflexivity. Build a community of strong leadership practice and also increase the robustness of the evaluation of your future leaders.

“Edison didn’t invent the light bulb by upgrading the candle” So whatever you are doing now probably needs a fundamental rethink and change.

Thank you to everyone who came along to this event, if you would like more information on upcoming events please head to our Events Page and join our community by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and connect with us on LinkedIn to stay up to date.

The global and Australian economies are not as bad as they may seem, in fact they are in quite good shape. 

This was the summary from our first event of the year that David McDonald, CFA Chief Investment Strategist Australia, Private Banking and Wealth Management for Credit Suisse AG spoke at last week. For quite a number of years now David has spoken at this event for us, covering all the main economic hubs of the world and summarizing the US, China, Europe and Japan and then focusing on Australia. Each area has its own challenges, however these are manageable and in the main are being dealt with in a reasonable way. Australia continues the transition of its economy away from the resources sector. The oil price will return to more normal levels in time, it is mainly a case of over supply at present. Whilst China is not growing at the very high rates it has done in the past, it is still growing well and transitioning to a more services oriented economy. Australia will benefit in tourism and agriculture amongst other areas from this transition in China. The US has grown well in recent times and Europe continues its slow growth away from the GFC. Japan remains very sluggish.

Australia should see reasonably solid growth in 2016 and there is nothing on the horizon at this stage to knock it off course. 

All in all a much more positive outlook than many of us had thought going into the event. Always a nice way to start a new year, and David will be back again next year so we can see if his predictions were right!

Thank you to everyone who came along to this event, if you would like more information on upcoming events please head to our Events Page and join our community by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and connect with us on LinkedIn to stay up to date.

By David McDonald

Chief Investment Strategist Australia, Private Banking & Wealth Management

CREDIT SUISSE AG

Financial markets have got off to a shaky start in 2016. Will the woes continue? Should we “sell everything” as some have suggested or are global fundamentals more positive than markets are implying?

The US Fed has begun to hike interest rates – will they continue and if so what are the implications? Is the European recovery still on track?

What is happening in China? Are financial market gyrations a sign of underlying problems?

And importantly what does this mean for Australia. Will the AUD fall to lower levels, are commodity prices ever going to recover?

David will discuss all of these issues and more in his presentation as well as providing a review of financial markets over the past year. Click here for more information on his presentation.

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 Research and Planning

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 your chances of any job opportunities within the organisation. Therefore, prior to your interview, ensure you do your research.

1. The Company

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

2. The Industry

Look for any industry-specific news. Who are their main competitors?

What are their competitors doing and how do they rank compared to their competitors? What industry trends are happening in overseas markets?

3.  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.

4.  The Interviewer

Research the person who will interview you and look at their LinkedIn profile. Find out if there is anything you have in common, for example, you both worked at the same company in the past or you both went to university at the same time.

Practical preparation

It is 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 approximately 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, err on the side of conservatism.

Asking Questions

Towards the end of the interview you will usually be asked if you have any questions. Aim to ask some open questions, thinking about how you can add value to the organisation.

At first interview, always avoid any questions about 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?

Final Tips

Think about your interview as an exciting next step. Be positive, have a firm handshake, make good eye contact, smile and believe in yourself.

And finally - good luck!

For further information on interview preparation you can contact your Moir Group consultant or our Head of Learning, Angela Farmeary on angelafarmeary@moirgroup.com.au or tel 02 9262 4836

31 Not Out!”

Last month, Steve Rowe General Manager Human Capital gave us his perspective on 31 years at senior levels in HR. He discussed how the Human Resources function has developed over this time and the challenges and opportunities it faces going forward. Steve has worked both in Australia and the UK and across multi nationals and privately owned businesses as well as his own Consulting business. We also had a really interesting conversation across the room about where HR currently sits and its future. 

There were a number of key themes coming from the session.

• Change is everywhere and HR is and should be a key part in managing this change well
• There is lots to learn from the manufacturing sector, especially around processes
• Always put your hand up to take on new challenges
• HR professionals should be asking themselves what does success mean in their roles? What does it look like?
• When “you are in flow”, HR is the best job in the world”. When not, the opposite probably applies
• If yourself and the business are in flow, things can change very quickly
• In Japan, experienced and high profile people in a business are rotated into HR and this gives HR a very good profile in the business
• It is important to have a finance colleague with you i.e have business partners
• HR can and should be doing really good non finance reviews of the business
• Not all goals fit into a 12 month timeframe
• Don’t spend too much time on budgets, they often get in the way
• The people and cultural piece needs depth and rigour

Finally Steve talked about HR’s mission and he drew the diagram below.

In summary I took away that HR is a critical role in any business, however it is also being fundamentally challenged at present. My personal viewpoint is that it needs to attract outstanding leaders in numbers and that this will make a big difference.

Thank you to everyone who came along to this event, if you would like more information on upcoming events please head to our Events Page and join our community by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and connect with us on LinkedIn to stay up to date.

  

"The Challenges And Opportunities For the Australian and Global Economy” summarised by Heidi Davidson, Senior Consultant, Moir Group

• As mining investment continues to fall, growth has been rebalancing towards housing activity, and now, the services sector

• Although the rebalancing act has been slow - as it has been hindered by further falls in commodity prices, a high AUD and mistimed fiscal tightening

• Household demand is strong and jobs growth is picking up

Australian Economy

Since the end of the mining boom in 2012, the re-balancing act is underway but it is a slow process. If you break it down by the States, WA/QLD/SA are weaker and NSW/VIC are definitely picking up.

