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CULTURE CLUB
Never underestimate the importance of workplace culture when recruiting. So says Robert Walters Queensland director Sinead Hourigan — see page 38
PEOPLE POWER KEY TO PROGRESS MELANIE BURGESS Human capital is a company’s greatest asset. The phrase is a cliche but that’s because it’s true. Most employers make this realisation at some point in their journey — hopefully early on and before it’s too late — then share their wisdom with their peers and it becomes repetitive. But that shouldn’t take away from the message. Organisations across Australia and the globe are heading into uncharted territory as workplaces transform and many experts believe people power will be the key to navigating the change. Technological advances in big data, analytics, artificial intelligence and
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automation are already beginning to shift the way organisations approach talent. With many routine tasks to be taken care of by technology, different skills are in demand. Workers who can think creatively and see opportunities rather than threats have shot to the top of employer wishlists. Emotional intelligence and highly technical skills that can’t be replicated by a computer are desperately sought. Meanwhile, the trend towards a casualised workforce — of contractors, freelancers and remote workers — has brought adaptability and flexibility to the fore. Teams measured on output rather than
the time spent at their workplace must not only be present and tick boxes but deliver and exceed their job descriptions. Ultimately, the right team can make the difference between being outwitted by the new paradigm or taking advantage of it. A well-considered hire will stick around, providing a solid foundation when everything else is fluid. They will bring skills, expertise and perspectives that will not only get their job
done but push boundaries and cultivate innovation. They will welcome change rather than fear it. And they will continually learn and evolve to stay one step ahead of the curve. This candidate might seem like a unicorn but they are more like a Sumatran tiger — rare, but they definitely exist. Finding one may just take a little more effort and require a little help.
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QUALITY OUTCOMES DRIVE RECRUITER Connecting the best talent with the best employers and ensuring the finest business and career outcomes possible for both parties has always been McArthur’s aim. Established in 1969, McArthur is one of Australia’s most respected and recognised recruitment brands, delivering temporary, permanent and contract recruitment solutions to a range of niche industry segments across Australia, including Queensland. It has 12 specialist divisions, including aged care, early childhood education, nursing and allied health, government, engineering and technical and legal, and also provides HR consulting initiatives that help organisations get the most out of people and HR investment. State manager for Queensland Harley Hammelmann says McArthur initially launched in Adelaide after identifying a gap in the market for a quality focused, highly specialised recruiter. It now has 120 staff across five office locations. “Since we started, the McArthur values of quality, understanding and service excellence have driven the business and underpin everything we do,” Mr Hammelmann says. “We ensure the highest quality of candidate because we work to industry benchmark standards when it comes to interviewing, assessment and checking.
“Our consultants are genuine experts in their specific sectors, having either hands-on industry backgrounds or extensive specialist recruitment experience, so they understand the issues and challenges.” Mr Hammelmann says that going forward, McArthur would continue to focus on and invest in all of its key service lines, particularly aged and disability care, early childhood education, local government, executive and engineering. “We will continue to be proactive in identifying additional industry segments we believe offer opportunity for development and where we can genuinely add value to a client’s business and candidate’s career aspirations,” he says. McArthur’s HR management consultancy division — McArthur Talent Architects — is also rolling out a range of products and services that will further strengthen its client relationships and enable it to add even more value, minimise recruitment risks and maximise clients’ HR investment. Initiatives include apps to measure staff engagement in real-time, team-building workshops for local government, and a series of specialised training modules for early childcare education. Tel: 3211 9700 mcarthur.com.au
An uncompromised focus on quality for over 20 years. McArthur delivers recruitment and HR consulting solutions with two key objectives to minimise risk and to maximise our clients' investment. And that is the way we have worked with Queensland's public and private sectors for over 20 years. We connect the best talent with the best employers and cover all skill sets and levels. We also deliver a broad range of HR Consulting programs aimed at ensuring clients get the best out of their people.
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• Executive Recruitment • Permanent, Temporary and Contract Recruitment • HR/Management Consulting: – CEO/Executive Performance reviews – Outsourced HR Consulting – Performance Management – Benchmarked Remuneration Reviews – Employee Engagement/Culture Surveys – Leadership Development – Team Profiling – Outplacement Services – Psychometric Assessment and Profiling
To discover how our commitment to quality and minimising the risk of recruitment can help your business, contact the McArthur Queensland team. e: harley.hammelmann@mcarthur.com.au t: (07) 3211 9700 w: mcarthur.com.au
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EXECUTIVE SEARCH AND SOCIAL GOOD Windsor Group is a social enterprise providing expert advice, HR services, executive search and staffing solutions. Chief executive Dylys Bertelsen (pictured) says executive search is its specialty, with capacity building at the heart of all it does. “We cover all contingencies, from urgent disaster relief through temporary and contract situations to searching out, settling and onboarding the best available chairs and board members, CEOs and C-suite specialists from Australia and globally,” she says. “With almost two decades of experience, executive search and board advisory is our specialty across non-profit, profit for purpose and commercial sectors. “Executive selection is something we do so well that even unsuccessful candidates will often come back to thank us for such an unexpectedly pleasant experience.” Windsor Group is committed to its purpose of improving social impact in the community through supporting capacity building of nonprofit and socially conscious organisations. “Passionate about capacity building in individuals and organisations through social enterprise activity, we invest around half of all profit into supportive initiatives across all levels of professional business,” Ms Bertelsen says.
