The recruitment sector is pumping. It’s never been such an attractive market for good candidates and this makes for lots of activity. Both candidates and employers face lots of challenges as they search for the perfect marriage. Carolyne Burn’s article explores some of the key challenges facing SME’s in recruiting as a result of the explosion in online recruitment. We’ve also been working with a number of candidates considering career or job changes and wanting to ensure they treat the decision and transition with the attention it deserves. To this end I’ve put together some thoughts on how to know when it’s time to go and doing so with integrity.

And for those of you who are like me and have caught the Spring cleaning bug, Lissanne Oliver’s article has some great ideas for organising that space known as your desk.

…Speaking of space, if you’re looking for a great, creative space to host your next workshop, we’d love to have you! The Brave Space is available for hire.

Best of life,

 

 

 

Deciding to change jobs can be a tough decision. It’s something that most of us take very seriously and deliberate on for far too long. So how do you know when it’s time to move on and if it is time, how do you do it while keeping your reputation and confidence in tact?

It’s really important if you’re considering a move that you don’t act rashly. Too often I meet with clients who are past the point of no return with their jobs and they are driven by desperation rather than a rational understanding of what they want. If you’re feeling unhappy in your role, spend the time considering why you’d like to move and whether it is for the right reasons. What is it about the role that you love? What drives you mad? What do the relationships you have with your colleagues say about you and the culture you work in? In weighing up your situation, it can be very useful to consider how your particular job is aligned to what you’d like to achieve longer term. Is it moving you closer to, or away from your ultimate dreams?

Once you have decided that it’s time to move it’s the perfect time to re-asses your career. The easiest option is to jump online and look for the same type of work you’re currently in. This may well be the perfect thing for you, but it might also be time to re-assess other options that are available. Is it time to be brave and make a break from your current career? Would you like to increase the breath of your skills and move to another function? Would you like to start your own business? When weighing up these options, why not conduct your own SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis and see what personal strengths, talents and skills you have that may be valuable in another career?

Even before you’ve found the job, you need to be ready in case the job finds you. Sharpening up your CV, developing a kick-ass, succinct introductory letter and brushing up on your interviewing skills are key things to get on top of in case opportunity comes knocking. Give your CV to someone you respect and get them to give you feedback. Make sure your CV is more than just a list of job titles, you are so much more than that! Ensure your CV features key achievements and results that you were responsible for and most importantly be prepared to speak confidently about your experience. Attend a few interviews for jobs you don’t mind not getting. The practice will be worthwhile and prepare you for the real deal.

Did you know that over 80% of jobs aren’t advertised? A recent study by a leading Sydney university says so. This means that in finding your next role you should cast your net wide. Never underestimate the power of your personal and professional network. Make time to talk to the right people during this time - People you trust and those you would consider mentors. You will gain incredible insight and may be able to tap into their resources.

So what happens once you’ve found your dream job? The way you manage your exit will be a reflection on you, so here are 5 simple tips to keep your reputation in tact!

1. Professionalism. Always act with professionalism and respect. If you send your CV to the printer, be careful to collect it promptly and avoid leaving Seek open when you go to lunch.
2. Interviews. Try to schedule your interviews so they have minimal effect on your ability to deliver in your current role.
3. Loyalty. Never betray your current company’s confidences and try to avoid bad-mouthing your current boss. It is a much smaller world than you think!
4. More notice the better . Give as much notice as you can and contribute to finding your replacement or their smooth transition if you can.
5. Honour. Honour your commitments to your current employer.
   
   

Changing jobs or careers might be one of the most intimidating and rewarding things you’ll do this year. If you’re considering a change, working with a coach is a brilliant way to work out what you want, design, and execute a plan to get you there. If you’d like to learn more about how Brave can help, contact us today!

“A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a lifetime’s experience”
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

By Carolyne Burns, Managing Director, Expr3ss!

As more businesses and job seekers move online for their recruitment and job search needs, the Internet is fast becoming a black hole of poorly matched job applications. Expr3ss! Managing Director Carolyne Burns provides advice to small business owners on navigating the uncharted waters of online recruitment and coming out the other side with a team of well-matched recruits.

The advent of online recruitment and job search websites has seen myriad changes to the face of the recruitment industry. The ease of applying for jobs has resulted in an increasingly laissez faire approach amongst job seekers, often referred to as a ‘flick and stick’ mentality. This in turn has resulted in significant increases in the number of applications received by employers, but a decrease in the quality of those applications.

The effects of this new ‘flick and stick’ mentality – where job seekers build an online profile, run a key word search for applicable jobs and flick their resume through to all of them – has been felt by many businesses, but in particular by Australia’s small to medium size enterprises (SMEs). Without the support of dedicated HR teams, small business owners are struggling to identify quality recruits in the current candidate short market, finding themselves drowning under the burden of resume fatigue caused from high numbers of applications received from unqualified candidates.

From the job seeker’s perspective, the Internet provides an easy way to apply for multiple jobs at once, including jobs which might not necessarily be suited to their experience and qualifications. Similarly, many applicants are simply searching online job ads looking for a platform from which they can negotiate a better salary with their existing employer.

But for the small business owner, Internet recruitment can easily become a black hole which only produces poor quality applications. While many employing companies expect the candidate short market to result in reduced numbers of applications received, in fact the opposite is happening and business owners are spending countless hours wading through unsuitable resumes.

