HC eMag 10.5 by Key Media

PERFORMANCE

360s in the spotlight P.20 ISSUE 10.5

INSOURCE VS OUTSOURCE

The recruitment debate P.40 PROFILE

HR in regional Australia P.50 HUMAN CAPITAL MAGAZINE HCAMAG.COM

Enhancing networking skills

YOUR

GUIDE TO...

Setting meaningful goals

Negotiating a pay rise

Honing communication skills Creating a new ‘brand you’

Building an online presence Becoming a better influencer

BUILDING A BETTERYOU WIN! A PERSONAL BRAND MAKE-OVER P.31

editor’s letter

Express yourself! Got a burning issue to get off your chest? Check out the readers’ forums at hcamag.com

Look out for number one A slight change of pace for this issue of Human Capital. We typically take the altruistic (if not entirely accurate) view that HR professionals are always looking out for others before they look after themselves. This is perhaps most clearly seen when HR professionals are asked what they’ve done to enhance their own skills in the past 12 months. More often than not the response is ‘not a lot’. Yet ask them about the L&D initiatives in place for others, and they’ll reel off an exhaustive list. Alternatively, if HR aren’t looking out for others specifically, they are looking out for the company they work for: tackling the big issues they are expected to handle – engagement, retention, performance, staff turnover, etc. It’s time to shift the focus ever so slightly back onto the individuals behind the HR job titles. You are people too: with goals, ambitions, things you do well, things you need to improve upon. You also have a boss to impress and possibly staff to guide and mentor. This issue we take a closer look at what HR professionals can be doing themselves to enhance not just their career prospects but their life prospects. From becoming a better influencer and developing meaningful professional and personal goals, through to working the room with aplomb and getting the pay rise you deserve – a series of articles in this issue will hopefully provide some useful tips. We thought about naming this issue the ‘things you should know by now...’ issue but on closer inspection I’m sure there are things here that even the most dedicated, switched on ‘careerist’ would not be aware of. And even if they are aware, a little probing might just reveal something else significantly out of whack in their lives. Read it, pass it on to colleagues – and reap the benefits.

COPY & FEATURES EDITOR Iain Hopkins JOURNALIST Stephanie Zillman EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jessica Cooper PRODUCTION EDITORS Sushil Suresh, Carolin Wun, Moira Daniels

ART & PRODUCTION SENIOR DESIGNER Rebecca Downing TRAFFIC MANAGER Abby Cayanan

CONTRIBUTORS Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers, The Next Step, Peak Health, Kenexa

SALES & MARKETING MARKETING EXECUTIVE Anna Keane COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE Lisa Narroway NATIONAL COMMERCIAL MANAGER Sophie Knight ONLINE COMMERCIAL MANAGER Sarah Wiseman

CORPORATE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Mike Shipley CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER George Walmsley MANAGING DIRECTOR – BUSINESS MEDIA Justin Kennedy CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER Colin Chan HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Julia Bookallil

Iain Hopkins, editor, HC Magazine

Editorial enquiries Iain Hopkins tel: +61 2 8437 4703 iain.hopkins@keymedia.com.au

It’s time to shift the focus ever so slightly back onto the individuals behind the HR job titles Letters to the editor

editor@hcamag.com

Advertising enquiries National commercial manager, HR products Sophie Knight tel: +61 2 8437 4733 sophie.knight@keymedia.com.au Subscriptions tel: +61 2 8437 4731 • fax: +61 2 8437 4753 subscriptions@keymedia.com.au Key Media keymedia.com.au Key Media Pty Ltd, regional head office, Level 10, 1–9 Chandos St, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia tel: +61 2 8437 4700 fax: +61 2 9439 4599 Offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Toronto hcamag.com Copyright is reserved throughout. No part of this publication can be reproduced in whole or part without the express permission of the editor. Contributions are invited, but copies of work should be kept as HC can accept no responsibility for loss.

Got a burning issue to get off your chest? We value your opinions and input. Human Capital would like to hear from you. Send through your comments to editor@hcamag.com. Alternatively, express your thoughts on the readers’ forums at www.hcamag.com HCAMAG.COM

HC MAGAZINE 10.5

contents

FEATURES

20 | For better or for worse? New research has shed light on why so many managers (and employees) struggle with 360 degree feedback. The study provides insights into what employers can do better 28 | All about YOU We all know the value of branding in the commercial marketing sense. Can the same rules apply to your own personal brand? Iain Hopkins finds out 34 | The gift of the gab Networking for HR professionals is a key way to exchange knowledge, forge partnerships, or make business contacts. Human Capital sought help from several experts about the best way to ‘work the room’

24 Cover story: Your guide to... Human Capital provides the ultimate guide to enhancing your career. From becoming a more effective influencer to setting meaningful goals – all your answers are here 2

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40 | The recruitment merrygo-round The recruitment industry is facing two significant challenges: the shift back to ‘insourcing’ of the recruitment function, and the rise of RPO. What should HR now expect from their external recruitment partners, and are they up to the task?

Check out the HC archive online:

28 50 | Profile: HR beyond the city limits Metropolitan organisations struggling with the talent shortage should spare a thought for employers located in regional areas. Iain Hopkins talks to one significant regional employer about their unique HR challenges

REGULARS

04 | In brief: news 06 | In brief: forum

FRONTLINE INTELLIGENCE

10 | In Step â&#x20AC;&#x201C; HR career experts 12 | Legal 14 | HR consulting 15 | Corporate health

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IN BRIEF

news

CORPORATE HEALTH

REMUNERATION

EMPLOYERS FAILING WITH MENTAL HEALTH

n A poll of ASX Top 300 companies by Chartered Secretaries Australia (CSA) has revealed that 70% of companies do not have a dedicated and properly trained resource to identify and manage an employee suffering from mental illness. Centre for Corporate Health’s director of psychological services, Rachel Clements, said managers tend to have an increased awareness in terms of prevalence and statistics. However, there is a lack of confidence and competency in how to effectively manage and address mental health issues at work. “Managers often cope by avoiding the issue, resulting in the problem being maintained and no assistance or solutions are forthcoming for the affected,” she said. If an employee is showing signs of any mental illness, it is essential that managers undergo training and know how to have a positive and effective conversation about their concerns. “Remember you have only observed symptoms of distress at this point and don’t know the causes. Communicate your concern and care and give the employee a chance to respond,” Clements said. Following the conversation, there should also be allowances for change. Employers should be prepared to make adjustments to work structure, provide mentoring and support and develop action plans to address any conflict or grievances. CSA’s chief executive, Tim Sheehy, added: “Just as organisations have put in place practices to manage physical injuries in the workplace as part of their ‘business as usual’ obligations, they should now also address the implications of widespread mental illness in the workplace and adjust their risk management policies and OH&S practices accordingly.”

Work impacts on health (Physical and/or mental)

Positive work impacts on health

(Physical and/or mental)

Negative 17% physical impacts only on health

20%

Negative work impacts on health

64% 44%

(Physical and/or mental)

Negative 9% mental impacts only on health

Both negative 18% physical and mental impacts on health

Source: Workplace Health – Australian Workers’ Perspectives, Medibank Private, January 2012 4

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VOLUNTARY PAY AUDITS GAIN MOMENTUM

The month in numbers

$44,000 – The fine

handed out to a NSW employer after it failed to offer a promised permanent contract to a female worker who had become pregnant following completion of a 12-month contract.

17,000 – Number of

unfair dismissal claims now being processed annually by Fair Work Australia, compared to 6,000 under WorkChoices.

$9.6bn –

Amount spent annually on jobrelated illness and injuries amongst managers and administrators, according to research from Safe Work Australia.

n Following a precedent set by a number of fast-food retailers, catering and cleaning services company Spotless has announced it will audit all employment records to ensure its 30,000 employees are being paid properly. The organisation is collaborating with the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) in a voluntary agreement to self-audit a sample of 1,500 workers. In independent internal pay audits, firstly a review of the current industrial instrument that applies to the individual workforce – such as an award enterprise agreement or employment contract – is carried out. Then the award classifications are reviewed to ensure the employee is classified at the correct level and receiving the correct pay rate, penalties and allowances, including the transitional items where appropriate. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) recently announced that in 2011 employers failed to pay more than half a billion dollars in superannuation to employees and will now have to find the money to back-pay. Notably, the latest Deed follows some 200 complaints to FWO from employees of Spotlessowned companies over a six-year period resulting in back-payments of $200,000.

IN BRIEF

news RECRUITMENT

THE BOOMING BUSINESS OF FAKE REFERENCES

n Websites offering fake reference services continue to spring up, raising questions over whether the process is flawed from the outset, and whether it’s time to up the ante and background-check referees. Enquiries to fakejobreferencesaustralia.com reveal that the Perth-based site provides customised, professional references and will act as a referee to assist in gaining employment. “We pretend to be your ex-employer(s) in your last position and will act as a reference to hopefully get you into a job. From there it is entirely up to you to prove your skills to the employer. Anyone receiving a reference from us must understand this – we can only help you get the job, not keep the job,” the site’s founder “Mark” told HC. According to background screening expert Jeff Wizceb, the process of signing up for a fake reference is easy. “You basically sign up and create your own company that you want to have worked at or create a position at a legitimate company,” said Wizceb. “You plug in references, position, salary, all that information, and if an employer were to call the number you provided, these sites will pose as a reference and it would be basically this fake company that would ‘verify’ the information.” Experts warn that more effective probing of referees could prevent hiring disasters. Here are five tips: 1. At interview, confirm with the candidate who is the appropriate person to call. Do not rely on who is written on the resume. Ask specifically who the role reported into, who is currently in that position and how long they reported to that person. 2. If the referee to call is not the person noted on the resume, ask the candidate why and ask for written permission to contact the referee. 3. Ensure you identify the person you are talking to; never conduct reference checks on mobile telephone numbers. Phone the reception of an organisation to confirm the name and title of the person. 4. Often during the interview process you are trying to dig up information that you can ask further questions on during the reference check. Dates of employment might be one question – get the referee to offer them. 5. You may need to do more than one reference check at a single organisation to rule out any personal issues, ill-feeling between people, or importantly, a bona fide fake. IR

COALITION TO KEEP FWA n The IR landscape saw a significant change of pace in 2009 when the federal government dismantled WorkChoices and installed Fair Work in its place; however, the opposition has vowed to keep the legislation should it come to power. After weeks of attacking FWA over its investigation into the Health Services Union and embattled Labor MP Craig Thomson, Senator George Brandis, opposition legal affairs spokesman, publically stated the Coalition would not seek to dismantle the workplace watchdog if elected. According to IR expert and employment lawyer Peter Vitale, opposition leader Tony Abbott’s 6

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political strategy to distance himself from WorkChoices while gradually moving back to confront the issue of IR has been tactical. Additionally, he expects the Coalition’s policies would attack “soft targets” first, such as unfair dismissal laws for small business, general protection laws and what can and cannot be introduced in an enterprise bargaining agreement. While Vitale didn’t believe the Coalition would again support a long list of prohibited content as it did under WorkChoices, he said the biggest push would likely involve a re-introduction of individual workplace agreements, adding that under Fair Work, the “only avenue” to individual agreement-making is an individual flexibility agreement under an award or an enterprise agreement.

DID YOU KNOW?

95%

of workers polled in an Employment Office survey believe that job salaries should not be advertised as a figure inclusive of super. Instead, they believed the fairer way to advertise a salary package was with a base salary figure, plus super.

DIVERSITY

HR MANAGERS CENTRAL TO DISABILITY PLAN

n Jobseekers with disabilities are set to get a recruiting boost after an announcement that the government is on the hunt for HR and recruitment specialists to better market the skills of people with a disability. Employment Participation Minister Kate Ellis said the government was concerned there was a disconnect between what employers were looking for and how job agencies presented the idea of giving an unemployed Australian with a disability a chance to work. The hiring of specialist HR managers is aimed at bridging the gap and making sure not only that employers are getting the right staff but also that jobseekers with a disability are gaining the work experience they need. The new project will be run by Disability Employment Australia in partnership with the Australian Human Resources Institute, and will be funded by the $41m federal government Innovation Fund. Ellis added that the initiative is aimed at giving employment service providers new tools, new support and new ways to assist people with a disability to find work.

IN BRIEF HC ONLINE

forum Readers’ comments

Performance reviews: Scrap them? The lead-up to end of financial year often means a plethora of performance reviews, which, depending on how they are administered, can mean a heavy time burden for HR directors and their teams. But having performance-reviewed the performance review, some more innovative organisations have decided to do away with the process altogether. Australian software development company Atlassian took this step. According to its HR director, traditional performance reviews cause anxiety for all parties and act as a demotivator. “Instead of discussion about how to enhance people’s performance, the reviews caused disruptions and anxiety, and demotivated team members and managers,” Joris Luijke said. Atlassian abolished official performance

reviews two year ago, and replaced them with a brief weekly self-analysis that employees complete online by dragging a dot along an axis in response to questions. Using a tool called ‘Small Improvements’ (also the name of the tech start-up that developed the app), Atlassian hopes to simplify the traditional approach by making the performance management agile. Due to its simplicity and intuitive nature, there is almost no training needed for the end user, while HR has full control over customisation and keeping track of the whole process. The aim of the ‘dot rating’ is to replace the traditional ‘one to five’-rating, but its developers claim it is not intended as a replacement for written feedback, nor for the actual conversations between manager and team member. Other Australian companies like Quiksilver and RedBalloon have also adopted this approach to performance management, but they appear to be in the minority. The results of a 2010 survey by Sibson Consulting and WorldatWork indicated that many organisations continue to conduct performance reviews simply out of convention; however, only around 1% of businesses in the US have scrapped them. Some 60% of US HR managers rated their employer’s performance management protocols as ‘C or below’. A further 600 employee-feedback studies found that two-thirds of appraisals had zero or even negative effects on employee performance after the feedback was given. While no statistics are available for the Australian market, anecdotal evidence suggests most organisations continue to carry out reviews once or twice a year.

Turn to page 20 for a best practice look at 360-degree feedback mechanisms What do you think? Leave your comments on all HC news and opinion:

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MICHELLE DOWDING on 18 Jan 2012 04:03 PM I can’t see how scrapping a performance review is a positive thing! Performance reviews give staff the opportunity to negotiate rewards based on their performance. By abolishing these, less staff will be inclined to ask for a raise (fear factor). I also cannot see how a weekly self-evaluation is a better alternative. I know companies in Australia who do not conduct performance reviews and the staff there would do ANYTHING to have these implemented. If done correctly they should be an excellent management tool and a motivating experience for staff. If done incorrectly, I can see how they would be damaging but that is more an indicator of poor management skills than that performance reviews are not working. BRONTE JACKSON on 18 Jan 2012 04:21 PM I am not surprised at all to hear of scrapping of performance reviews. I could see the writing on the wall ages ago. Hardly any businesses seem to get a benefit from them, they don’t seem to impact the bottom line, motivate staff, create better relationships, develop capability, skill up staff, or assist with implementing strategy – all the things they were designed to do. If the activity you are pursuing doesn’t do what it is intended to do then drop it! I do concur with Michelle’s point though. I think in Australia it has been because of a great immaturity on the part of organisations and leaders that has prevented performance reviews having the intended effect. Most organisations implemented them as they would a new software tool, using standard process management techniques to implement them, not recognising or wanting to put time or resources into the strategic support and skill development required to make them work. RITA AHUJA on 18 Jan 2012 11:08 PM I agree with Bronte; management needs to be invest in training and mentoring managers to coach them how to give and receive feedback. The failure also lies in having subjective responses rather than objective measures which are clearly outlined in the beginning. Needless to say that performance reviews cannot be linked to salary revisions solely and they have a big role to play in the personal development of individuals.