How Is This Happening?

Interest rates are low, and the Australian dollar has continued to fall from its peak in 2011 at $1.10 to now sitting at 70c and the knock on effect of this are as follows:

• Our exports therefore become more attractive

• Tourism is rising from overseas visitors and Chinese tourism has risen by 140% with only 4% of the Chinese population currently holding passports. Plus more Australians decide to travel locally instead of overseas

• Education has seen record highs for overseas enrollments into our Universities

• A strong property market with house prices still rising across the nation. Capital cities have seen increases of 27% in the past 3 years, with Sydney’s housing market is up by 42% and Melbourne's up by 32%.

"Leading In The New Normal" A Post Event Summary on Julie Birtles' Presentation by Stephen Moir, Director Moir Group 

 

It is hard to dispute that we are living through a time of rapid change, and that many of our existing systems and ways of working are suddenly very out of date.

When Julie Birtles, Founder of Beyond Excellence spoke at our event last month, she highlighted some of the great challenges facing our leaders during these uncertain times. 

As I reflect on her presentation, one of the messages that resonated most with me was around the need for organisations to embrace “catalysts”, those leaders who see the world differently, who see the whole system and are able to transform how we work and live in big ‘step change’ ways.   

Not everyone is a catalytic leader.  Perhaps you are more of an innovator, an achiever, a strategist or an alchemist.  Julie argues there is a role for all these types of leaders, but that in times of change catalytic leaders are vital to organisations, and that we need to embrace catalysts and to encourage rather than stifle them.  Identifying and nurturing these big picture leaders can be a particular challenge for larger organisations.

I believe Moir Group’s role as recruiters goes far beyond filling jobs.  Partnership is one of our core values and we can therefore make a big contribution in supporting both organisations and individuals to nurture those leaders who have the vision and ability to lead the type of large-scale transformation needed for future prosperity.

If you missed Julie’s presentation, you can view highlights or access her presentation from the day, and to find out about our upcoming events, please head to our Events page

Interview with Julie Birtles, Founder Beyond Excellence and Stephen Moir, Director Moir Group

Are you a leader of today?  Find out how to be a leader of today and about the challenges we are facing as leaders.

    

 

Please go to our events page to see our other upcoming events.

 

Professor Stephanie Fahey, Lead Partner for Education, Oceania, EY on 

"The Changing Global Education Landscape: Where will Australia be in 5 years time". 

"My presentation focuses on the drivers of change in the global tertiary sector (vocation education and higher education) and how these will impact on the future of Australia’s tertiary sector.  The specific profile of education in 2020 is unknown i.e which if any universities will close or amalgamate with other universities or TAFEs, which overseas universities will establish in Australia, and how a degree will be delivered and defined.  

What is certain is that it will look very different to what we see today. Australian education will be buffeted by the global drivers of change: increasing global mobility of both students and staff, the changing demand for skills, how education will be delivered, the structure of courses, and who will be the accreditation “gate keepers” – educational institutions or industry. Closer to home, the Australian education industry will be subjected to ongoing policy changes in education, immigration and industry which will guarantee the need for ongoing adjustment of the sector."

For more details head to our Events Page

Moir Group " Emerging Leaders" Series with Vincent Lloyd, CFO of  Hoyts Group by Trisha Roberts, Business Manager, Moir Group  

This month Moir Group were delighted to introduce Vincent Lloyd in a Q&A style presentation as part of our "Emerging Leaders" series.  Vincent has kindly spoken at several of our previous events over the years, however this was an opportunity for the audience to be more involved in the discussion.

Vincent is the current CFO of Hoyts Group, and candidly shared his career from his KPMG days through to today.  He offered insights into a potential path for emerging CFOs, and shared his own experiences in an open manner.  After spending 3 years with KPMG in their assurance and consulting practices, he joined Hoyts as an Accountant and worked with 3 different CFOs in 4 years.  By utilising some very interesting approaches to career development, he was recognised for his contribution and offered the CFO role at just 29 years of age. 

Some of the highlights of the discussion outline Vincent’s approach to creating opportunities for leadership:

• Partner decision makers – give them the information they need to “make them look good”. They will want you to attend meetings with key stakeholders.
• Manage up – take each opportunity to provide information to senior management as a chance to demonstrate your knowledge of, and value to, the organisation.
• Work ethic – work hard, and be prepared to give up personal time to get the job done properly.
• Be proactive – stand out by challenging the status quo – reporting is a great way to do this.
• Be helpful – the key here is to have no ulterior motive.  It makes people want to work with you.
• Passion – always exude passion for the business, people will notice how much you care.
• Luck – there are sometimes “sliding doors” moments where opportunities are presented to you at the right time.

With Hoyts originally being owned by listed company , through to ownership by private equity business, and more recently having been sold to a Chinese group, Vincent shared his views on the differences working in these 3 environments from a CFO’s perspective.  He feels that private equity roles are great opportunities for CFOs to have greater involvement in the business from a strategic perspective, even more so than a listed environment. Vincent shared not only his personal career path, but his continued passion for Hoyts Group.

We thank him for his energy and time, as well as those who attended. For details on our upcoming Moir Group events, please visit our Event Page, and please like us on Facebook and Twitter or follow our company page on LinkedIn.