Editorial
Hunting an experience
People and their work habits are nothing if not interesting. They must be—why else would my in-box present me with a plethora of press releases on the latest workplace research or management tips on an almost daily basis?
One of these caught my eye today. “The job is dead—long live the experience,” it proclaimed. I guess that means I’ve had a few experiences in my life!
If that wasn’t enough to make me feel a bit of a dinosaur, the press release says I can hear what Australian marketing expert Penny Burke has to say on the subject by downloading a podcast from recruitment firm Robert Half.
There’ll be no surprises to hear I haven’t got my head around the whole podcasting thing yet. Just as I haven’t got a Facebook page and don’t need anywhere to park my skateboard.
Burke says the concept of a job is dead now and people are looking for a way of life and an experience ... and that’s why rather than wanting more money, they may want something as simple as hot showers in the staff toilets or racks to park their skateboards.
I hope the headhunters keep that in mind when they’re on the lookout for desirable candidates. I wasn’t aware of it until today, when a second press release popped into my in-box, but headhunting is rife in New Zealand.
And, it seems, we’re set to see a dramatic rise in this employment trend over the next 12 months. The results of the 2008 Vedior Asia Pacific Employment Trends Survey reveal that headhunting is the third most common candidate sourcing method in New Zealand, with 33 percent of organisations admitting to actively searching for candidates that way.
David Doyle, the manager of executive recruitment specialists Tanner Menzies, says this is good news, especially for junior and mid level staff as it usually leads to more money, greater benefits and better prospects for promotion.
He says there are five key ways candidates can increase their chances of being targeted by employers: network, know your industry, accept a meeting, ask questions, and establish an online presence. Perhaps I need to set up a Facebook page after all.
The good thing is that—whether we’re hoping to be headhunted, or we’re seeking an experience rather than a job—four out of five New Zealanders enjoy their work. At least that’s the result of an Eye on New Zealand study released last month.
Lyndsey Swan
Feature articles
For us and our children
Attitude and a unique brand of customer service set Ngāi Tahu Tourism apart, says group HR manager Rachael Sweetman. She tells Louisa Clery about the company’s special breed of staff.
Mirror, mirror on the wall
It’s time for the workplace culture debate to move beyond gender and focus on creating a supportive and outcome-focused environment for all staff. And the way to do this, says Siobhan Brown, is to employ and promote more women.
The art experience
To deal with constant challenges and rapid change, we need to break out of our narrow definitions of the world, says David Kayrouz. Art-based learning helps make us aware of how we might tackle more complex issues.
Right for the job
Whether used as a recruitment tool or to develop staff, psychometric testing can help ensure you have the right person for the job. But, as Angela McCarthy discovers, it’s important that results are interpreted correctly.
Test for success
As New Zealand business begins to feel the impact of an economic downturn, organisations need to focus on their long-term viability—not just ‘quick-fixes’, writes Dr Ray Glennon. Testing times call for testing measures, he says.
Natural selection
Reducing staff numbers is a sensitive issue, particularly when it comes to deciding just who should go. Many UK employers are using psychometric testing to help them choose, say Greg Cain and Katie Elkin. So is this the answer for Kiwi employers searching for objective selection criteria.
A winning solution
While a redundancy payout helps a person survive financially, outplacement helps to get them through the career transition process faster and with significantly greater success, says David Somerset.
Learning to speak
At the recent NZATD conference in Auckland, keynote speaker Dr Rich Allen shared nine criteria for ensuring audiences are highly engaged and easily recall key messages long after a presentation. Lyndsey Swan reports.
Mentoring your boss the latest trend
Reverse mentoring—where managers are coached by more junior staff—is fast gaining popularity in the UK. Professor David Clutterbuck spoke about that and other trends, such as team coaching, on a recent visit to New Zealand. Miriam Bell reports on what he had to say.
Departments
Strategic HR: More harm than good
Simply measuring employee engagement is not enough to harness the benefits of an engaged workforce. Alison Boddie asks: Is your employee survey doing more harm than good?
Workplace Dilemmas: Best behaviour
Karen Boyte looks at the impact of bad language in the workplace, and discusses the benefits of asking job candidates about their strengths and weaknesses.
Recruitment: Hitting the target
Forget the bells and whistles. Job seekers want functionality and simplicity from a careers website, says Simon Pomeroy. He offers some pointers on reaching your target market, and shares some ideas that have worked well for Air New Zealand.
Workplace Wellness: Happiness insured
Healthy workers are happy workers, studies show, which is why many employers choose to subsidise health insurance for their staff, writes Roger Styles.
HRINZ News: A framework for the future
HRINZ has been an avid advocate of competency models and has now developed its own framework. Kristen Cooper provides an overview of this framework and how it is used.
Learning & Development: On the right road to learning
There are a range of skills that contribute to great presentations, says Roydon Gibbs, but the first and most important step is to clarify the learning objectives.
Case in Point: Red signal on stress
A recent Employment Court case highlights the importance of conducting a full and transparent investigation and following company procedures during the disciplinary process, says Laura Driscoll.
Leadership: Inspiring colleagues
Earlier this year, Lisa McInnes-Smith presented a leadership workshop—Lead, follow or get out of the way—at the Knowledge Gym. Miriam Bell attended the workshop and talked to McInnes-Smith about what she thinks constitutes good leadership.
Public Sector: Permanent or casual—that is the question
Paul Robertson considers the case of a casual worker—who in reality was working as a permanent part-time employee—and what happened when she was made redundant. Was it a genuine redundancy and did she receive compensation? |
