Welcome

Welcome to the autumn edition of The Johnson Group newsletter.

We’ve been exceptionally busy over the past few months, which means clients have to be more competitive than ever to attract the best candidates. Let us know when you’re ready to tap into our specialist talent pool of high-performing public sector professionals.

Leigh

Half of all workers looking for a new job

55% of New Zealand workers are either considering or are ready to change jobs, according to the reports Candidate Buying Behaviour: An Exploration into the Key Motivators of Today’s Job Seeker.

The survey also found that employers aren’t giving candidates the information they need to make a decision.  Workers want to see the company name and salary in the job ad, and dislike ads that oversell roles.

They want to be given honest answers to their questions during interviews, to be able to talk with their potential colleagues, and even to see the desk where they’d work if they took the job.

At The Johnson Group, we invite clients to come and talk to us about the kind of feedback that candidates need.

For the full reports, see: www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0803/S00194.htm

Workers on the brink

Major changes in the workplace, such as restructuring, can push employees into mental breakdowns, warns an Australian researcher.

Big changes can be particularly devastating for workers who have been in the same workplace for many years, says Queensland University of Technology psychology researcher Lynda Nguyen.

She says the key to managing shake-ups is communication. Employers should reassure workers that:

their job is safe

the process of appointing new employees will be handled fairly

the organisation will tell them about its vision for the future.

For more details, go to:  http://news.smh.com.au/workplace-changes-can-lead-to-breakdowns/20080325-21fs.html

One-third of Aussies not in the labour force

5.5 million Australians of working age are not in the labour force, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Of the 33% of people not in the labour force, 85% don’t want to work. Of those 845,000 who want to work, only 8% are actively looking for a job.

New Zealand has similar labour force participation levels. About 68% of Kiwis of working age are in the labour force, and the Department of Labour expects the figure to stay stable in 2008 and 2009.

For more details, go to: www.abs.gov.au

Awards finalist announced

The finalists in a new awards programme run by The Institute of Public Administration New Zealand (IPANZ) have been announced.

Finalists in the IPANZ Gen-i Public Sector Excellence Awards were announced on 17 March. Winners will be announced on 27 May.

In other news from the institute, IPANZ New Professionals – which provides development opportunities and social networking for people in government jobs – will hold its 2008 conference at Wellington Town Hall on June 5-6. Speakers will include George Hickton, Rosslyn Noonan, Areti Metuamate and Danyon Loader.

For more details, go to www.ipanz.org.nz

More women working

Women’s participation in the labour force is rapidly increasing.

Department of Labour figures show the percentage of working-age women with a job increased from 59% in December 2002 to 62% in December 2007. A relatively large number of women also work part-time – 34.5%, compared to the OECD average of 26.4%.

Leigh Johnson says employers are now willing to accept part-time staff. “There is definitely more part-time work available, especially for women who want to work four days a week.”

For more details, go to www.dol.govt.nz

Public sector poaches private sector staff

The rising salaries of public servants enable government departments to poach key staff from private businesses, says Employers and Manufacturers Association chief executive Alasdair Thompson.

He says “endless taxpayer over-funding” prevents businesses from increasing exports, exacerbates the skill shortage and ultimately harms New Zealand ’s productivity.

Public pay rates rose by 5% in the year to last September, while private sector pay rates grew by 3.5%.

For more details, see: www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10491439&pnum=0

World-class Kiwis named

Global networking organisation Kea New Zealand has announced the winners of its 2008 World Class New Zealand Awards.

The “tall poppies” named in the awards are Professor Garth Cooper, Rod Drury, Professor Margaret Brimble, Craig Norgate, Maurice Prendergast, Phil Keoghan and Bruce Farr.

For more details, see: www.keanewzealand.com

The Johnson Group on Facebook

As Leigh says in the welcome to this newsletter, it’s clear that social networking sites are playing an increasingly important role in recruitment. Paul Jacobs, from Engage (www.engageonline.co.nz)  - which helps organisations develop targeted recruitment strategies – says The Johnson Group’s Facebook presence extends our talent pool into a social networking platform.

“Social networking sites are communities,” says Paul. “They’re an opportunity for job seekers to promote their own personal brand, and for an employer or recruitment agency to connect with these personal brands. It’s all about building meaningful relationships over time.”

And they’re not just for generation Y – 33.5% of Facebook users are in the 35-54 age bracket.

Another important site is LinkedIn, a social networking platform for professionals. LinkedIn, which has 17 million users worldwide, gives job seekers a chance to say they’re looking for new opportunities and enables employers to develop an online community of potential candidates.

Recruitment Coach

Each newsletter, you’ll have a chance to put your questions to one of our recruitment specialists.

How can I win over the best candidates who come in for an interview?

Jasmine, Wellington

It’s vital to put time into interacting with candidates, says Leigh Johnson.  This might include:

· meeting the candidate over a coffee before the formal interview

· bringing the candidate into the office to meet the team and find out more about the job

· identifying the issues that are important to the candidate

· keeping the candidate informed throughout the interview process.

“Candidates are often hot about the job after an interview, but will cool off quickly if they don’t hear from anyone,: says Leigh.  “You have to show the love!”

In the current competitive job market, counter-offers for the most sought-after candidates are becoming more common.  The Johnson Group works with clients to manage the process, including helping clients to prepare for counter-offers.

And finally...

Interested in joining the recruitment industry?

We’re looking for a recruitment consultant. Ideally, we’d like someone with experience, but we’d consider a public sector professional with excellent relationship management skills and some sales or consulting experience.

Call us for a chat if you’re keen to explore this exciting opportunity with The Johnson Group.