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FRONTLINE INTELLIGENCE

recruitment

Lisa Robson is a Consultant within The Next Gen division of The Next Step, a specialist consulting practice in the human resources market. For more information call (02) 8256 2500 or email lrobsonthenextstep.com.au. Website: www.thenextstep.com.au.

The HR EVP – What’s important? HR teams often spend a significant amount of time defining and articulating their organisation’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP). The clear intent is to position the company as well as possible to attract the best potential employees. The same opportunity exists for HR Leaders to create a simple EVP for their HR function to attract the best available talent by understanding what HR professionals find attractive when considering career opportunities. In last month’s editorial “Turnover in HR – Not pretty”, we discussed the significantly high turnover in HR teams. This month, we are taking a step backwards to discuss the attraction of the right HR talent in the first place. We ask: what are HR professionals seeking in their role and where do they want to work? Understanding these questions can be a useful asset when trying to attract the best HR practitioners in the market who will stay for the long haul.

THE NUMBERS

The role and organisation preferences of HR professionals was just one of the many areas examined by the recently published 2012 Global HR Viewpoint Survey, (Viewpoint). The Viewpoint Report is based on responses from almost 3,000 HR professionals within Australia/New Zealand, Asia and the UK/ Europe. There are some clear messages about the preferences of HR professionals regardless of their level, gender and background in the Viewpoint data. Two key results in the survey showed that in Australia/New Zealand: • 58.1% of HR professionals prefer a role that is end-to-end with both a thinking as well as an operational component. • 43.2% of HR professionals consider the most important thing to look for when joining an organisation is that the management team value the role played by the HR function. 10

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how it does it are secondary considerations after the need for the leadership team to value and endorse the contribution made by HR. The most frequently quoted “turn-off” for any HR professional is the lack of commitment by an organisation’s senior management team to support pro-active people practices. There are very few HR professionals who don’t have this key cultural driver at the front and centre of their organisational preferences.

THE FINAL WORD THE ROLE

The numbers show that an overwhelming majority of the HR community want an end-to-end role. There is a clear message that HR professionals across the board are looking for a role with both a thinking contribution as well as the opportunity to implement their work. For senior HR practitioners, this may be the building and delivery of the functional strategy. For the early HR career market, this may instead be the suggestion and implementation of process improvements. Very few HR professionals are attracted to a role that is solely focused on operational delivery (4.4%), specialised within a niche area (2.7%) or with a project orientation (4.0%). HR professionals across the board evidently want to do more than just execute.

THE ORGANISATION

When it comes to organisational preferences, the Viewpoint data shows half of all HR professionals believe the position of the function within the business is the single most important factor when considering an opportunity. This suggests that there is a degree of pragmatism in relation to HR professionals and their work in 2012; what the organisation does and

There are of course many other things HR professionals are looking for. The Viewpoint indicates that the more prevalent of these are: • Professional Development opportunities; • Strong brand image; • Best practice HR; • Additional annual leave entitlements; • Flexible work arrangements; and • Company-sponsored learning. Whilst these factors are important, the data from the Viewpoint is clear in that there are two dominating themes evidenced: • HR professionals want an ability to both “think” and “do” in their roles (no matter the level); and • HR professionals want the leadership of the organisation to hold HR’s contribution in high regard. Companies that are able to effectively articulate in their HR EVP that the organisation supports the function and allows their HR professionals a degree of original thought to their work where appropriate will be in a strong position when sourcing talent – everything else is secondary! For more information about the 2012 Global HR Viewpoint Survey, please contact The Next Step.

MARKET MOVES

radar

Recent HR Market Moves Sara Marshall has been appointed the Regional HR Director Australia & New Zealand at Reckitt Benckiser. Sara was previously the Global HR Director of Study Group and prior to this she held HR Director level roles with Mercer and ABN AMRO. GE Australia & New Zealand has appointed Fernanda Afonso as their Organisational Development Leader, Global Growth and Operations. Prior to joining GE, Fernanda enjoyed five years at Freehills as their Organisational Development Manager and was previously with Westpac/BT Financial for four years in senior OD and Change Management roles. Gauri Maini has joined Brown-Forman as their Human Resources Director. She brings strong experience from HR management and consulting roles within a diverse range of industry sectors including not-for-profit, tobacco, engineering and oil & gas. Joining Incitec Pivot in the role of Employee Relations Manager is Lyne Mear. Lyne previously held the role of HR Manager â&#x20AC;&#x201C; North with QR National and her prior experience was gained within EMECO, Australian Mines & Metals Association and ENERGEX. Steve Schofield has been appointed the Executive General Manager Human Resources with Downer EDI Rail. Steve is well-qualified for the role having most recently been employed as the Group General Manager Human Resources with Komatsu Australia. He previously held HR Director level roles with Goodman Fielder and Schindler Lifts.

Rentokil Initial has appointed Darlene Winston into the role of HR Director Pacific. Prior to joining Rentokil Initial, Darlene was the General Manager People & Culture at SNP Security and previously held senior roles with IAG, Boehringer Ingelheim and BOC. Katherine Henry has accepted the role of Group Director of People & Culture at UXC Limited. Prior to this role, Katherine fulfilled senior HR positions within organisations such as IBM, ANZ and Corrs Chambers Westgarth. Leighton Holdings Limited has appointed Alana Matheson into the role of HR Advisor. Prior to joining Leighton, Alana enjoyed seven years with HIA Limited and was most recently their Executive Director OHS & Workplace Relations. Her previous experience was within private practice.

Hunter-Mollard Executive Search and Selection & Right Management. James Law has been appointed to the role of HR Director at Betfair. Prior to Betfair, James held director level roles with both Serviceworks and Realestate.com.au Parmalat has appointed Geoff Gavan as their HR Manager for NSW. Geoff most recently held the role of HR Manager with Tenix and his prior HR leadership experience spans a diverse range of industries within organisations such as Enerflex Service and Metcash Trading.

Michael Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sullivan commenced with The University of Melbourne in April as their Director of Employee Relations & Equity. He has held senior ER and HR generalist roles with Thiess, Tenix, Ryco, Elders Forestry and The Laminex Group. Mercer has appointed Allison Bell as the Recruitment Manager Australia & New Zealand. Allison brings a diverse range of experience in the consulting, commercial and recruitment arenas. Organisations she has worked for in recent times include

By supplying Market Moves, The Next Step is not implying placement involvement in any way.

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FRONTLINE INTELLIGENCE

legal

Peter Punch, Partner Workplace Solutions Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers

Managing Chronic Sick Leave All employers should have a welldefined policy on the taking of sick leave. Such a policy should include clear counselling and/or disciplinary guidelines to be followed in the event of non-compliance. Such a policy must not of course contravene the requirements of the National Employment Standards (NES) with respect to personal/carer’s leave. Employers also have to ensure that disciplinary action in relation to sick leave matters does not amount to a contravention of a range of laws that exist to protect employees with genuine illness.

UNLAWFUL TERMINATION, DISCRIMINATION AND ADVERSE ACTION CLAIMS

In dealing with employees who take excessive and/or “suspicious” sick leave, an employer must be mindful of the consequences that they may be faced with if they terminate an employee for that reason. Under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act) an employee whose employment has been terminated on the ground of excessive use of sick leave may bring a claim alleging unfair dismissal or unlawful termination or adverse action. In addition to the provisions of the FW Act, state and federal antidiscrimination legislation applies to such circumstances. Such claims, of course, will be decided with regard to the particular circumstances of each case but the consequences of discriminating against an employee with a genuine illness are potentially very significant for an employer.

TEMPORARY ABSENCE DUE TO ILLNESS

The FW Act provides that an employer is in breach of the Act if an employee’s employment is terminated on account of the employee being temporarily absent from work due to a 12

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Sick leave absences of all employees should be reviewed on a three-monthly basis. This is not a difficult task in the age of computers “prescribed kind of illness or injury”. However, it is not a prescribed kind of illness or injury if the illness or injury extends for more than three months or the total absences of the employee within a 12-month period have been more than three months and the employee is not on personal/ carer’s leave for the duration of the absence.

BE PROACTIVE TO PREVENT A PROBLEM ARISING

Excessive sick leave needs to be dealt with on a systematic and regular basis; it should not, for example, be on the basis that something needs to be done about a particular employee whose continued absence comes to notice as a consequence of the disruption to the section in which the employee is working as a result of that person’s absence. Sick leave absences of all employees should be reviewed on at least a three-monthly basis. This is not a difficult task in these days of easily generated computer printouts. Where it comes to notice that a particular employee is considered to have taken excessive sick leave or a pattern is developing as to the days on which the absences are

occurring then immediate action should be taken by that employee’s supervisor to discuss/counsel and/or discipline the employee as the situation requires. If immediate action is not taken and the excessive use of sick leave continues then it could be justifiably concluded that the employer, by not taking such action, had in some sense condoned the absences. Another good initiative for an employer is to ensure that its employment contracts have a provision to allow the employer to direct an employee to a medical examination, where illness may be significantly affecting an employee’s contribution, or causing a risk to health and safety of that employee and/or other employees. Without specific contractual entitlement, it is often legally difficult for an employer to compel an employee to submit to a medical examination. So firstly, it is vitally important that employers have in place a well-defined policy for the taking of sick leave and the processes for dealing with cases of excessive use. Secondly, there needs to be a regular and systematic review of all employees’ sick leave so that action can be taken as soon as it becomes obvious that a particular employee is taking excessive sick leave. Employers should not wait until an employee’s sick leave record is “chronic” but should deal with it at the first signs of a problem developing. In view of the legislative hurdles to be jumped before an employer can legally terminate an employee on the grounds of excessive use of sick leave, it would be wise for an employer to seek advice before taking such action. All of the members of the Workplace Solutions team of Carroll and O’Dea are well experienced in providing such advice and would welcome any enquiries in this regard.

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FRONTLINE INTELLIGENCE

HR consulting

Ed Hurst, Managing Director at Kenexa Australia Level 2, 451 Little Bourke St, Melbourne Phone (03) 9602 3899 or email ed.hurst@kenexa.com

What should be our ‘One Direction’? In the last decade, Human Capital Management has become widely recognised for its central role in enabling organisations to achieve their strategic goals. Leaders frequently talk in terms of their ‘people strategy’ in the same breath as their business strategy – a powerful acknowledgement of the fact that success in any industry (even in areas that appear purely technical, mechanical, commoditised or financial) ultimately hinges upon people. Now that this fundamental principle is established, the key question is ensuring that the specific people solutions we implement are truly moving us as effectively as possible towards our strategic goals. This question is more subtle than it at first appears. Organisations are very good at capturing data. Who among us cannot, if required, rattle off statistics about turnover rates, time-to-hire, leadership effectiveness ratings, employee engagement, promotion rates, applicant-to-hire ratios, tenure, employee demographic trends and the like? We are surrounded by these figures and our people solutions, if well thought through, are directed towards making a measurable improvement in them. The belief is that by improving these metrics, we are being both efficient and effective – thus moving us towards our company’s strategic objectives. But there are missing links in this argument, which few organisations fully address. What is the optimal level of these metrics? Which of them matters most? If our strategic focus changes, what new mix of metrics should we focus on? If we are not achieving the results we had hoped for, what initiatives should we introduce? If all organisations care about similar people metrics, what do we need to do differently to achieve a competitive advantage? 14

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KENEXA’S STRATEGIC PEOPLE MODEL

Established Linkages Between Business Metrics, TalentMetrics and Solutions

Underpinning all of these questions is one key issue – what is the ‘value chain’ for your specific organisation that links people solutions to your business strategy? Uncovering this formula depends on a few key components: 1. Linking strategic goals to people metrics – clear data to show how specific people indicators are actually associated with different types of business goals 2. Identifying ‘key job families’ – understanding the roles that contribute disproportionately to the performance of the enterprise (so that we can focus our efforts/resources where they will be most productive) 3. Linking people metrics to business solutions – once we know what metrics we need to prioritise (and the job families on which we are focusing), it is important to have clear data to show how specific solutions will give us the specific outcomes we need. By building on our work with organisations across the world, implementing the full

gamut of HCM solutions, we have developed a methodology to allow us to establish these links. The diagram above shows these factors at work. The components of this ‘value chain’ will be different for every organisation and every set of strategic goals, but the methodology that enables us to uncover the chain itself is very powerful. It allows organisations to have a much clearer idea of how business solutions drive the right people metrics, which in turn can deliver the required business outcomes. This enables the solutions to be continuously enhanced and fine tuned. In a forthcoming column, we will explore examples in which this approach has been adopted. In all of them, we will see how organisational performance can be optimised with precision by understanding the exact ways in which your people deliver the pillars of your strategy. If you are interested in learning more about this work, we would be delighted to hear from you!

FRONTLINE INTELLIGENCE

corporate health

Dr Paul Bates is Chief Medical Officer, Peak Health Management, part of Bupa

Managing stress in the workplace Working can provide our lives with purpose, satisfaction, structure and, of course, income. But according to Bupa Healthwatch research data, around 40% of Australians feel they are working long hours, and 44% say they come home from work feeling exhausted. If work is seen this way, then it could possibly be contributing to the stress in your life, even when it is also delivering those other positive aspects. The good news is, with some thought, some effort, and even just a few simple changes to your work practices, you can help reduce the impact of work-related stress on your health and wellbeing.

HEALTHY BODY, HEALTHY MIND

What you do outside the office may help to improve your physical and mental health inside the office, too. Whether it’s going for a walk or jog every day or eating healthy meals, improving your physical wellbeing can help reduce work related stress. Here are our top five tips on health and lifestyle changes that can help you lower your stress levels: 1. Get active. Research has shown that some exercise programs can help reduce anxiety. By improving your fitness, exercise may also help increase your tolerance of stressful situations. Even a brisk walk for 30 minutes a day most days of the week, as recommended in the National Physical Activity Guidelines, may help to combat stress while keeping you in good physical shape and condition. 2. Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Broadly speaking, a diet that includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, lean meat and low-fat dairy products and is

A brisk walk for 30 minutes a day most days of the week may help to combat stress while keeping you in good physical shape and condition low in saturated and trans fats, salt and highly-processed foods, is one of your best tickets to good health. Antioxidant-rich foods, such as blueberries and Red Delicious apples, are also said to help reduce stress. 3. Get enough good quality sleep. Lack of sleep affects both our mental performance and our mood – Bupa Healthwatch research found that sleep-deprived people reported feeling more stressed, sad, angry, mentally exhausted and less optimistic about their lives as a whole. On average, most adults need around 7–8 hours of sleep each night, though this amount can vary according to age and individual needs. 4. Stop smoking, and limit the amount of caffeine you drink. Nicotine in cigarettes and caffeine in coffee, cola and energy

drinks are stimulants that may increase your stress levels. 5. Be smart about how much alcohol you choose to drink. Alcohol may help you feel more relaxed at first, but long-term drinking to cope with stress can lead to a range of health and social problems. It’s also likely that drinking too much may negatively affect how well you can do your work, increasing the stress you’re under.

