Autumn '09
Tue, 04/28/2009 - 21:53 — The Johnson Group
Welcome
Welcome to the autumn edition of The Johnson Group newsletter.
The Johnson Group celebrated its fourth birthday on April 1, and we’re showing our commitment to our future growth by hiring two new public sector recruiters - Dave Wish and Heather Haines. We’re planning to hire another recruiter later in the year.
The election and the recession have made the past few months a time of uncertainty for many people, but we’re now getting a clearer sense of direction around policy programmes and focus areas. Contracting continues to be a major growth area for us, and we’ve seen a recent increase in requests for permanent staff.
The Johnson Group is the only recruitment firm specialising in public sector placement and advice, so we’re ideally placed to help you bring your team up to full strength to meet the demands of your new work programmes.
Leigh and Campbell
Advisory Board Appointment
Doug Bailey, a public law consultant with Russell McVeagh, has been appointed to The Johnson Group’s advisory board.
A specialist in policy analysis and government relations, Doug has almost 30 years of experience with the state sector and its successive political administrations. His knowledge and experience make him a valuable addition to the team.
Warning on Public Sector Cuts
Job cuts in the public sector could result in an overall loss of capacity and organisation memory, Public Service Association National Secretary Brenda Pilott has told The Johnson Group.
“Most people don’t think the recession will last for a very long time, so the public service should be thinking about how we can get through the next year or 18 months without losing those people who have been trained and are capable,” says Pilott.
“In a recession, the community is under pressure and is putting more demand on services - which makes it an odd time for the government to be thinking about cutting jobs. The reality of the public sector is increasing demand and decreasing resources.”
Leadership in Tough Times
Leaders gain some of their most useful insights in difficult times, says leadership expert Ron Heifetz.
Ron, director of the Centre for Public Leadership at Harvard’s John F Kennedy School of Government, recently led a one-day seminar at New Zealand’s Leadership Development Centre. He discussed adaptive leadership, which involves using strategies to help organisations thrive in complex situations such as a recession, or the early days of a new government.
Heifetz says it’s important for leaders to recognise the difference between adaptive problems, which require new ideas or new ways of working, and technical problems, which can be solved using past experience and existing skills. For more details, go to www.ldc.govt.nz
Kiwis Working Fewer Hours
New Zealanders’ working hours fell by almost 3% in 2008 – the largest annual fall since the 1991/1992 recession.
StatisticsNZ’s household labour force survey also found that labour force participation rate rose to 69% in the December 2008 quarter, the highest recorded in the survey’s history.
The Johnson Group’s Campbell Hepburn says his team has seen a reduction in working hours for contractors, but not for permanent staff. For more details on the survey, go to www.stats.govt.nz
Social Marketing Takes Off
We’re increasing our social marketing, which is proving a useful way of forging relationships with candidates and adding to our bank of talent.
After introducing the micro-blogging service Twitter, we’ve had candidates contacting us to say they’ve heard tweets (updates) about The Johnson Group. Our postings on Facebook and, in particular, LinkedIn are also gaining momentum.
You can add us on twitter at @thejohnsongroup or join our community on LinkedIn.
Support for Skilled Migrants
The Government says it may stop issuing or renewing temporary working visas, but does not plan to follow Australia’s lead in cutting numbers of skilled migrants.
We’re pleased the government appreciates the importance of skilled migrants to the job market. Victoria University is now in the middle of the intern intake for its skilled migrant programme, and the calibre of migrants applying this year is exceptionally high.
The Johnson Group finds job placements for the interns, and we’ve been very encouraged by how much support we’ve had from employers.
IPANZ Gen-I Excellence Awards
It's not often the public sector has the opportunity to celebrate their successes, but that's exactly what the IPANZ Gen-i Excellence Awards are all about. These awards showcase and highlight the significant contribution of public sector organizations to meeting the needs of New Zealand and New Zealanders.
On the night there can only be one winner for each category and from them one superstar will win the Prime Minister's Award for Public Sector Excellence for 2009. Make sure you are there to applaud the public sector stars.
For more information, visit the IPANZ Awards website.
Recruitment Coach
“What approach should I be taking to recruitment and resources in the current market?”
Steve, Thorndon
This is an important time to consider whether you and your team need to do things differently to ensure you’re delivering quality outputs and value for money.
Consider the skills and attributes your team would benefit from having, and ask which behaviours need developing. Frame your team-building in terms of the challenge to think and work differently.
You might like to use team-based psychometric assessments to determine your individual and collective working styles. This will help you to interpret group dynamics, and to identify the areas where you may need to hire staff with specific skills and attributes to round out your team.
And Finally...
While the past few months have been uncertain for clients, many hiring managers now have a clearer idea of the work programmes their teams will be focusing on. We can help you find the right people to strengthen your team.
The Johnson Group offers various levels of recruitment support services, including: • informal exploratory discussions with a consultant • a structured series of individual or team-based workshops • meetings with one of our associate career development professionals.
Call Campbell today on 04 473 6699 or email campbell@thejohnsongroup.co.nz to discuss the approach that would best suit you.