“This is an aspect of the business that has been part of us since day one but in recent years it’s continued to grow until now we’re able to produce more than 50 high-value professional development workshops, seminars, forums and other peer group events at negligible costs to participants. “As we invest our experience, intelligence and expertise on their behalf in an intelligent and considerate recruitment process, our team builds personal relationships with clients, candidates and job seekers. “We experience organisations using our resourcing and placement services time after time, because they reap tangible benefits from the caring culture built on trust, respect and dependability that have made us leaders in our field. “This is what makes us stand out when we’re compared with our counterparts.” It also provides services across information technology, marketing, fundraising and events. Windsor Group celebrates its 18th anniversary next month. See the website for special birthday benefits or follow Windsor Group on LinkedIn. Tel: 3211 0001 windsor-group.com.au
Quality Integrity Teamwork
MORE THAN JUST RECRUITMENT
We partner with the best people to create success for your business
Committed to helping people and organisations to flourish across: Temporary, Contract & Permanent Recruitment Executive Search and Selection Executive Onboarding Career Transition Management Human Resource Consulting Fast Track Financials Fundraising mentoring and coaching
Contact us to find out how our tailored, consultative and forward thinking approach to recruitment can make a difference to you and your business.
Lumina Spark Psychometric testing Training, Education and Events for all levels of staff
Sinead Hourigan | Director, Robert Walters Brisbane T: 07 3032 2227 E: sinead.hourigan@robertwalters.com.au
www.robertwalters.com.au
SPECIALIST PROFESSIONAL RECRUITMENT
TEL: (07) 3211 0001 www.windsorgroup.com.au
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SKILLED-UP PROFESSIONALS LEAD THE WAY
MELANIE BURGESS The Queensland job market is beginning to shift away from being an employer’s market, ending a three-year streak. That is the observation of Robert Walters’ Queensland director Sinead Hourigan (pictured, below right), who also says professionals with in-demand skills are now in a much stronger position in growth sectors such as infrastructure, cyber security and data analytics.
“Organisations should set some parameters for remuneration levels and be brave enough to stick to them to manage their growth in a pragmatic way. On the flip side, job seekers must take into consideration more than just the financial return when looking for a new opportunity, as the glow of any uplift in salary can quickly wear off in the wrong cultural environment,” Ms Hourigan says. Data analysts, application developers, cyber security experts and project managers are in particular demand in Queensland as companies come to
CULTURAL FIT IS TO THE FORE Robert Walters’ latest research on workplace culture has found financial indicators are no longer the main drawcard for prospective employees. The white paper, Are You Culturally Fit? surveyed more than 950 hiring managers and more than 1800 professionals across Australia and New Zealand and found 70 per cent of employees chose their job due to non-financial “cultural” indicators, including how performance was managed, level of teamwork and work flexibility. Robert Walters Queensland director Sinead Hourigan (pictured) says cultural fit is the likelihood a potential new recruit will be able to fit in with the core values, attitudes and collective behaviours within an organisation.
“Within the four walls of a workplace, everything that takes place is influenced in some way by the organisation’s culture,” Ms Hourigan says. The white paper found the benefits of good cultural fit to include greater retention of staff, improved job performance and greater job satisfaction. However, while employers may know that workplace culture is important, many still fail at it in the eyes of their employees. “Our research found 53 per cent of Australian workers are misled about company culture during the recruitment process, and 63 per cent of employees leave their job due to poor cultural fit,” Ms Hourigan says. “Organisations pay a high cost for poor
understand the potential of Big Data and mobile platforms. Ms Hourigan says commercial data analytics skills were highly sought across accounting, financial services, sales, marketing, communication and IT sectors. Meanwhile, the burgeoning start-up community is also increasing the need for application developers with a background in C#, .NET, Java or Node. JS, JavaScript, HTML, Angular 4, React. JS and other JSrelated frameworks. “In response to an increasing number of global attacks, a shortage of cyber security
skills is impacting the private sector and government departments who are competing for talent,” she says. “Major rail infrastructure projects are driving demand for project engineers and professionals with control, safety and bid assessment qualifications.” The Department of Employment’s Skill Shortage List – Queensland has revealed statewide shortages of architects, sonographers, optometrists, motorcycle mechanics, panelbeaters, bricklayers, painting trades workers, cabinet makers and butchers. In metropolitan areas, surveyors are also in shortage and in regional areas there is a need for special education teachers, radiographers, pharmacists, physiotherapists, midwives, automotive electricians, motor mechanics, sheet metal trades workers, fitters, plasterers, chefs and childcare workers. Ms Hourigan’s top advice for workers looking to cement their employability in the Queensland market is to focus on their personal brand. This is critical in a market where information is so easily accessible but difficult to validate. “Set yourself as an ‘expert’ in a specific area and be consistent,” she says. “Make sure all of your individual marketing tools – from your resume down to your LinkedIn profile – are in line and highlight this area of expertise at the top and throughout.”
cultural fit, including colleagues being less effective in their role, disharmony among other colleagues, staff departures and high turnover costs.” Ms Hourigan says mismatches in cultural fit highlight how important it is for companies to define and embed cultural fit throughout all workplace processes. “Employers cannot underestimate the importance of workplace culture and need to make it a mandatory part of their recruitment and onboarding process,” she says. To find out more about the research findings, along with key recommendations on how to hire and retain people who are a good cultural fit, visit the website. Tel: 3032 2222 robertwalters.com.au/hiring
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