RECOGNISING THE WARNING SIGNS

A certain level of pressure in the workplace is normal and can even be quite beneficial. But sometimes this pressure, over a sustained period, can become a problem. 1. What symptoms should I look out for? Work-related stress is experienced differently by each person. When it becomes more of a problem you may feel symptoms such as: headaches; neck, shoulder and back ache; disturbed sleep; fatigue; heart palpitations; changed appetite; stomach upsets; reduced ability to concentrate; anxiety; and low mood. 2. To what extent? Prolonged and severe stress can impair normal function. If you’ve been experiencing the above symptoms or feel stress has been affecting your ability to carry out everyday activities for two weeks or more, you may need further help. 3. Where can I go for help? In most instances you can get help from your manager, your HR department or your EAP (Employee Assistance Program) provider. HCAMAG.COM 15

PROFILE AMANDA IRWIN

my brilliant career

STAYING POWER In a relatively high turnover profession, it’s unusual to find an HR practitioner who has remained with the same company since graduation. Now with over 20 years working in multiple roles at Procter & Gamble behind her, Amanda Irwin talks to HC about her brilliant career Human Capital: What drew you to an HR role initially? Amanda Irwin: Over the first 12 years of my time with P&G, I held a number of different roles, but had always been one of our internal trainers. This encouraged my passion for building the capability of others so when the opportunity to take up an HR role was presented to me it seemed like a natural progression. HC: What is your current role and how did it come about? AI: My current role is HR leader for Procter & Gamble for Australia and New Zealand. I joined P&G in the IT department straight out of uni in 1991. I spent the first year as a computer programmer and project manager, then moved into a business analyst role supporting our key customer teams. From there I held a number of different sales roles, external and internal, before being offered an opportunity in HR in 2003. In 2005 I transferred to P&G’s Asia Head Office in Singapore. During this time I worked as the regional HR leader across a number of different categories including Retail Hair Care, Skin Care and Professional Hair Care. In 2010 I returned to Australia to take on the role of HR leader for Australia and New Zealand. As a company focused on having a diverse and inclusive workforce, this exposure to different business disciplines, business problems and geographies is typical of the way P&G develops its people. As one of the last 16

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large ‘promote from within’ companies, this experience and capability building is an important way to ensure that our future leaders have the broad range of skills required to run the business. HC: How would you recommend other HR professionals to learn more about the wider business world? AI: There are a number of ways that have been helpful for me. Firstly, learn about the business that you currently work in. Understand the business challenges and the processes used to solve these challenges. Sit in on key business decision making forums to see how the work really gets done in the organisation. Shadow some of your top talent and see what the tough commercial issues are for them. If you get the opportunity, take up a broadening assignment in a commercial function. This may mean a demotion for a short period of time, but there is nothing like a job in the business to understand the business! HC: What do you consider to be your biggest career achievement to date? AI: There have been many times when I’ve felt that the work HR has led at P&G has had a significant impact on our employees, and on the business. I was part of two significant integrations while in Asia, so being able to successfully integrate two business cultures, along with relocating large numbers of employees into a new

AMANDA IRWIN ROLL OF HONOUR Bachelor of Science with Honours in Applied Mathematics from Sydney University, 1991 HCAMAG.COM 17

Career timeline: Amanda Irwin

country, while growing the business probably stands out the most for me.

1991

First job

IT analyst, Procter & Gamble Australia and New Zealand.

2003–2005

First HR-related role

Manager, organisational effectiveness and training, Procter & Gamble Australia and New Zealand. Responsible for identifying, sourcing and delivering training. Responsible for analysing employee feedback and creating then executing an organisation action plan with the leadership team.

2005–2010 Next steps

• Senior HR manager, Beauty Care Regional Business Unit, Procter & Gamble Singapore • Senior HR Manager, Hair Care Regional Business Unit, Procter & Gamble Singapore • Senior HR Manager, Asia Salon Professional, Procter & Gamble Singapore

2010 Current

HR leader, Procter & Gamble Australia and New Zealand. Responsibilities include ensuring the organisation is engaged and enabled to deliver the business strategies; delivery of HR fundamentals across Australia and New Zealand; and building capability of HR team.

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HC: What advice would you give to graduates considering a career in HR? AI: Have a clear understanding of your own values, and how you hope to make a difference. There are multiple roles that HR can play in a company, and each company has its own set of values. Since HR is often the ‘keeper’ of a company’s culture and values, you need to be confident that those values match with yours. Understanding the role that HR plays in a company will help you get a sense for whether that is a role that plays to your strengths and passions. Finding a company with a strong alignment to your values and with expectations which match the things you are passionate about will set you up for rewarding work and a great career. For me, P&G is the perfect company in this regard. P&G has strong company values and a global commitment to improving the lives of consumers not just through our products but also through giving back to the communities that we operate in. P&G has 100 ‘Live, Learn and Thrive’ programs operating in 60 countries that have improved the lives of more than 315 million people. Every second of every day, two children benefit. Locally, we’ve just announced a new corporate partnership with Save the Children where we are aiming to improve the lives of 4,500 through a Story Swag program and many more through a cause-related marketing program on our Vicks brand. Knowing that my work contributes to improving lives makes it all the more rewarding. HC: Describe yourself in a few key words? AI: I’m pragmatic, curious and always looking to get to the heart of the issue. I will stand up for what I believe is right, even when it is tough or unpopular. I have a principle-

Learn about the business that you currently work in... shadow some of your top talent and see what the tough commercial issues are for them – AMANDA IRWIN based style so will always look for the principles to consider in a situation and let those guide us in our final decision. HC: Do you have any role models professionally or personally? AI: In my time as an HR business partner, four of my six business leaders have been women. It’s been a privilege to partner with them and I have learnt different things from each of them. I’ve learnt which styles work well in different business situations, how to navigate the complexities of big issues and how to make my family a priority, even when it seems that work will consume every spare minute! I have three children, aged 14, 12 and 10 and while P&G has great programs in place to support working parents, it can be tough knowing how to make the right calls in different situations. My role models have demonstrated how to have a very successful career, while still being the kind of parent that you hope to be by understanding the things you are willing to be flexible on, and which you are not. HC: Where do you see the future of HR as a profession heading? AI: The future of HR is exciting! As the world changes at an ever increasing pace, businesses and organisations need to continue to evolve to make sure they are successful. HR has a leadership role to play in ensuring that organisations are designed to win in the market, that the right people are in place and that those people have the capability they need. HR managers with a strong connection to both the business and their people will be in a unique position to impact results and will be in high demand.

PROFILE AMANDA IRWIN

my brilliant career ALL ABOUT FLEXIBILITY P&G has focused heavily on work-life balance and care giver is entitled to two weeks’ paid leave diversity initiatives, especially those for working mums. These options are currently working for us with all Here Amanda Irwin outlines what’s on offer: employees who were on maternity leave this financial “Our program is called ‘Flex @ Work’. This program year, either returning from leave or extending their provides a structure for ongoing dialogue between each leave. None have resigned from the business. employee and their manager where the employee can These programs have been in place for a number of share what flexibility options work best for them, and years and we have a great track record in building female the manager can work within the different options to leaders. Our current leadership team is a great come up with a customised ‘flex @ work plan’. demonstration of this – we have a female MD for the The options we currently have available include: first time in the history of P&G’s Australia and New • Work from home, where eligible employees work Zealand operations and 50% of our local leadership from home one day a week team are women, with 80% of them mothers. We know • Sabbatical leave, where eligible employees can take up our programs work for both women and men and are to six months' unpaid leave to pursue personal interests proud of our ability to build local leaders. • Reduced work schedule, where eligible employees can I’ve personally utilised most of P&G’s ‘Flex @ Work’ change their working schedule to suit their personal options. I have worked at home one day a week since it needs if the business can accommodate it was introduced in 2003. I had a reduced work schedule • Flexible work arrangements, where eligible employees for seven years in between maternity leaves. I also used a can change their working hours to suit their personal flexible working hours program to help manage my time needs if the business can accommodate it around childcare when my children were younger.” • Parental leave, where new parents who are the primary care giver are entitled to 12 weeks’ paid leave More industry profiles at: hcamag.com on the birth of a child, and where the non-primary

DID YOU KNOW?:

Global FMCG company Procter & Gamble is the company behind some of Australia’s most wellknown brands, including Gillette, Pantene, Oral-B, Olay, Vicks, and Ambi Pur

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PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

360 degree feedback

For better or for worse? New research has shed light on why so many managers (and employees) struggle with 360 degree feedback, and provides insights into what employers can do better The use of 360 degree feedback is contentious. Some organisations won’t use it because they believe it serves as a poor substitute for open dialogue, or because they’ve seen staff become upset and disengaged after receiving feedback. On the other hand most organisations do use it, including 90% of Fortune 1000 firms. Paul Lawrence, a consultant in organisational/ leadership development, and Ann Whyte, managing director of Whyte & Co and the MBS Centre for Coaching in Organisations, recently conducted a piece of research that throws new light on how to design 360 degree feedback systems that work. Seven organisations volunteered to participate in their research, including a utilities company, a government organisation, and companies from professional services, medical sales and financial services. In total 35 people who had recently received feedback took part, together 20

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with 17 coaches and seven OD managers. “We wanted to understand those different perspectives,” says Whyte. “If participants have an unhappy experience of feedback, we know that they’re often reluctant to articulate their views for fear of being seen as oppositional or resistant.” Lawrence and Whyte asked all participants to recount stories of their experiences of 360 degree feedback, exploring their understanding as to why their companies use 360 degree feedback in the first place, the way 360 degree feedback is used and their views on the benefits and risks involved. “We analysed our data in two ways,” says Lawrence. “First, we looked for correlations between aspects of process and the way that participants said they felt after receiving feedback, their satisfaction with the process and, most important of all, whether they said they changed their behaviour afterwards. Second, we identified all the various factors that people mentioned during interview, compared those views with all of the available research in the field, and built a ‘best-practice’ model.” In the first part of their study they found that: • Conducting face-to-face initial briefings with participants, instead of sending briefings by email, led to participants feeling better about themselves at the end of the process.

• Using a carefully selected off-the-shelf instrument may make it more likely that participants change their behaviour, and feel better about themselves, than if a customised instrument is used. • If participants are debriefed by someone accredited in using the particular instrument, rather than by their line manager, participants are more likely to make changes, to be satisfied with the process, and to feel better about themselves. • If participants are offered support in moving to action after receiving feedback, they are more likely to make changes and more likely to feel better about themselves. “The biggest surprise was that off-the-shelf tools appear to be more effective than customised tools,” says Whyte. “We think this is because some of the customised instruments used by the organisations in our study weren’t as sophisticated in terms of the way the results were communicated to participants. It’s important that participants are able to understand and make sense of their results, and this factor appears to be more important than whether or not instruments are closely matched to the organisation’s culture and values.” Lawrence adds that the role of the line manager was also interesting. “Our results suggest that the line manager shouldn’t be asked to conduct the initial debrief, but he/she is often capable of helping their staff work out what to do after receiving feedback. Not all line managers do this well though. When OD managers say that line managers are responsible for helping the staff member move to action, this appears to happen only about 50% of the time. The other 50% of the time participants feel they have been left to their own devices. When this happens participants are much less likely to do anything about the feedback they receive.” The main outcome from the study was a ‘Process Architecture’ for building effective 360 degree feedback systems, a term originally devised by Edwards & Ewen (1996). Lawrence notes the ‘Process Architecture’ captures the collective wisdom of the 50 or so people who shared their stories. The ‘Process Architecture’ has nine components: Organisational readiness It may be too early to use 360 degree feedback in organisations where there doesn’t exist sufficient trust, openness and sharing. For organisations on the cusp, respondents talked of the potential value of 360 degree feedback in starting conversations and opening up dialogue.

1 2

Organisational purpose Everyone understands that the immediate purpose of 360 degree feedback is to help people better understand how they are perceived by others, but not everyone

A ‘Process Architecture’ for reviewing/ designing 360⁰ feedback systems Organisational readiness Engaging stakeholders Participants

Line Managers

Raters

Coaches

Debriefing

Sense making

Organisational readiness

Timing

Moving to action Tool selection

understands why their organisation wants them to go through this process. A clear purpose helps all stakeholders understand why the organisation is asking people to undergo 360 degree feedback, what kind of questions are likely to be asked, and what the organisation is hoping for as an outcome. It provides a context against which the organisation can select the right tool, engage stakeholders and frame expected outcomes.

Tool selection Where there is an intention to compare leaders to a global norm, then OD managers are more likely to select a tool that comes with its own proprietary database. If the intention is to provide participants with a rich source of qualitative data purely for developmental purposes, then clients may opt for less common forms of feedback – 360 degree feedback by interview for example. Many participants talked of their desire to be able to look beyond the numbers, valuing the understanding they were able to mine from well prepared qualitative data.

Timing Many participants complained of ‘rater fatigue’, having an inbox full of feedback requests, a problem exacerbated if feedback is conducted at financial year-end or other busy times. Other researchers also suggest that 360 degree feedback for development purposes shouldn’t be conducted around performance appraisal time, otherwise raters and participants may moderate their input, mindful that feedback may influence performance ratings. HCAMAG.COM 21

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

360 degree feedback “It’s important to design good systems. People don’t like to be criticised. Criticism, if not delivered thoughtfully, speaks to rejection, and rejection is one of our most deep-seated fears” – PAUL LAWRENCE

Engaging participants Some people are more ‘self-actualised’ than others. People with a robust ‘sense of self’ find it easier to detach themselves emotionally from the feedback. People who are more ‘enmeshed’ in the perspectives of others may need lots of support if they are not to become upset, even depressed on occasion. People responsible for running 360 degree feedback programs should pay attention to individual readiness as well as organisational readiness.

Engaging line managers It is often assumed that line managers possess the ‘will’ and ‘skill’ to help participants move from feedback to action, but this is often not the case. Lawrence and Whyte heard stories of line managers using 360 degree programs to deliver performance feedback and to support their own beliefs around the development needs of individuals. All these findings point to the importance of engaging line managers in the purpose of 360 degree feedback, and the value of skills training for managers lacking the requisite capability.

Engaging raters OD managers are often attuned to the risk of participants choosing only raters likely to provide encouraging feedback. Those undergoing feedback, on the other hand, are more likely to focus on picking people whose input they value. If participants don’t value or respect the opinions of raters, then they are less likely to act upon the feedback. OD managers should consider scribing a rater selection policy that outlines the purpose of feedback, that provides guidelines for choosing raters, distinguishing between the use of feedback for assessment vs. development, picking the right sample size, avoiding ‘rater fatigue’ and clarity as to who is responsible for the overall process. 22

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Several authors have suggested that raters be routinely provided with guidance and training, including a description of the major competencies expected of the roles for which they are being asked to comment, yet the evidence suggests this rarely happens.

