Welcome

Leigh Johnson

I hope that you are feeling refreshed after the festive period and public holidays.

As people are starting to get back into their working routines, many use this time to take stock of the previous twelve months and set challenges for the year ahead. That may mean working to new targets, expanding your team, offering new services or changing work practices.

It is no different at the Johnson Group where we are constantly looking at ways of developing the services we offer you. For example, in 2006 we are refurbishing our offices so that we can offer you a custom designed interview room.

So if recruitment is part of your plans, please feel free to get in touch with one of our team. We will be happy to talk you through the services we offer, and how they can be tailored to meet your specific needs and requirements.

Leigh

In the news...

Local government recruitment hindered by poor public perception

New research shows that local government’s recruitment of skilled workers is being hindered by an image crisis, as 65% of participants surveyed felt that local government’s image was poor.

The main reasons given for this were:

- Too much bureaucracy in dealing with councils
- Confusion over what is the active role of local council 
- A poor perception of Council workers

"However, we work to ensure that our candidates see the real picture," says Leigh Johnson. "Working for local government is a fantastic way to make a real impact on a community. It also offers employees the opportunity for career progression and management experience at a rate that exceeds other sectors." 

IPANZ New Professionals Conference

The Johnson Group is delighted to announce that they will be sponsors at the Institute of Public Administration New Zealand’ s first ever conference targeted at the future managers and leaders of government agencies. This will take place over two days, the 15-16 of June 2006, at the Wellington Town Hall. More information can be found at www.ipanz.org.nz or email ipanz@paardekooper.co.nz for regular conference updates.

Skilled migrants keep NZ employers sweet

A new survey has found that the vast majority of employers are pleased with the skilled migrants they are hiring.

The survey – Skilled Migrants in New Zealand: Employers' Perspective – has found that 81 per cent of employers are impressed with the performance of their skilled migrant staff.

“It means skilled migrant policy is doing what it should – matching up quality migrants with the New Zealand businesses that need them the most,” said Immigration Minister David Cunliffe.

Here at The Johnson Group we have successful placed several migrant candidates with our clients.   

A full summary of the survey can be found at:

www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/general/generalinformation/news/

Stay fresh for the year ahead

After relaxing over the holiday period, are you feeling worn down now you are back in the work routine? Well you’re not alone according to Mental Health Foundation. 

Judy Montgomery from the MHF believes a healthy balance between work and the rest of our lives is crucial to both personal and organisational success, and is a significant contributor to building a healthy workplace.

“Workplaces can contribute to a healthy balance by focusing on employee health through things such as subsidised gym memberships and having fresh fruit available. Family friendly initiatives such as flexible working structures and domestic leave provisions, along with community contributions such as involvement in local community fundraising projects, can all lead to a healthier workplace.”

The Recruitment Guru

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

We are looking to expand our team over the coming year. We don't anticipate this being done all at once, but will develop around the work that we get. When looking for our new recruits, what are the benefits of using one recruitment company compared to sending our job spec out to everybody - surely that way means we get a bigger pool of candidates to choose from?

Peter, Wellington

While sending the job description out to several recruitment companies in Wellington may mean that you are inundated with CVs, many may not match the position and your team.  

With only the job description to go on, the recruitment consultants may not fully understand the work that you do and can give little consideration to the cultural fit.  Consequently you may still be left with the prospect of sifting through all the CVs to find the candidates who hit the mark.

Partnering with one agency relieves you of this workload as the agency will spend time taking a job brief in order to understand your team and the role. With a much clearer understanding of what the right candidate looks you can expect a more targeted  and efficient recruitment process. Consequently you only receive resumes for people who closely match the opportunity that your role and team offers.

Furthermore, as one recruitment consultant once said, by working exclusively with one company "you are embarking on a committed relationship, not a one night stand!" The consultant will be taking a long term view towards building a strategic partnership.