A recent study undertaken by Expr3ss! looked at the number of applications received by hiring companies and the suitability of individuals applying for roles. The results of the study showed that the number of applicants applying for jobs had increased by as much as 75% in the 12 months to June 2007, but of these applicants, the number who were of below average suitability had increased 96% compared to just 51% of above average suitability candidates. (See chart 1)

The trend identified by the study highlighted the increasing burden felt by small business owners who were trying to recruit staff, with recruitment being up to three times more burdensome using conventional recruitment methodologies (reading and selecting applicants from resumes) than it was in July 2006.

Having seen the emergence of the ‘flick and stick’ mentality, the Expr3ss! team recognised that there was a growing need for a web-based service that integrated screening questions and benchmarking tools to help businesses screen and filter responses to their job ads and simplify the screening process. In 2006 Expr3ss! launched a web-based applicant management system which was developed to suit the needs of small to medium sized businesses. In candidate short markets, hiring companies have to ‘sell’ their jobs to potential recruits, and applicant management systems such as the Expr3ss! service are helping hiring businesses sort the ‘tyre kickers’ from the serious applicants and automate the process of selecting which people to interview.

The results to date have been well beyond expectation. Even in industries where online recruitment has traditionally been shunned, web-based screening services like Expr3ss! are proving a valuable tool in opening up the world of the Internet and producing the best candidates online recruitment has to offer.

So while the Internet can be a tough environment to navigate for small businesses, there are now tools and processes which can demystify the experience, in turn helping to simplify hiring processes, improve time-efficiency and reduce bad hires, all of which results in reduced hiring costs.

Chart 1: Candidate quality decline

Expr3ss! … the Affordable Web Service that makes Recruitment a Breeze!™ Expr3ss! is a web-based applicant management solution enabling employers to easily and quickly filter, sort and prioritise candidate job applications, improving time-efficiency and reducing costs associated with recruitment as a result of ‘bad hires’. Expr3ss! For more information visit Expr3ss! at www.expr3ss.com or phone 1800 00 55 98

Carolyne Burns is founder and Managing Director of Expr3ss!, a web-based applicant management solution company which assists small to medium sized businesses looking to expand their workforce. In establishing Expr3ss! Carolyne leverage her substantial background in merchant banking, including the management of a $27 million trust listed entity on the ASX and Hostworks Group, a major IT infrastructure provider start-up, of which she was Corporate Company Secretary from initiation to successful list on the ASX. Carolyne is also founder and Director of AFAB global Pty Limited provider of online assessment tools for a joint venture between Sensis and Morgan & Banks Investments. .

By Lissanne Oliver

The way your desk is set up is crucial to your productivity, efficiency and wellbeing. How many times have you ‘lost’ things in the sea of paper around your keyboard or felt overwhelmed by the mess? It’s time to de-clutter your desk.

Don’t underestimate how crucial the basics are and take the time to give your space a mini-makeover. You will feel better working in a clutter free environment and be more productive having all the necessary tools and resources at hand. By following this basic recipe, you’ll find it easy to de-clutter your desk and your work space.

You will need

• An hour or more
• Your desk space and related items including the furniture and its contents
• Rubbish and recycling bins
• An empty cardboard carton for op shop items

Method

1. Relocate your desk away from traffic areas.

2. Clear everything off your desk and off any shelves in the immediate area, but leave organising your drawers until last.

3. Cull as you go, returning the most commonly used items to your desktop first. This usually includes your computer, keyboard, mouse, pencil cup, telephone and any files or reference materials used on a daily basis.

4.  Then return secondary items including your printer, scanner and rubbish bin. Any files that have to be kept but that are not used for working should be archived.

Tips for...

Keeping your desk tidy

It’s not inspiring to walk into a space dominated by mess and clutter, so it’s a good idea to clear your desk at the end of each working day. This contributes to visual clarity and provides a ‘fresh start’ when you sit down to work the next time. It is also important to keep the right balance between messy productivity and having an occasional clear up during the day.

Organising your work space

Your work space needs to be well-lit and task lighting, in the form of a desk lamp, will ensure you can work comfortably. Natural light is also important, as is fresh air, to give you a sense of wellbeing and comfort.

If your work space is small – or your desk is in a shared space – you will need to be frugal and pare your desktop items back to only the essentials. It’s likely that you use only 20 per cent of your tools and resources on a daily basis, so keep the essentials close at hand and be ruthless with the rest. Your work space will immediately look larger as a result.

Ergonomic elements

Your computer should be directly in front of you as you work, with your elbows at right angles and your computer screen an arm’s length away. Your mouse and keyboard should always be on the same horizontal surface.

Your computer screen should be in a position that avoids glare, as glare can cause headaches and eye strain, and you need to take regular breaks from your computer-based work. Ensure you have a decent chair with good support, particularly on your lumbar, which is in the lower back.

Don’t forget to take frequent breaks – at least one an hour. Stand up, wriggle your arms and shake your legs. Gently stretch your neck from side to side and touch your toes. Fetch a drink, check your letterbox if you work from home or walk around the garden for five minutes.

You may consider these ergonomic tips irrelevant, but if ignored, the consequences can negatively influence your productivity, health and comfort.

Finally, try not to have your back to the door, so you know when someone enters the room and your work remains private. Also when you are discarding old equipment, resources or excess stationery, take them to the op shop.

Do you have any tips on how to de-clutter your desk? If so, post a comment and let us know what has or hasn’t worked for you.

Lissanne Oliver is a Professional Organiser, Trainer, Author and TV presenter who assists people to better organise their space, work, life or home. Lissanne combines organising with creativity to problem-solve a wide range of organisational issues. This article first appeared on www.flyingsolo.com.au, Australia's online community for solo business owners. 

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