Engaging feedback givers, coaches and others involved in the process Coaches and feedback-givers who are familiar with the organisation’s motives in staging 360 degree feedback are in a better position to facilitate effective sense-making, and to help their participants construct action plans consistent with the organisation’s purpose and intent.

Debriefing, sense making and moving to action Receiving feedback does not in itself lead to change. Lawrence and Whyte suggest three things need to happen for change to occur. The participant will likely need support in: 1. Understanding the results 2. Making sense of their feedback 3. Moving to action Different organisations assign different people to these roles. For example, in one of the organisations Lawrence and Whyte studied, one external company fulfilled the debriefing role, and a second company played the roles of sense making and moving to action. In another organisation an external company fulfilled the debriefing role and sense making roles, and line management fulfilled the role of moving to action. In a third company they ran one program in which coaching companies played all three roles and another program in which line management played all three roles. If these different roles are not understood by everyone, then transitions between roles may not be well managed, and the process flawed. Lawrence and Whyte hope that their ‘Process Architecture’ will be useful in running the gauntlet over existing 360 degree feedback programs as well as in designing new ones. “It’s important to design good systems,” says Lawrence. “People don’t like to be criticised. Criticism, if not delivered thoughtfully, speaks to rejection, and rejection is one of our most deep-seated fears. As coaches we regularly come across people struggling to come to terms with feedback, people for whom receiving feedback was a distressing experience that served only to alienate them from their colleagues and the organisation. On the other hand, theories of adult learning point to the value of receiving feedback. Feedback can help us to better understand how we are perceived, enabling us to better manage the impact we have on others. In our work as coaches we often come across people for whom receiving feedback was an empowering experience, people who discovered new levels of self-belief, spurring them on to achieve great things.”

HCAMAG.COM 23

YOUR GUIDE TO…

goal setting

AVOIDING a road to nowhere

Stop and think – how did you get to where you are? What are your skills now? What do you really want moving forward? We often know what we don’t want, but what we do want is a little harder to determine. It may be time for a refresher course in goal and vision setting

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“In the absence of clear goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia” – anon. When was the last time you thought about your goals? Not just career goals, but life goals. Perhaps this was something you did when you were young and hungry but either those goals have been achieved, circumstances have changed, or they’ve been filed away in the back of your mind. Why are goals important? What is the best way to work towards them? And why is having a vision important to pull it all together?

CORE VALUES

To answer those questions, it’s necessary to go back to the basics. Shannah Kennedy, executive life strategist and author of Simplify Structure Succeed: A Modern Practical Toolkit for Life Strategy, says the first thing she asks any athlete, CEO, executive, business owner or employee who comes to her for life coaching tips is what are your core values? This, she says, is the foundation of a person. “It’s what is important to you, really – not what you think should be important, but what actually is important to you. This can take some time as you may not have connected with yourself for a while, or been focused just on achieving at work.” She cites an example. If the answer comes back that you value family, Kennedy will build in some questions around how the family perceives you, what you want to be to the family and what you still need to work on. If family is at the core of your values, why are you putting them last? The same applies to economic security. Why are you so hell bent on achieving budget – which is great – but have no idea of your cost of living or your long-term investment objectives? Kennedy will sit with clients and go through a process of elimination from about 30 values down to three. “From there, any decisions made need to add to your values rather than take away,” she says. Kennedy says it’s vital to first strip away all the marketing and programming that you build up, and then to seek clarity around what you want. “Taking the time to understand what you want in the next decade seems quite indulgent but it’s one of the most important things we can do in life if we want to take the right opportunities. I think 80% of opportunities are a distraction when you truly understand what you want in life.” Kennedy says that light bulbs often go on at this point. “Once you structure time around your own brand and financial status it gets people motivated. You find yourself wanting to perform at work as it now has meaning and purpose to feed personal goals as well.”

5 STEPS TO CLARIFY YOUR GOALS

What are your goals in simple terms?

Are you clear on your specific objectives?

Why are you doing this?

What do you really want to achieve?

Do your goals have depth and do you really understand them?

IDENTIFY YOUR TOP 3 GOALS ● Carry them with

you all day ● Program them

into your phone ● Write them on a card and store them in your wallet ● Copy them into

your diary or planner to greet you when you open the front page each day

Kennedy finds that personal and work issues overlap “95% of the time”. Enquiries frequently initially focus on work prospects: how do I create a path of excellence for myself, and what tips can be provided for clarity, goal setting, direction and succession planning. Then, invariably, it moves into life balance issues and energy issues. “All parts are integrated as our clarity and structure needs to be built around the whole person,” she adds.

BEWARE ENERGY DRAINERS

Kennedy also works with clients to determine a list of energy drainers and energy givers. “When we talk about the drainers and the simple things we can do that give us energy it all seems so easy. Many people I have coached who are multi-millionaires and company owners are astounded at how good they feel when they’ve made it a mission to get all their tax up-to-date, to clean out their desk, to buy a new diary with a nice pen and gain some control back in their life.” We don’t often think of all the little bricks that just sit on our shoulders that don’t take too much time but just sit there, she adds. “When you commit to just doing them rather than letting them drain you, life is much lighter and clearer – there is also perspective that comes into play when the drainers are all gone,” Kennedy says. As an interesting side note, Kennedy says this applies to relationships as well – it can be beneficial to get rid of some of the draining friendships we all have and to pull back from informing “the dreamstealers” of everything we’re doing.

CREATING BOUNDARIES

It’s not unusual in HR circles to talk about ‘work-life balance’, but Kennedy refers to this instead as creating boundaries. Boundaries, she notes, are simply about understanding your priorities properly. It’s also important to understand that everything we do comes at a cost; every time we say yes to anything it is at the cost of something else. We therefore need to be confident that it is all working for us in the right direction. Perspective, boundaries and parameters add to clarity and a sense of achievement as a whole person. “Sometimes we have to say no,” Kennedy says. “We have to plan our exercise into the diary like it’s a meeting. We have to not give up on our date nights even though we are married. We have to ensure we have boundaries around work so we can have a life, recharge and come back to work each day with purpose, achievement, fulfilment and clear focus.” Part of the reason for Kennedy writing her book was to provide a sense of how to structure HCAMAG.COM 25

YOUR GUIDE TO…

goal setting achievement in life – and she intends it to be a gift to both managers and employees. “There is no point being great at work if the rest of our life isn’t functioning well. Life balance is about creating some structure that gives us the feeling of being balanced; it’s not so much about time out, it is about being busy but still feeling in control, being clear and having the comfort of owning who you are.”

Creating your vision Step 1

Write a vision and purpose statement of where you’d like to be in three years’ time. Consider your age and you’ll get an instant visual to help with your answers. Tips: • Use ‘what’, ‘who’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ • Write in the present tense • Don’t let lack of money, skills or time be a barrier • Don’t think of what you can do at the moment, but what you’d love to do • Put aside any limitations and create the dream life for yourself • Describe how you feel in the new picture

Step 2

Talk to others about your dreams and desires – it’s fundamental in helping bring them to life.

Step 3

Detail your vision by cutting it down into smaller, achievable goals. Tips: • Work out exactly what you need to help you achieve your vision • Plan how you’re going to achieve your vision • Construct a timeline outlining when you’re going to achieve your vision and the smaller steps along the way

Step 4

Create a visual document of your vision. This is a collage of all the things you’d like to have, do or become. Tips: • List your goals and translate them visually into an image • Include beautiful pictures and words • Focus on different areas of your life, including relationships, health, wealth, family and spirituality • Choose motivators that remind you to develop, evolve, flourish and stay a little challenged

Step 5

Journal your gratitude along the way and celebrate all of the steps, both big and small, that take you closer to your goals. Source: ‘Simplify Structure Succeed: A Modern Practical Toolkit for Life Strategy’ written by Shannah Kennedy

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TYING IT TOGETHER WITH VISION

“Many cannot set a practical goal that is achievable and hence that feeling of being overwhelmed comes into play” – SHANNAH KENNEDY

HR would also be familiar with corporate vision and the role of leaders in communicating that vision. Not surprisingly, the same rules apply to personal vision, which in ‘corporate speak’ might also be seen as a personal manifesto or mission statement. “Your personal vision is fundamental. You are: Your Life Incorporated – so where are you going? Who do you want to be? What characteristics do you want to build into your life? Who do you want to be as a 50-, 60-, or 70-year-old? What level of fitness do you want, where do you want to be financially, what is your bucket list, what skills do you want, where do you want to have travelled, what is the picture? “The vision gives us wings – to be creative, to think big, to not worry how we might get there but to plant the seeds of what we want and what is important to us,” Kennedy says. When Kennedy works with teams in companies or individuals on their own on their vision, she encourages participants to go back to creating on a blank canvas, “to being young again”, and reinforcing “if it is meant to be, it is up to me”. She will consider the five senses – smell, sight, sound, touch and taste – and work on building them back into the lives of participants, who are often high achievers but in so being may have become numb to the simple things in life. And if the idea of a personal vision sounds too daunting, specific goals can work towards that vision. Do the ‘old wives’ tales’ actually hold some weight? Does writing down goals, or having accountability by sending updates to friends or colleagues make a difference? “As simple as that is – the answer is yes! It’s a bit like the simplicity of drinking water gets rid of your headache as you are dehydrated. Why are the simple things so hard? We are so used to tackling big goals, big visions, big budgets that the simple things have been neglected. “Goals are great when you structure them well, simply and with some practicality. Many cannot set a practical goal that is achievable and hence that feeling of being overwhelmed comes into play. I’m more interested in what are you going to do and how you are going to do it – the reward is definitely the journey if you have done it with purpose, clarity, depth and understanding,” says Kennedy.

YOUR GUIDE TO…

negotiating a pay rise

Show me the money Career coach Kelly Magowan’s tips for salary negotiation •Don’t wait to be offered To their detriment, many people are still too polite when it comes to negotiating their salary. They wait for the current or prospective employer to offer them a salary or a pay increase or bonus and then (in most instances) accept what is given, even if they don’t agree with it. Not speaking up if you don’t feel what has been offered is fair is foolish. Nor is negotiating only on what has been presented – if there is the opportunity to bring in new elements to the negotiation such as asking for a sign-on bonus, additional benefits such as further education or even a golden parachute, then why not? Remember also there does not have to be a set time to raise the subject, such as the annual salary review – you can raise it at any time, every quarter if you feel it is warranted. • Talk yourself up Women in particular tend to fail miserably at talking up their achievements with their current employers. Doing a great job and achieving great things at work can go unnoticed. Chances are that those around you are also working hard and so as long as things are getting done, they are not overly concerned with how or who is doing them. Though for most it does not come naturally, it is important to learn to ‘toot your own horn’. Provide your boss written confirmation of your success if you can. • Learn about salary negotiation Though negotiation is something that we all do naturally in our lives for some reason many of us find it difficult to negotiate when it comes to our salaries. Therefore, it is not a case of not possessing good negotiation skills; it is more an issue of the negotiation context and subject matter. For some reason we are uncomfortable discussing our salaries and what we are worth with current or prospective employers. We need to learn more about salary negotiation in order to become more comfortable and effective.

RESEARCH & PREPARATION

• Research the job market Technology has made it easy for us the salary information out there. Search on Google and you will be provided with salary surveys broken down by industry, profession and state and country. Alternatively you can search on job sites to get an up-to-date feel of what the market is paying for someone in your profession with your years of experience.

Another avenue is to talk to recruitment consultants or HR professionals within similar organisations. • Prepare your business case Regardless of the economic market, current or new employers are not going to hand over money to you without some sort of justification. Having a viable business case as to why your salary should be increased is a must – show what you have done to go above and beyond your existing role.

ASSUMPTIONS

We can sometimes be guilty of making incorrect assumptions about people, organisations and situations. Ensure any assumptions you may have are checked out and justified before you enter into a negotiation with your current or prospective employer. Common assumptions range from benefits you believe to be offered to staff at the company to salaries or perks of other staff members.

ALTERNATIVES

Having an alternative/s is important. It is important to have high aspirations; however, this needs to also be balanced against the reality of the situation. Indeed, in the salary negotiation process all your requirements may be met, none may be met or some may be met. It is important to know at which point you are willing to walk away from a negotiation, and/or to have alternatives. If you are requesting a salary increase, have you thought about your alternatives should this be unsuccessful? In these situations people generally leave fairly quickly; have you started speaking with other potential employers? In the instance of being offered a new job, should the salary package not meet your requirements, do you have other offers available to you? Is it such a great opportunity that has a long-term financial gain?

ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS OR OBJECTIONS

There is a lot to be said for being positive and optimistic, however it is also important to be realistic. When entering into any salary negotiation process be sure to look at your best and worst case scenarios, and prepare for objections. If you think you’re long overdue for a salary increase, yet your current employer is not in a strong financial position at present (and you want to stay with them), you still have negotiation power. You could ask for the same pay and shorter working hours or for a salary increase to be effective when the company goes back to X amount of profit. It is recommended that you prepare a list of ‘what if?’ questions before you enter the negotiation.

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE In the salary negotiation context you are there to achieve a result for you – therefore using powerful and active language is crucial. Passive sentences such as those below are to be avoided. ✘ “Would you mind if?” ✘ “Sorry, however I was wondering?” ✘ “If you have a moment, would it be okay?” Use active sentences like those below to raise the topic, set the meeting time and enter into the salary negotiation discussion. ✔ “I would like to discuss X with you today” ✔ “Let’s make a time now to…” ✔ “I require 30 minutes of your time today. When are you free?”

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YOUR GUIDE TO…

personal branding

ALL ABOUT YOU We all know the value of branding in the commercial marketing sense. Can the same rules apply to your own personal brand? Iain Hopkins finds out

We live in a state of brand hyper-awareness where people rush to buy the latest designer fashion and line up outside Apple stores to buy the latest tech gadgets. We also judge people on physical appearances well before anything else – research from Princeton University places the time it takes to form an impression of a stranger at just a tenth of a second! It raises an interesting question: Do individuals have brands? That is, a personal brand that reflects who they are, what they believe, and how others perceive them? And more importantly, is it possible your self-created brand has been holding you back all these years? The answer to both is a resounding ‘yes’, according to Emily Kucukalic, 28

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MD of Brand New You, an agency that applies traditional marketing concepts to personal branding. From the initial ‘brand audit’ through to the creation of ‘brand values’ and a ‘marketing plan’, Kucukalic and her team work with clients to create a ‘brand you’. Is this a sorry reflection on the shallow world of today, where shiny surfaces matter more than substance, or is there more to it? Human Capital sat down with Kucukalic for a one-on-one chat. HC: How is Brand New You different to image consultants or life coaches, and who are your clients? Emily Kucukalic: We’re different to image consultants

corporate. We never say ‘here’s brand Jane Smith’. We come up with brands that mean something to the client. So to take one, it might be brand ‘Lady Danger’. Essentially this is a customised character written about you. Clients will say, if they sit in a meeting, how would Lady Danger respond to this? What would she do? Am I projecting my brand in the right way? What would this character say? It gives them the immediate self-reflection. Then there’s a description of that brand and a set of values associated with that brand. These are the four things you want people to think of when they meet you. From there we build a marketing plan, or how we take the brand to market. That includes style – not style as in “this is how you should dress if you want to work here”, but style as in if you’re presenting this brand, what does this brand look like? When we work with clients we help them present a visual representation of that brand, because people see you before they hear you. We also look at cyber brand, working with clients on their social media profiles, or assessing whether they want to publish in industry journals, or get involved in forums or blogs. The end of the process is around presence training – how do you build presence and manage your impact in your interactions with people.

or presentation trainers or coaches because we come at it from a pure marketing background. We’ve adapted what marketing agencies or a corporate would do with their brand, to make it brand you. We work with two types of clients. Firstly, people who come to us of their own volition – usually they’re at a crossroads, they want to go for a new job, or take an important step in their personal life. Alternatively, a corporate will send a high performer to us because they recognise that person is ready for the next level and they want to start ramping up their capabilities. HC: What’s involved in developing ‘brand you’? EK: We sit down with the client and go through a fun process called a brand audit. That is, who are you? We look at who you really are, how you want to be perceived, how you think you’re perceived. Most of our clients have forgotten who and what we are – that’s typical of most adults. If you ask a seven-year-old what their favourite colour is, they will tell you in a second. As adults we think about it and weigh up how we’ll be perceived if we say orange. But just that process makes the client start to think about who they are and what they’re showing the world. From there we create a personal brand. It looks exactly like a brand proposition would from an ad agency to a

HC: If a company brand has a logo, specific fonts, etc, what does a personal brand consist of? EK: The closest thing you’ve got to a corporate brand’s logo and fonts are the clothes you wear, how you look and how you speak. Not so much what you say; most people can talk the corporate talk – they wouldn’t be where they are if they couldn’t. It’s more about realising what you stand for rather than what you do. So for example, I’m your go-to guy for creativity and innovation or I’m your go-to for sophisticated strategic development. What does that person look and act like? We’ll work with some people who aren’t natural marketers of themselves. One of the simplest ways to improve that is to create something that is unique to them. We’ll look at famous people who have mastered the art of having something that is unique to them – take the Masterchef guy who wears a cravat. One client who represented a powerful organisation in Australia wanted to develop her own personal brand. We thought of broaches. She started to wear a broach every day, and each broach had a story. Here was someone who didn’t naturally present herself, and people would now ask her ‘what’s that’ and it would tease out a story. HC: How important is physical appearance such as the clothes you wear? EK: We have people come to us and say, why am I here? Why does my company want me here? Do I not dress well? I say stop, we’re not here for that. What we’re here to do is to help you manage how people perceive you.

Tips on creating presence ● Sit on one hand

if you gesture excessively ● Avoid

interruptions by counting to four before you reply ● Stand or sit large

to demonstrate you take up space ● Use few qualifiers

as they imply lack of confidence ● Don’t clasp your

hands behind your back because you will look deceptive ● Practice a firm

handshake ● Stand straight

and still ● Learn about your

body – what do you do when you are talking?

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YOUR GUIDE TO…

personal branding Humans make snap judgments and we’re getting faster at it, so appearance does matter. Sometimes we do styling with clients but it’s always in the context of representing your personal brand, not ‘here’s fashion, here’s a colour that works for you’. If you’re presenting yourself as Lady Danger, who’s interesting and an innovative solver of problems, what does she look like? Is a pink shirt appropriate if you are the person who goes in to shut down a business due to insolvency? It’s about context. Once upon a time careers and professions had costumes. You could tell what someone on the street did for a living based on what they wore: this is a lawyer, this is an accountant, this is a policeman. Lots of professions don’t do that today – casual Fridays have destroyed any concept of it. So we think of it as a concept of costume rather than fashion; here’s the costume associated with that character you’ve created. HC: These days we can’t ignore online profiles. Any tips for improving that aspect of your personal brand? EK: The first thing to remember is once it’s on the internet it’s very hard to get it off. One of the things we talk about is trying to own the first one or two pages of Google search about you. How do you make sure you’ve written or participated in the creation of those? Know how to drive the Google search results. Sometimes it’ s a matter of typing in your name, getting to a page you want to be on, and just hitting return over and over while you watch TV, because that drives that page up high in the search listings. LinkedIn certainly, and Facebook to a degree, are starting to dominate Google results. So that means managing your LinkedIn account, building it, keeping it constantly updated, will also ensure you move up the search list. You may participate in sporting events, and you can often get your name listed from taking part in corporate

“The closest thing you’ve got to a corporate brand’s logo and fonts are the clothes you wear, how you look and how you speak” – EMILY KUCUKALIC fun runs, for example. If there is anything dark on your profile, people will firstly find those ‘good news’ pages, and many will give up after two pages anyway. Also, don’t hide things. We worked with a senior executive recently who parted company with an organisation in a negative way, and he hadn’t put that on his LinkedIn profile. People will find out anyway. It’s about owning your story: have your say, write it your way. Think about what forums you join, or the groups you join in LinkedIn. Once upon a time if you were a Brownie or a Scout, you wore badges to show your interests. That’s what those groups are now on LinkedIn. It’s important to keep your cyber brand current, in exactly the same way a corporate brand would be current and refreshed. And that doesn’t mean incessant tweeting. Only tweet if you’ve got something relevant to say.

Tips for MEN at work

Tips for WOMEN at work

• White shirts always work best. Unfortunately white never stays white for

• Wearing a suit assumes high status. • Always opt for Navy over black – it is more flattering and more military. • Femininity is strength. • Wear heels; height = status. • Nail polish should never be chipped. • Costume – if you work in Marketing, look like you do. If you work in

• • • • • •

too long, so be vigilant. Only ever wear crisp, white cotton. Red or blue based ties are boldest and strongest – in US-based companies this is considered ‘power dressing’. The best pattern on a tie to create force is a bold stripe. Limit patterns and anything too ‘clever’. Other men are not good at reading subtle messages. Cufflinks further personalise the brand – NEVER give too much away, but choose according to who you are meeting. A pen choice says a lot about a man’s personal brand; think carefully about your selection. Men use watches as shorthand for your personal brand; they will judge you based on what watch you wear. Drinks – men look at other men’s choice of coffee, drink or alcoholic beverage to detect power (remember James Bond’s martini).

Auditing, look trustworthy, not boring.

• Makeup – a grooming trick that men can NEVER use. • NEVER fiddle with your hair if you want to take on high status. • A serious bag, means a serious operator. • Think International: US executive style is incredibly conservative. Women •

are still tending to take on a short and sensible hair style, matched with pearls and earrings. For meetings with key US based executives, caution is advised, with focus on conservative, styling with sharp tailoring and clever accessorising. Source: Brand New You

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Win! HC: Can you explain presence – and can this be developed? EK: More often than not the people who make it in the corporate world, and other areas of life, have presence. Most actors at some point have to stand on a stage and deliver a performance, so they have a huge number of tools to build presence – we use those same tools with clients. A lot of it is physical. The old-fashioned ‘stand up straight’ that your mother told you. A little bit of discomfort goes a long way – for example jeans and a t-shirt is a lot more comfortable than tie and suit, but it’s how you hold yourself when you’re slightly uncomfortable. The way you speak, and the speed in which you speak. Aussies tend not to open their mouths – it’s not powerful. People with presence move slowly, they don’t ever appear rushed as that implies stress. Leaning in when talking around a table – that implies ‘please listen to me’. Can you change that so people want to listen to you? HC: How do you build a sustainable brand? EK: People change, people learn, people become things over the years. New jobs, new companies, new interactions with people in your career and your private life all result in change. So you should be having a good look at your personal brand every couple of years. The

fundamentals of who you are never change but you will change, and how you want people to perceive you will change. If you’re a computer programmer in a start-up company, wearing your Converse sneakers is fine, but what if that start-up gets sold and you decide you want to be a partner in a different area? What does it take to be taken seriously in that role? As you move through life your brand is a reflection of that, reflecting the skills you’ve developed, the situations you’ve been through – in your personal life as well as professional life. The ultimate practitioners of personal branding are those who are able to dial up and dial down their status according to circumstances. Many of our clients come in and say, ‘I want to be high status all the time’. That’s not desirable. Imagine being high status when talking to your child’s school teacher. The skill is managing your brand in an informed manner to influence the outcomes. People immediately think that ‘high status’ means being nasty; they equate status to being nasty. We dial that all the way back and say one of the highest status things you can do is just smile. We all forget to smile. Take President Obama – he’s seriously high status. Yet when he comes into a press conference he walks slowly, takes his jacket off, rolls up the sleeves, and smiles. All of which would have once upon a time been seen as low status – but it’s not at all.

To enter for your chance to win a complete personal brand, send an email to editor@ hcamag.com and tell us why you would benefit from a brand overhaul. Submissions must be received by 5pm on 29 June 2012. The winner will be judged by Emily Kucukalic from BNY and announced in the next issue of HC

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HOW TO…

enhance your digital presence Following the trail:

Building your digital footprint While inappropriate online activity has cost many professionals dearly, others have enhanced their careers through social media. Be that as it may, an online presence has become a professional must-have

DEATH BY OVERUSE According to LinkedIn, the TOP 10 most overused terms used in profiles by professionals based in Australia are: 1. Extensive experience 2. Innovative 3. Motivated 4. Dynamic 5. Proven track record 6. Team player 7. Proactive 8. Skill set 9. Highly skilled 10. Entrepreneurial 32

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The title on your business card, years of experience and the length of your CV will always demonstrate some degree of professional credibility, but social media experts have warned that the times have changed. Having a strong online presence is integral to establishing yourself as an expert in your field and in managing your personal brand. Perhaps most importantly, it demonstrates a fluency in all things digital. “Status is much more democratic now. Expertise can be noticed more easily,” says Soumitra Dutta, a social media academic. In order to best use social media to advance your career, you need to dedicate yourself to using it for professional purposes, set goals and ensure your so-called ‘digital footprint’ projects the image you want. “The opportunity to reach people directly is powerful, and still underexploited,” says Dorie Clark, author of What’s Next?: The Art of Reinventing Your Personal Brand. Blogging or tweeting about a topic shows you’re “in the game”. Even contributing a small amount of content can go a long way towards establishing you as an expert. “If you are passionate about a topic and argue your perspective in a compelling manner, you can begin to generate a following. Even if you aren’t trying to be labelled as an expert, contribute to discussions you find interesting or you simply want to be part of,” Dutta adds.

WHAT YOU SHOULD BE CONSIDERING:

Assume everything you have online is visible to all parties, namely potential employers and current colleagues Build your personal brand and establish yourself as an expert. When people peruse your social media activity, they get a sense of what you’re about. The more you comment on or write about a certain area, the more likely you’ll be affiliated with it If you’re over 50, companies may be inclined to think you may not be competent in using social media and other digital tools. That’s why it’s integral you demonstrate your proficiency by actively participating in the digital space.

Your digital footprint doesn’t stop with blogs or forums, of course. LinkedIn’s annual list of ‘most overused’ terms in profiles (see box) indicates that it’s vital to stay vigilant with purposely set up professional profiles as well. Those guilty of using some (or all) of the terms in the top 10 may unwittingly be turning away potential interest in your skills. “We have the unique ability to uncover interesting workplace trends in our data given the high volume of people with profiles on LinkedIn,” says D J Patil, LinkedIn’s chief data scientist. “In this case, we wanted to reveal insights that help professionals make better choices about how to position themselves online whether they are reaching out to new clients or networking with peers.” Lindsey Pollak, a career and workplace expert, adds that phrases like ‘extensive experience’ and ‘proven track record’ can appear empty to a potential employer. Here are three tips professionals can act on to increase the number of people viewing their LinkedIn profile: Tip 1: Accentuate your profile Make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete and includes all the roles you have had. You are 12 times more likely to be viewed for potential opportunities if you have more than one position listed on your profile. Also, add a profile photo – people never forget a face. Tip 2: Grow your network Connect to at least 50 trusted contacts. Simply import your contacts to start finding first, second or even third degree connections working at companies you want as clients or would like to get in touch with. Tip 3: Lift your profile in Google search results Have you done a Google search for your name? If you haven’t, you should. People are Googling you before meetings and interviews. Get your LinkedIn profile to come up higher in search results by customising your profile URL.

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YOUR GUIDE TO…

networking

THE GIFT OF THE GAB For HR professionals networking is a key way to exchange knowledge, forge partnerships, or make business contacts. But entering into conversations with complete strangers can be a daunting prospect even for those people that consider themselves confident and outgoing. HC sought help from several experts about the best way to ‘work the room’

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One of the key ingredients to making a success out of a networking event is to prepare in advance and to do your homework so you know who will be there and who it is you would like to meet. Networking coach, Jen Harwood, says the first thing she does is set some intentions. “Most people go to events thinking they will just show up. It’s much better if they can think about why they are going, or how they are going to benefit.” Harwood says ‘intentions’ can be to meet five people, talk about your business or just have fun. “When you are relaxed and having fun you will find people will approach you and talk to you … you’re not ‘working the room’ but appear comfortable and outgoing,” she says.

DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT…

The most important thing to remember to bring are business cards. Stephanie Kennar, manager of industryspecific Women in Mortgage Business Network (WIMBN), says everyone needs to ensure they bring along plenty … and have them at the ready: “For a social event, men can have them in their pocket, ladies in a card holder. It looks very unprofessional to leave a conversation to rifle through a handbag or briefcase looking for one,” she warns. Other things she suggests bringing along include a slim compendium to store cards, a few brochures and some note paper to make notes on any follow ups you promise. “If you attend many network functions, after the function, date the card with function name to prompt you later,” Kennar adds. When it comes to what to wear, Harwood says it must be appropriate to the occasion. A good rule of thumb is to wear what you would wear at the office, but most importantly ‘be you’. “When it comes to networking, people think they have to look like everyone else and fit in – but if you can be yourself, however that is, and if you are OK with it, you are going to be even easier for people to talk to,” she says, pointing out that no one wants to talk to someone who appears “fake and phoney”.

MAKING THE APPROACH

So you’re just about to walk into a conference hall full of strangers – feeling nervous? Kennar offers this tip: arrive early. “This is a great time to meet people before the presentations start. It’s also more comfortable than walking into a crowded room where people are already engaged in conversations. If that’s not an option, an alternative is a ‘warm introduction’ that involves finding someone you know who can introduce you to the person you want to meet – for example, the event director may be able to introduce two parties.

When it comes to ‘cold calling’, it is possible to simply go up to people and ask them who they are and where they are from – and find some common ground. Harwood says when you first start a conversation with someone new don’t talk about business, but instead ask questions like, ‘Why did you come? What was interesting about the conference? Do you know anyone else?’ Kennar adds to this by saying you should always maintain eye contact and smile when approaching someone to talk to – “then it’s just a matter of extending your hand and introducing yourself”. Once you get the conversation going, it’s important to ask open-ended questions, such as “tell me about your business?” or “what sort of challenges are you currently dealing with?”. Kennar notes you should focus on the person you are speaking to and listen attentively with the focus on having quality conversations, not just having as many as possible. One daunting prospect can be squeezing into conversation circles, especially if you walk into a room and find that everyone has formed little cliques. “If everyone is in circles … then it’s just lucky dip,” says Harwood. “Pick a circle, people will stand back and let you into the circle, that’s general body language. “Introduce yourself or just stand and listen to the conversation – you don’t have to announce yourself. No one will think you’re weird – an opportunity will come up to ask a question or you will be asked to volunteer a thought,” she says.

THE CARD EXCHANGE

Handing over your business card is a key part of networking, but you’re unlikely to make many worthwhile connections if you just start throwing your card about the room. There are a couple of ways you could consider. Kennar says the easiest way to hand your card over is when you introduce yourself. It will get the conversation started.

Online networking The internet has turned traditional networking on its head over the past few years. Have the rules really changed? HC talks to connection technology expert, Iggy Pintado for his advice if you are new to online networking. “I advise people to follow my four Ps of online networking. First, have a purpose – understand why you are going to invest the time and determine what you want to get out of it. Second, profile – build a profile that best represents you to the entire online world. Third is participation – don’t be an online wallflower – introduce yourself to people of interest and join an interest group. Finally, there’s persistence – don’t just join and rarely come back. The true value is in staying connected and continually networking online.”

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Seven networking tips for shy people Networking is not a normal and easy activity for many people; it is a skill that must be learned and appreciated. In business and life generally, a majority of success comes through talking to others and involving them in your ideas, plans or projects. That is what happens when we network – we connect with others. Jen Harwood works with business owners, sales staff and executives in the area of networking and sales growth. She outlines seven ways you can overcome shyness.

1. Be yourself

Shy people become intimidated and nervous because they think a successful networker is the happy butterfly. This is not true. Let’s face it, the happy butterfly people love to talk and someone has got to listen to them! Yes, shy people have the advantage in networking as they are usually listening far more than they are talking. So at an event, as people talk and move around, you will be able to hear opportunity, understand what people need and be in a position to do something about it.

2. Set intentions

When you attend a networking event always have an intention. This is vitally important, as it is your own secret mission. Setting intentions can be easy and fun. They can be big and small. The intention you set reminds you the whole time why you are there and compels you into action to make sure you get it.

3. Pre-event research

You may be shy, however, being stupid and putting your foot in it is a choice! If you want to avoid saying embarrassing things at an event because you have been too overwhelmed by coming to the event in the first place and are nervous to speak, do a little bit of research beforehand.

4. Speak up

When you hear in conversation an opportunity or an idea that fits into your area of knowledge or business, speak up. That is your time to say something. It might be a question, statement of fact or opinion. You MUST speak. Being shy does not give you permission not to speak at all; it gives you permission not to be the happy, chatty butterfly networker.

5. Focus questions

To start conversation, always have several focus questions that you know of by heart that will open up conversation and more importantly direct the conversation towards your area of expertise and intention for the event. For example, say you had the intention of meeting three people at an event that you could do business with. Your memorised focus question could be… ‘So, what’s the biggest challenge you are currently dealing with in your company?’ Not every person is going to provide relevant answers to your line of work or interest. They may not be a potential lead; however, they are going to find out about you and what your expertise is (which is excellent) and you are going to find out some very interesting answers and information about the people you meet.

6. Direct conversation

Many times we get caught up in someone else’s story about an adventure, holiday or mishap. While many stories are interesting, there will be times when you are bored, annoyed or frustrated that this one person is talking so much. Learning how to direct conversation is a handy skill as you can gently move the focus off the other person and create group discussion or an opportunity for you to speak. To direct the conversation, ask a focus question when there is a natural pause in the discussion. Say quietly to the person or group… ‘I have a question I’d like to ask, do you mind if we take the conversation in a different direction?’

7. Use business cards

Business cards are the essential tool for successful networking. Many shy people don’t like giving their cards to others because it’s a ‘pushy’ thing to do. One way to get around this is to ask the other person for their card first. Simply saying… ‘Do you have a card?’ will work and if they are interested in you they will ask you for yours. Jen Harwood is the author of the book The Art of Networking. Visit artofnetworking.com

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When you are relaxed and having fun you will find people will approach you and talk to you… you’re not ‘working the room’ but appear comfortable and outgoing” – JEN HARWOOD Harwood notes that you should be targeted in who you give your cards to: “Don’t give it to people unless they are really interested and they want information – don’t give it to someone who is going to throw it away at first opportunity. It’s better to find out if there is a connection first.” Harwood has some tips for business card etiquette – she suggests keeping them in a card holder: “Have you ever seen a person who pulls cards out of his wallet? You want them to be neat.”

MOVING ON

Have you ever found yourself networking and just wanting to move on – time is running out and you really want to speak to a certain someone who could be a great contact but you’re stuck in a circle where someone is going on and on about their holiday in Bali. Most people feel it’s almost rude to just move on and instead start thinking up excuses (sometimes rather silly ones) for moving on. All experts agree though that this is not a great way to make an exit. “Don’t make an excuse about grabbing a drink or needing to use the bathroom,” Kennar says. Rather, she advises that you wait for a break in the conversation, maintain eye contact, say something along the lines of: “I’ve really enjoyed speaking with you, could you please excuse me while I meet with some other people” and then make your exit. Harwood’s advice is to say something like: “This has been fantastic but I need to keep moving on”. She says most professionals should keep in mind that in most cases they only have an hour to network.

YOUR GUIDE TO…

networking “If I’m in a circle where one person is dominating, just take a step back when they’re not looking at you … they won’t be offended. Networking is a very fluid activity,” she adds.

WHEN IT’S ALL OVER

So, you’ve met lots of people, exchanged ideas and are feeling very happy about your networking efforts. What do you do to get the most value out of your efforts? There are many ways to get the ball rolling. Kennar says if you mentioned an interesting tip or helpful hint in a conversation, you could send that person the web link. The thing to remember, she says, is to “give without expectation and help that person achieve their goal or solve their problem”. Other options are to call and arrange a coffee, rather than sending brief e-mail responses: “Call people you have connected with to say ‘hi’ without any expectation of doing business immediately,” she says. What’s crucial is getting in touch soon after the event, as pretty soon the pile of business cards and faces will all just melt into one and you will forget who they are.

KEEP AN OPEN MIND

So, now all you have to do is get out there, get mingling

and be yourself. It’s important though to not just focus on meeting the big personalities and senior figures. People from all walks of life can be interesting, and you never know what impact they may have on your career further down the line – unless you make the effort to say hello. “Have an open mind to who you are meeting,” says Kennar. “Don’t discount people you think you may not be able to do business with as every person has a network and centre of influence and you may be able to assist each other in the future. “As well as gaining potential business contacts, you can receive a positive shot by sharing stories with people in similar positions. Networking with your peers can provide informal mentoring, support and acknowledgement you are on track.”

Put it to the test Two upcoming events for HR professionals to look out for: • 13–14 June HR Summit Perth, Duxton Hotel, perth.hrsummit.com.au/ • 19–20 July, HR Summit Melbourne, Langham Hotel Melbourne, melbourne.hrsummit.com.au/ ● HR networking event organisers: • talkpoint.com.au • hrnetworkgroup.com.au • hrclubsydney.com ●

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YOUR GUIDE TO…

influence & engage

How influential

ARE YOU? well and when it comes to handling difficult issues and Great leaders need to engage and dealing with conflict we run a mile. influence – but these are skills many OF INFLUENCE HR professionals lack. Human Capital DEGREES The research differentiates influencing via technical investigates how to do it better expertise from getting broad influence and getting buy-in Conflict is frequently seen as the first cousin to change and the more strategic a decision is the more conflict there will be. You may have witnessed first hand or taken part yourself in a heated argument over a contentious business decision. It is at these critical moments that Australian business leaders frequently fall flat. Put simply, we are not as influential as we could be. Research by HR consultancy OPIC, back in 2007, revealed that 67% of HR professionals felt they lacked what it takes to be truly influential and required further development. According to the study, Australian managers are not good at connecting with people who are critical to success – particularly those we don’t get on with or who come from other parts of the business. We don’t take the time to understand what inspires and motivates them and usually don’t get their input and cooperation when it comes to getting our ideas and initiatives off the ground. We don’t build and maintain our networks particularly

to the projects or goals of a business. “In terms of that broader approach to being influential we are fundamentally not very good at it,” says Peter Zarris, senior consultant, OPIC. “We’re not very good at getting buy-in and support from stakeholders. I believe the natural inclination is to compete – we naturally compete for recognition, for resources, for support, for ideas. When confronted with the natural conflicts that occur in organisations, such as competing for budget, funds for projects or initiatives, or even when sales & marketing try to get an idea over the line and they come from different perspectives, we tend to default back to what we know rather than working through the various stages of influencing.” The ‘stages of influence’ that Zarris refers to require you not only to be able to talk to the stakeholders but also to understand them, then collaborate and negotiate, and then deal with any conflict that comes out of that negotiation. Finally, it requires you to be able to influence

How to become a better influencer

via a high level agreement and acceptance of each other (see box ‘Becoming better influencers’).

FAILURE TO INFLUENCE

In worst case scenarios, failure to effectively influence can result in screaming matches over the board room table, or major conflict between divisional managers and line managers, where both parties may be unwilling to back down. “If you take a non-negotiable stand it becomes a matter of wills, and the content and the accuracy of the discussion is lost in the conflict. When a frontline manager holds his or her ground on an issue rather than discussing and negotiating with you, you no longer have influence. The real issue has dissolved into who has control over the issue,” says Zarris. The failure to take the influential high ground is possibly a reflection of the continued ‘silo-driven’ nature of organisations, where people from different functional areas or departments rarely communicate or interact with each other. Zarris notes that organisations have recognised the need to break down silos in order to introduce efficiencies and get the best ideas and be responsive in a global market, but people’s ability or capability to then use these new structures to best effect hasn’t caught up yet. “It’s a stereotype, but marketing people are analytical and ideas driven and are more inclined to influence via what they know to be true. Sales people, on the other hand, gather their data experientially via the relationship with customers and their experience on the frontline. You get a situation where they come to different conclusions and both stand their ground,” says Zarris.

BENEFITS FOR ALL

At the highest level, being able to strategically influence requires an understanding of where the other person is coming from – it requires you to walk in their shoes. However, Zarris stresses that at a more basic level, many issues can be resolved by simple collaboration and agreement. Everyone can benefit from networking, conflict resolution skills and the ability to influence outcomes, especially where globalisation has increased the need for greater communication and interaction. At the same time, there’s no reason why everyone across an organisation could not benefit from knowing how to influence effectively. When it comes to a business division such as HR there are unique challenges to overcome. Because a lot of what HR does is service oriented and collaborative in nature, there is a tendency to shy away from conflict for risk of making the customer unhappy. “The biggest danger is we give our customers what they want, not what they need. However, long-term strategic influence is developed by giving them what they need, which sometimes means challenging what they

1. Build stakeholder networks: Identify all the people – both inside and outside your organisation – who impact on your area of business and who are important to your success. In the case of a general manager it would be the CEO, the board, their direct team, their opposite number in other divisions, customers, suppliers and the community the business impacts on. 2. Engage with stakeholders: Once you know who is important to you, actively initiate meetings in order to understand what your stakeholders do and the challenges they face. Also allow a willingness to engage in conversations outside your expertise. These meetings will also provide you with an insight into where you could potentially collaborate or share resources. It is not good enough to simply meet on one occasion. Networking

with people needs to be an ongoing activity. 3. Collaborate with stakeholders: Simply including your stakeholders in your decision making is not enough. You need to find out what their ideas or views are first. Taking a consultative and collaborative approach arrives at a result far superior to the one you originally devised. 4. Manage conflict: Deal with it directly. Conflict is a normal part of collaboration, but most people avoid it at all costs. As a result we leave the ‘undiscussables’ undiscussed. We aren’t prepared to talk about the elephant in the corner. Good influencers don’t avoid conflict – they seek out any areas of disagreement and discuss these openly, in a positive and constructive way.

What do top influencers look like? ● They have an understanding of who

● They understand the value of broad-

● They have an innate understanding of

● They give credit to those who’ve helped

is important to them, both inside and outside their organisations.

who they are and what their strategies and weaknesses are. ● They’re very good at listening for

content and underlying emotions. ● They’re comfortable at engaging with

everyone across the business and up and down the hierarchy.

based networks and use these networks to achieve collaborative outcomes.

them achieve effective outcomes. ● They see conflict as

normal and work effectively to resolve it. When they are unable to deal with it themselves, they call in the experts.

Source: OPIC

want,” Zarris says. For example, often frontline managers want X to be promoted over Y and they will get their way, even if HR can see that leading to a less favourable outcome. “You want the line manager to know you’re on their side, to know your motive is the same as theirs. If you have a close relationship and can influence each other strategically, it means you can say, ‘I don’t think we should promote X; I don’t think it’s going to work out for you or him’. The other person should then stop and think, ‘Peter is not saying this for his own benefit, he wants me to do well, so I should listen to this’. When you put forward an alternative viewpoint they will at least consider it rather than believing you have another agenda,” Zarris notes. A final tip? Zarris concludes that high level influencers sit back and ask questions, they facilitate discussion, they clarify the issue and then given all that, they put forward their thoughts in a logical manner. Who can argue with logic? HCAMAG.COM 39

insourcing vs outsourcing recruitment

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The recruitment industry is facing two significant challenges: the shift back to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;insourcingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the recruitment function, and the rise of RPO. What should HR now expect from their external recruitment partners, and are they up to the task?

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FEATURE RECRUITMENT

insourcing vs outsourcing The more things change, the more they stay the same. Given the cyclical nature of the Australian economy – not to mention ongoing uncertainty – it’s no surprise that some employers are re-assessing their recruitment functions. The move by some corporates to shift spend from recruitment companies to in-house functions is something that happens during and after every economic downturn – yet this time it’s different. Greg Savage, CEO of specialist recruiter Firebrand, explains: “In the past you could almost hear CEOs around the country saying that due to the economic downturn, we can’t spend all this money on these recruitment companies – we should get an in-house person and they can do it just as well. Then as the talent shortage started to bite in the economic recovery, they found their in-house people were not equipped to deliver, so they had to use recruitment agencies anyway. Something has to give.” However, the emergence of social media as a recruitment tool has levelled the playing field, providing employers with direct access to talent. The spotlight is now on agencies to prove they are still a valuable partner in the recruitment game. After making over 80 client visits to CEOs and heads of HR in the past six months, Savage says that not only is it “no longer a kneejerk reaction to avoid going to recruiters” but in a significant number of cases “there is a concerted strategy to cut out recruitment companies altogether” – or if not cut them out completely, at least prune back their preferred supplier lists. He adds that while this has certainly impacted on some agencies, it’s not necessarily a problem for those that position themselves with a unique selling point: access to talent the employer hasn’t got the resources or time to tap into.

RPO: MEETING IN THE MIDDLE

If wholehearted reliance on agencies to produce talent is under threat, perhaps some solace can be found in the rise of recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) arrangements. Although not offered by all agencies, these services are effectively a form of ‘in-house outsourcing’. As just one recent example, in November 2011, AGL – one of Australia’s largest gas and electricity retailers – announced significant changes to its recruitment set up, with the result that their panel of over 70 different recruitment agencies has been pared back to one relationship with Futurestep Australia. The three-year permanent and contingent recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) contract will see AGL outsourcing all permanent and contractor recruitment to Futurestep Australia who have run a tender process to appoint preferred recruitment partners, and will now manage the relationships on AGL’s behalf.

“Instead of cutting recruitment companies out, I think what we need is close relationships with a select group of specialised recruiters, set standards and benchmarks for them, and then invest in that relationship” – GREG SAVAGE All recruitment services will eventually be centralised into one place with a single team, to be called AGL Careers. “AGL Careers will provide AGL with a direct sourcing capability,” says Stephen McSweeney, AGL’s talent acquisition manager. “This will significantly reduce our reliance on external agencies, providing us with an outsourced, yet internally housed and cost effective option for the majority of our recruitment needs.” McSweeney anticipates using agencies for less than 20% of hires, and the company is already tracking below this number – and is down significantly from the 80% agency usage prior to the group wide RPO implementation. He adds that the complex recruitment needs of AGL needed to be considered prior to any structural changes. Recruiting across the business requires access to candidates for a massive range of roles, including customer service, sales, energy traders, geologists, engineers, field and plant operators, and corporate professionals.

DIY headhunting Employment Office’s top tips for using LinkedIn for DIY headhunting: 1. Searching for candidates always starts with the LinkedIn Advanced People Search – Cast the net widely and experiment using territory, industry, company names and keywords. 2. Contact your potential candidates – If you aren’t connected directly,

you may choose to ask for a ‘warm introduction’ from a mutual connection. 3. Try increasing indirect connections to target candidates – Connect with people in the same industry or geographic location to help provide new introductions to top candidates. 4. Join LinkedIn Groups and get involved in online networking.

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insourcing vs outsourcing WHAT’S WRONG WITH IN-HOUSE?

Cost-per-hire Recruitment costs for a people business are typically the third or fourth biggest cost item in the profit and loss equation and merits attention. The most popular and consistent formula used to calculate cost-per-hire is: Cost-per-hire = Total hiring expenses / total number of hires Total hiring expenses can be calculated by adding the direct and indirect costs of recruiting including, but not limited to: Sourcing Total cost of all advertising such as job boards, newspapers, referral programs etc ●

Applicant processing Cost of tests such as psych tests, competency assessments, medicals, security, drug and alcohol tests etc ● Technology Licence and maintenance costs for applicant tracking systems, job search function of their website etc ● Staffing Base salary costs, on-costs, incentives and benefits. + % allocation of staff time if not dedicated 100% to recruitment ● Other External recruitment agency costs. ●

“Our sourcing strategies will not only be segmented across our business accordingly but focused on building deep relationships with our talent communities and potential employees. Naturally, utlilising social media will be central to this approach,” he says. For its recruiters the company is looking for genuine subject matter expertise and well developed networks into the candidate segments AGL is seeking to attract. “We feel that the recruitment partners that understand our business have well aligned values, and those that have deep candidate relationships are more successful,” he adds. McSweeney notes that there are KPIs in place that will measure quality of hire, financial benefits and leader and candidate satisfaction. He also anticipates that hiring leaders over time will see the AGL Careers team as a critical service and as a seamless extension of AGL’s people and culture team. Specifically, by expanding the internal recruitment model across the whole business, AGL expects it will achieve a number of positive outcomes including improving the experience that the 30,000–40,000 job applicants have with the AGL brand every year, while also providing tangible benefits to the business. “We believe this approach will enhance employee engagement by ensuring EVP alignment with the candidate through a consistent and robust assessment and selection process. Leaders are receiving a higher level of recruitment support thanks to the on-site team of talent acquisition specialists who know our business intimately, leading to better hiring decisions,” McSweeney says. 42

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Yet while the RPO option bubbles away, Savage insists that relationships with external agencies can and should be salvaged. He notes that good recruitment companies spend 365 days a year accessing talent, and comments that purely in-house teams can rarely afford that dedication of time and resources. “It’s a question of focus and specialisation,” Savage says. “That’s where it all hinges.” While there are large recruitment functions in large organisations, Savage says this is not widespread – most operate with one or two in-house team members and they are stretched, undertaking multiple tasks and jobs at once. Therefore, it’s difficult to specialise. A good specialist, he adds, “will be a mile deep and an inch wide”. “There is no way that the vast majority of employers could compete with a specialised agency. Firebrand, for example, specialises in digital marketing. We’ve got people spending all day doing that. We’ve got researchers, offices in eight countries, a database of 150,000 candidates, a vast social media network – and it’s all we do. I wake up every day thinking about finding digital marketing talent; I don’t believe the vast majority of in-house recruiters do that.” Savage believes another problem with in-house teams (and some “old fashioned recruiters”) is that they are typically only engaging in tactics that allow them to tap into active jobseekers. They are posting ads on job boards, and posting jobs on Twitter feeds. This only targets 5–6% of the available people in the marketplace. Instead, they need to be tapping into passive candidates. “The bottom line is everyone is available for a job; they’re just not active yet,” Savage says. “In the current job market there is a significant group of people who are not actively looking but are largely unhappy in their current roles. The reason for that is, there is not a lot of employee confidence to move jobs; it’s a case of better the devil you know versus the devil you don’t.” Savage concedes that some employers are doing this well – building talent communities, working on their employer brand, engaging with social media – “but only a tiny percentage are that organised”. “We can come up with something that the employer needs – that is access to talent they can’t access themselves. That is the end game.” Unfortunately many candidates – passive or otherwise – have been burnt by poor interactions with both employers and recruiters when applying for jobs in the past. It seems that not only have agency client expectations changed, so too have talent expectations. “During that downturn people were burnt by employers, not just agencies,” Savage says. “Now the boot is on the other foot, and will increasingly be so in certain areas where talent is short. Candidates largely

FEATURE RECRUITMENT

insourcing vs outsourcing want to bypass recruitment agencies – that’s another fact that threatens our profession – and they also want a quicker response. Any ponderous response means those companies, be they recruiters or the employers, will miss out.”

KEEPING IT ALL IN-HOUSE

One household-name company keen to retain its recruitment function in-house is Bakers Delight. Gabby Kelly, general manager for company growth, says the recruitment function for fully funded franchisees is handled within the company and the key benefit of doing so is to retain ultimate control. “It means we can provide timely and appropriate training to prospective franchisees and recruit operators that are a good fit for our business,” she says. She also feels that by managing the process in-house the company has a dedicated team of experts working directly with the candidates throughout their recruitment journey. “It ensures that not only are we assessing their suitability throughout the process, we’re also managing their expectations in relation to our business model, as well as the recruitment process itself,” Kelly says. And just like the dedicated recruitment agencies, Kelly insists her recruitment team remains current and efficient, and also ensures the emphasis is kept “on our people rather than the process itself”.

DID YOU KNOW? The average base salary for HR staff performing recruitment duties is $63,148 with a range from $35,000–$140,000. Other costs that make up the total salary package were identified as on-costs (comprising 13.2% of the base salary), incentives (5.1%) and benefits (5.0%) Source: smartmanager. com.au by Kelly Services

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“In addition to understanding culture, keeping the recruitment process in-house means we provide prospective recruits with a clear expectation of what is required to succeed prior to embarking on a career with Bakers Delight.” Likewise, Hilary Lamb, director – human resources, people and culture, CROSSMARK, says her HR team includes recruitment professionals who have previous experience working in agencies. She says CROSSMARK is large enough, and the recruitment needs great enough, that it benefits the company economically to have an in-house team. Lamb echoes Kelly by saying that having a recruitment team embedded in the business allows them to develop an intimate knowledge of each specific retail channel, and understand the knowledge or behavioural variations that are required for each. “Our first engagement with a potential candidate will be to ensure a strong cultural fit. From experience we’ve learned that cultural misalignment is a road to failure and discontent for all stakeholders,” Lamb says. However, she keeps her options open, and says it’s “equally important to maintain a flexible approach and tailor our recruitment as required”. Lamb plans to continue to utilise agencies to find candidates for hard-to-fill roles in IT and finance.

RIGHTING THE WRONGS

Not surprisingly, Savage had some pointed remarks directed at those HC readers who posted comments (see box) following an online news story in June, in which Savage first aired his concerns about this ‘insourcing’ threat to agencies. Many readers complained about the cost of engaging a recruiter and several questioned the integrity of recruiters, but the main gripe seemed to be their habit of sending over candidates who were not suitable for the roles advertised. Savage comments that “all that’s true”. However, the reason why many of those issues exist, he insists, “sits squarely with the HR community itself”. The prime problem is the habit of giving out job orders in competition. “When an employer gives an assignment on a contingency basis to three or four different companies they are creating the problems that they hate about our industry,” Savage says. “Would you go to a tax accountant and say, ‘I’m going to give this to three accountants and the one that comes back to me first is the one that I’ll pay?’ Would you go to five doctors and say ‘I’m going to all five of you and the one whose diagnosis I like I will pay?’ Of course you wouldn’t. Yet employers do this all the time. They’re asking the recruitment industry to compete on speed, not quality. Then they get upset when the quality drops – it’s farcical.”

Savage believes it’s misguided for employers to believe if they get agencies competing against each other they’ll get a higher quality response. “If you give a job to four agencies, by definition you’re giving each 25% of your commitment. Why would those agencies give you any more than 25% commitment back?” He adds that the end result of the multiple agency approach is the client receives a flurry of inappropriate résumés, and the candidate gets disillusioned because they have multiple agencies sending them off for job interviews. In addition, the reference checks are not done, and the client ends up disgusted with the poor service and approaches four more recruiters. “And so it goes on,” he says. To avoid it turning into a ‘résumé war’, Savage suggests engaging in meaningful partnerships with just a handful of trusted recruiters. “I’m not suggesting it should be a closed shop, but assess each assignment. If it’s an accounting job you will go to an accounting recruiter: take time to brief them, let them see your office, work closely with them, and they will take your advice and pay a fair fee – but you must have high expectations of them and give them time. “In our case it allows us to search our database, engage

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insourcing vs outsourcing Here’s what our readers think… JASON MURRAY – Rookie Recruits on 02 Jun 2011 01:14 PM I have to agree that the days of the generalist recruiter being able to charge 15% for sending a client a whole bunch of résumés is LONG GONE! If you are not able to add some extra value, really get inside the head of the client & recruiting manager and match their needs quickly and effectively then you will not be long for this world… The message from our preferred employers to generalist recruiters is simple – ADD MORE VALUE OR GET OUT OF THE GAME ! PAUL. M on 18 Nov 2011 12:03 PM We recruit internally. The time and cost to get five people through a recruit agency is the same as one years’ remuneration for a full-time employee. I would rather recruit the five people myself (in four weeks p/t) and the money I have saved I can then put on a full-time employee for 12 months. JACK FEENEY (management author) on 24 Nov 2011 01:36 AM Interesting development but not surprising. Integrity is the new paradigm for business success and this is something missing in the majority of recruitment companies. It may seem over-simplistic but simply telling the truth in business is crucial. It’s not all recruitment consultants that are untrustworthy; it’s just the majority of them. Recruiter culling may ensure that the ones who remain are trustworthy. KRIS A on 28 Nov 2011 03:02 PM I have worked in corporate HR and within a recruitment agency. I refuse to use agencies as I have found that regardless of the promises made, agencies are not able to provide the level of care to candidates and the internal contact that is required. The number of times that I have received a CV that is sold to me by an agency as being a fantastic fit for the role when it is clear that the candidate does not have requisite skills set or experience is astounding. I do not believe that the majority of recruiters employed in agencies are high quality HR staff – my experience has been that they are sales people with a bit of HR knowledge. Add to this the exorbitant amount that is charged to the client for the introduction to the talent (upwards of 10% of total package for a basic admin role, not to mention the 17% plus for a more senior role) and it makes good financial sense to have your trusted HR manager control the process internally. DAN SAWYER on 29 Nov 2011 03:01 PM As a career recruiter I understand both arguments well, but I actually believe that using an external recruiter does attract more candidates. Often we are more honest when answering questions about the culture and role than the organisations themselves, plus I often get asked as first question “how much is it paying?”. You don’t ask this when applying directly for fear of an instant relegation to the ‘NO’ pile. My candidates often tell me afterwards that the position is a lot easier than I explained, because I hate getting the call that the role is nothing as explained. I put up the hurdles early.

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with our social media community, interview candidates, reference check, make the match, and come up with a shortlist of candidates that are appropriate. If the client chooses the right agency and invests in them, they will get a tailored service that will save them time, money, frustration.” HR also needs to take ownership of the function to avoid countless agencies being involved, each of which has been contacted by a different line manager. This ‘internal war’ sees HR trying to keep recruiters away from line managers, and line managers being unhappy with what HR is providing. “HR is so busy having their 50 recruiters that they then don’t get back to them. One of the most frustrating things that can happen [as a recruiter] is receiving a call from a client about an urgent job that needs to be filled quickly. We provide a shortlist of 2–3 candidates and then the client sits on it for 2–3 weeks. Or they come back to us and say ‘no’. How does that help? Tell us why. Often they can’t because they don’t understand the job, or the line manager has said no. It’s not a functional set up.” While Savage concedes there are faults on all sides and says there are indeed recruiters who throw candidates at the wall, or don’t understand the client or the process, or take shortcuts, on the other hand there is a large group of recruiters who want to do a good job but aren’t allowed to because of how the process works. “Instead of cutting recruitment companies out altogether, I think what companies need to do is build close relationships with a small select group of specialised recruiters, set high standards and benchmarks for them, and then invest in that relationship,” he concludes.

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TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT Ari Kopoulos is the national sales & marketing manager at EmployeeConnect. For further information visit employeeconnect.com.au

top tips

Innovation in HR technology There’s a complete revolution going on affecting our daily lives but it’s not on your desktop or laptop. In fact, the battle for the internet’s future is taking place on your tablet and smartphone. All the big players have woken up to this and are scrambling towards mergers and acquisitions in the name of market domination, through share and product innovation. As such we can expect to see an evolution of products with more emphasis on connections between people, information, and location. In short, your smartphone apps will help you understand what and whom you care about in the world. This is valuable information for advertisers who will fund the next generation of innovation. That’s all well and good as a consumer, but how does that translate to innovation in HR technology?

INNOVATION SUPPORTS STRATEGY

As an HR professional, innovation in technology facilitates your ability to become a strategic asset to the enterprise. Without that, your role will stagnate and be characterised by an endless administrative burden with a workforce that is disengaged. To achieve this, technology must deliver a new way to drive efficiencies by automating the administrative load, as well as contributing to overall business growth. It must take into consideration all the workflow processes and functional needs of today’s workplace. These include best practices that improve talent acquisition, development and retention, as well as learning technologies that engage and empower an employee to direct their own career inside as well as outside the organisation. All this while the technology maintains intelligent alignment to the requirements of the organisation. When it comes to software, the harsh truth is that vendors and developers often focus on a literal interpretation of the process often overlooking usability and

experience. Furthermore, there’s an emphasis on technical superiority rather than the fact that software is merely a tool to solve a problem. What’s truly important is developing a solution that adds value and humanises the tasks of acquiring, empowering and retaining today’s workforce. Development should focus on how technology adds value and supports business strategies and objectives with an engaging user experience.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Moving beyond 2012 we can expect the next generations of iPads, iPhones and their cousins, to continue their pleasant assault on the workplace. As such, vendors will continue to develop cloud-based, mobilefriendly applications, with content and user experiences for almost every aspect of HR. Where three clicks became too many, it’s now a swipe that’s king. We can also expect social media to realise its true potential as a recruitment and learning partner. Expect applications with pre-built social media integration and possibly a level ‘widgetry’, living natively as an authorised app within the social network. With more workers on the move and choosing to work from remote locations, organisations will embrace the mobile workforce allowing virtual work groups to

be housed anywhere without compromising on productivity. Applications that connect and facilitate collaboration will evolve and become mainstream, with some making the leap into the HR application itself. Collaborative communication tools that make knowledge social and part of a conversation in particular are on the rise.

INNOVATION FOR INNOVATION’S SAKE

There’s a whole new generation of innovative technologies entering the market and professional vendors need to take a step back and understand the potential ethical and legal issues they bring. Furthermore, it pays to ask the question, does the innovation actually add value, or is it simply gadgetry for the sake of it? It’s very clear we are moving to a world characterised by mobile devices, cloud computing and user-centric interfaces and experiences. These are all impacting our lives in a positive way and as a result we expect them to be part of the workplace. Organisations can no longer ignore this and HR needs to be part of the conversation to support this strategy. Furthermore, organisations that move quickly, supported by innovative solutions that attract, develop and deploy talent against the opportunity, will have a competitive advantage. HCAMAG.COM 49

PROFILE MURRAY WATSON

HR at Albury City Council

HR beyond the city limits Metropolitan organisations struggling with the talent shortage should spare a thought for employers located in regional areas. Iain Hopkins talks to one significant regional employer about their unique HR challenges

Albury, located on the lower inland slopes of the Great Dividing Range close to the NSW/Victorian border, has a population of over 50,000. The city has long served as an administrative centre for the agricultural communities around the area. Significant employers here include a major processing centre of the Australian Taxation Office, The Commercial Club Albury and Hume Building Society. Pizza chain Eagle Boys was also established in Albury. Another significant employer in the region is Albury City Council, home to just under 500 FTE employees. Long-time resident and HR group leader at Albury City Council, Murray Watson, says the distance from metropolitan areas (554km from Sydney, 326km from Melbourne) is both a blessing and a curse for employers, residents and potential residents alike. Short commute times, clean air, many of the same community facilities as metro areas and more relaxed living conditions make the city appealing, but Watson says that just like other employers in the region Albury City Council has struggled with issues arising from skills shortages in key functional areas such as engineering, planning, and a number of professional areas, but also some of the trade areas as well. “We’re always looking at ways to counteract that, and being local government in a non-metropolitan area presents us with another layer of challenge,” he says. HR in local government organisations has such a broad mandate that it can be daunting to cover off what Watson believes are the two essentials to any HR function – not just in local government – and that is to understand the business and understand the people.

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“The challenge that presents for local government is that sector, and in particular Albury City, has around 20–25 industries within the one organisation. You start with finance, IT, childcare, waste management, then you add in civil construction, laboratory operations, traffic management, airports. Mix in some cultural facilities like art galleries, museums, an entertainment centre, as well as a bit of tourism, and then overlay all that with ensuring you’ve got high customer service focus, and effectively that’s Albury City Council.” Coupled with “the ever growing legislative burden we have within local government”, which Watson concedes can restrict the City’s capacity to implement strategies or initiatives that other sectors would be able to undertake more easily (specifically areas like succession planning), he adds that the positive out of it is that anyone working in local government “learns to be more adaptable and also more resilient”.

GROW YOUR OWN

After trialling what Watson describes as a “normal suite” of initiatives to counter the skills shortage, including flexible work opportunities and enhanced incentives, Albury City developed a trainee and apprenticeship program called Grow Your Own five years ago. “We thought we’d try to address the problem rather than continuing to treat the symptoms. The approach was to try to make our own talent rather than buy talent,” he explains. Grow Your Own involves providing opportunities to engage an apprentice or trainee for nearly all current and upcoming vacancies at the Council; Watson comments that rather than trainees and apprentices being in

IN HIS OWN WORDS... What achievement are you most proud of in your career? When I reflect on what’s happened here at Albury City we’ve introduced a number of excellent HR initiatives, but the thing that really gives me a sense of achievement is being able to play an active role in raising the profile of HR within the organisation. It’s moved from a department that was viewed and operated with an administrative, regulatory approach to one with a strategic focus that actively works with and has a good understanding of all areas of the business.

Personal file: Murray Watson

Family: Married to Kate – we have three very keen and active young children: Alice 6; James 4; and Annabelle 2. They add perspective and humour to my at times stressful life! Favourite sports: Cricket and Australian Rules football. Favourite movie or TV: The Bourne Trilogy Best advice ever received: Probably two pieces of advice stick in my mind: firstly, my father telling me to finish uni, when I wanted to quit about halfway through; and secondly that there is a positive to be found in every situation Self-described: Practical, loyal, knowledgeable, determined, understanding and flexible Hobbies: Keeping fit – running, cycling or the gym. I also enjoy fishing and the odd round of golf First job and/or worst job: While I was at uni I had a job labouring at a leather tanning plant. It taught me the values of commitment and hard work If not in HR: I’m not really a ‘what if’ person, but I admire the staff of the Westpac Helicopter Rescue Service. It would be very challenging, test your resilience but also be highly rewarding

addition to the normal workforce complement they are actually part of it. “The philosophy behind it is to build capacity not only in our own workforce but also within those industries where there is a shortage of qualified people. So rather than take from the pool we wanted to give back to the pool,” he says. The added bonus to the region is that local people gain relevant qualifications – some up to degree level – and valuable work experience. Positions lie right across the business – engineering, planning, building and surveying, IT, finance, cultural services, mechanics, horticulture – and the program employs around 50 staff at any one time. At around 10% of the workforce it’s not an insignificant figure. Although participants are not guaranteed employment at the conclusion of their time in the program, Watson says a significant number have gained permanent employment both with the Council and other employers around the region. “When I say they’re not guaranteed a job at the end of it that sometimes is difficult for our supervisory staff to digest as they put time and investment into those people only to see them move on, but we need to continue to be mindful of the big picture of what we’re trying to achieve. Our GM was one of the key drivers of the program and he holds the philosophy that we were all given an opportunity at some point in our career to be trained and developed and we should be trying to ensure we continue to provide that to other people.” An unexpected benefit for Council has been a shift in the demographic profile of employees. Watson says although some mature age employees have moved through the program, the majority are Gen Y and Gen X. He adds that they’ve been able to introduce fresh ideas and new ways of thinking about services and how Council goes about operations. “That’s resulted in a shift in the culture,” he says. “It’s also shifted some of the perceptions that people had about traditional government employees, and had some spin off benefits in making Albury City more attractive.”

LURING OUT-OF-TOWNERS

Not surprisingly, Albury City Council is a strong advocate of the city and all it has to offer employers and employees. Through the Council’s Economic Development Team, Albury City plays an active role in a number of other projects that contribute to the overall employment growth of the area. Projects like the Nexus Industrial Project, a large-scale industrial development in a prime location on a key inland transport corridor, is just one opportunity to attract new industry and business to the city. The city has also teamed with Evocities to encourage Sydneysiders to live, work and invest in an ‘Evocity’ such as Albury (so named because the cities are centres of

Shift from the city Research undertaken by Evocities indicates that 64% of Sydneysiders are casting their eyes further afield to live and work. According to the research, which surveyed 1,000 Sydney residents, and 500 Evocities regional dwellers, Sydney residents want to find a better lifestyle, cheaper housing, lower living costs and less traffic. One in three would consider relocating to a regional city in NSW in pursuit of these and other benefits. Other marked differences between Sydney and regional city living included: • Traffic congestion was cited by 38% of Sydney people as an issue compared to 18% in Evocity areas (Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga) • Noise pollution was a problem for 23% of Sydney residents compared to 9% of Evocity residents • Lack of community was an issue for 21% of Sydney people compared to 8% in a regional city

Energy, Vision and Opportunity). Other Evocities include Armidale, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga. Each of the seven cities has dedicated resources and funding to the campaign, and has in turn secured Australian Government funding, as well as support from the NSW State Government and corporate sponsors, including the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Charles Sturt University, the University of New England, Rex Airlines and Orange Mental Health. “One of the key goals for Albury City Council is the liveability of the city,” Watson explains. “Obviously a key part of that is having a strong labour force within the region to allow prospective and existing employers to be able to establish themselves and then recruit with a fairly high level of confidence. Evocities promotes the opportunities that living in places like Albury can

PROFILE MURRAY WATSON

HR at Albury City Council provide – it talks about a range of attractors, from reducing commute time, to spending more time with family, and avoiding some of the frustrations of living in a metropolitan area. It’s also promoting the fact that we can still offer the services and facilities one might expect from a larger city.”

HR ESSENTIALS

Murray, who holds a business degree with HR major from Charles Sturt University, has held his current role for the past six years. Prior to that he undertook an internal secondment at the Council’s Community Services area, which he says was “quite a shift from HR”, but adds it provided a greater understanding of this aspect of the organisation and provided deeper appreciation of the need for HR to work across all areas of business. In his current role Murray leads a team of eight HR professionals, a mix of generalists and specialists across HR, OHS and risk teams. Alongside the full spectrum of roles in the HR function – recruitment, L&D, IR, health & safety, performance management, reward & recognition – Murray and his team work closely with Council’s business leaders to ensure they own the initiatives, and to get the maximum

buy-in and engagement with staff. Taking just one example, recruitment, Murray says Council prefers to handle this whole process inhouse. “That’s been a conscious decision – it’s allowed us to have a really good handle on the needs of the business. It’s ensured we’re providing candidates that will add value not only to the role they are applying for but also the broader organisation. We are focused on recruiting to the team rather than a specific role,” he says. Looking to the future, Murray says he will continue to avoid “flavours of the month” when it comes to HR theories and fads, but will aim to continue fine-tuning his knowledge of the business and its people. From there he will continue to collaborate with business leaders on ways to engage staff. Still, he notes, there is work to be done. “We need to have a more robust approach to strategic workforce planning – moving away from looking at these things from an ‘as needed’ approach to being more on the front-foot. We need to get better metrics around our workforce, which will feed into workforce planning. We’ll also be working with leaders to help them get a clearer understanding of where their people are at.” More industry profiles at:

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SIGN OFF

the lighter side written by Stephanie Zillman

EMAIL THREAD ON CASUAL FRIDAY

When HR take politically correct memos too far...

CV lies: “Skills: I can type without looking at thekeyboard”

OFFICE ODOURS? JUST ACCESS YOUR SCENT DRIVE, BUT DON’T KICK UP A STINK

USB-powered fragrance diffusers have hit the market, and they’re threatening to make workplaces everywhere smell of tropical rainforests, sakura blossoms, and even summer skies. The devices plug directly into the USB port of computers, and can be set to a timer. Manufacturers of the products boast the fragrance diffusers improve concentration and work performance, and re-energise workspaces. But before you go ordering a pallet of the fragrance diffusers for everyone in your building, consider the ramifications of having an aroma-filled (read ‘smelly’) office. Thirty-four workers at a Bank of America office in Fort Worth, Texas, were recently hospitalised and almost 150 needed medical treatment after a colleague in their office sprayed perfume at work. Fire fighters and paramedics originally feared a carbon monoxide or other gas leak had struck down the workers, as they reported feeling dizzy and short of breath. However, after a thorough investigation of the building, it was discovered that the ‘noxious gas’ was nothing more than a ladies perfume.

PAY FIASCO OVER MISPLACED DECIMAL POINT

A HR team at JPMorgan has just exhaled one helluva breath – the bank doesn’t have to pay a trader a mass payout despite offering an inflated salary due to a typographical error. Kai Herbert, a Swiss currency trader, sued JPMorgan for lost earnings claiming he signed a contract to relocate to Johannesburg for a salary of 24 million rand ($3m); due to a misplaced decimal point, the figure should have been 2.4 million rand ($300,000). Herbert originally sued the company for several million, before dropping the sum to $880,000. In the court ruling, however, the judge said Herbert took the commercial risk of accepting the offer, knowing full well that the figure was an error. “Herbert, with his eyes wide open, took a chance and it has not worked out for him,” the court heard. The trader resigned from his previous employment in June 2010 following the offer from New York-based JPMorgan to relocate to South Africa. Herbert didn’t report for work after discovering the discrepancy, and JPMorgan subsequently rescinded the employment offer in December 2010.

New research has indicated that candidates are less likely to lie on their online job profiles than hard-copy résumés – apparently candidates feel their information is more open to scrutiny when it’s online and are less likely to invent bogus skills and work history as a result. A staggering 92% of the study’s participants lied at least once, and the highest number of lies on a single résumé was eight. The lead researcher noted that while untruths are common, most are not so much outright lies as exaggerations, omissions or embellishments. Classic CV bloopers include: “I am about to enrol on a Business and Finance Degree with the Open University. I feel that this qualification will prove detrimental to me for future success” “2001 summer Voluntary work for taking care of the elderly and vegetable people” Qualifications: “Twin sister has accounting degree “I am a wedge with a sponge taped to it. My purpose is to wedge myself into someone’s door to absorb as much as possible”

First week Effective this week, the company is adopting Fridays as Casual Day. Employees are free to dress in the casual attire of their choice. 3 weeks later Spandex and leather microminiskirts are not appropriate attire for Casual Day. Neither are string ties, rodeo belt buckles or slippers. 6 weeks later Casual Day refers to dress only, not attitude. When planning Friday’s wardrobe, remember image is key. 8 weeks later Seminar on how to dress for Casual Day. A fashion show will follow. Attendance is mandatory. 9 weeks later As an outgrowth of the seminar, a 14-member Casual Day Task Force has been appointed. 14 weeks later The Casual Day Task Force has now completed a 30-page manual entitled “Relaxing Dress Without Relaxing Company Standards”. A copy has been distributed to every employee. Please review the chapter “You Are What You Wear” and consult the “home casual” versus “business casual”. If you have doubts about the appropriateness of an item of clothing, contact CDTF before 7 a.m. on Friday. 18 weeks later Our Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) has now been expanded to provide support for psychological counselling for employees who may be having difficulty adjusting to Casual Day. 20 weeks later Due to budget cuts in HR we are no longer able to effectively manage Casual Day. Casual Day will be discontinued, effective immediately. HCAMAG.COM 55