In this issue:

• Welcome
• Find the right job – not just any job
• Wellington incomes soar
• Quality of life more important than money
• Slow recruitment processes a turn-off for Aussies
• A “thank you” goes a long way
• Stress the top factor in quitting a job
• Hidden dangers of Facebook
• Job doctor
• And finally...

Welcome

Welcome to the summer edition of The Johnson Group newsletter. Make 2008 the year you create a better future for yourself.

We’re delighted to welcome Shekhar Reddy to the team. Shekhar worked mainly with non-governmental organisations in health management in Malaysia before arriving in New Zealand in 2000. He then worked as a learning and development consultant in the public and private sectors in Auckland before moving into recruitment. We’re sure he will be a great addition to The Johnson Group.

We are delighted that Melissa Alfonso-Cruz, who was previously working with our talent pool, will rejoin us in March from maternity leave.

The Johnson Group has made several exciting innovations in recent months. Our new database system is enabling us to refine our searches and match up clients and candidates more quickly and accurately.

Candidates are giving us great feedback on The Johnson Group’s health recruitment service.  Liam Walsh, who heads the service, says candidates love the fact that we’re honest and upfront and we respond quickly to requests.

In health recruitment – and, indeed, in all the services we provide – what sets The Johnson Group apart from other recruitment agencies is our willingness to listen. We always want to hear your views, and to learn how we can help you to find the job that’s right for you.

Don’t wait until you’re desperate to leave your current job - come in for a cup of coffee and a chat with one of our team if you’re thinking about making a move.

Leigh

Find the right job – not just any job

Skill shortages will be a long-term feature of New Zealand ’s labour market, according to the Department of Labour’s latest Skills in the Labour Market report.

The report, covering the quarter to September 2007, says 41% of firms reported having trouble finding skilled staff, while 19% of firms found it difficult to attract unskilled staff.

While the labour shortage is good news for people looking for a new job, Leigh Johnson suggests candidates make sure they’re making the right decision rather than taking the first suitable job available. “You should look at the work you’ll be doing, and the work environment, and decide whether the move will help your career.”

For the full report, see: http://www.dol.govt.nz/publications/lmr/lmr-skills-summary.asp

Wellington incomes soar

Rising public sector pay rates have helped Wellington incomes to jump by 21% in just one year.

Statistics New Zealand figures found incomes rose by 9% nationwide in the year to June, but were more than double that in Wellington. Analysts say government departments are now more willing to compete with the private sector on pay, which has pushed incomes up.

Never take no for an answer and never give up. If you really believe in what you’re doing and you’re really keen, then you’ll succeed – it’s as simple as that

(Sir Peter Blake)

Quality of life more important than money

Quality of life is now a more important factor than pay for finance professionals deciding whether to stay in New Zealand or look for work overseas.

A survey of finance and accounting staff in 17 countries found that pay was still the main reason New Zealanders actively looked for a new job, but came third after quality of life and family reasons for Kiwis considering working overseas.

Thirteen percent of people surveyed were actively job-hunting, while 21% were considering changing jobs in the next year.

Slow recruitment processes a turn-off for Aussies

Slow, convoluted recruitment processes discourage workers in the Australia public sector from applying for jobs, according to a new report.

Hiring a new employee in the Australian Public Service (APS) takes an average of 88 days, says the APS Commission’s State of the Service report. The report says poor planning by managers and unnecessary internal processes were the main cause of drawn-out recruitment practices.

The report pointed out that “people talk when their application is handled badly”, and says that the time and effort needed to write a public service job application “keeps very skilled and capable potential employees away”.

For the full report, see http://www.apsc.gov.au/stateoftheservice/0607/index.html

A “thank you” goes a long way

Never mind pay, perks and work/life balance – workers say a simple “thank you” from the boss would be enough to make them more productive.

Two-thirds of 15000 North American workers surveyed wanted to be thanked more often, and a similar number felt the extra appreciation would make them work harder. Workers aged 18 to 34 were particularly likely to want more thanks, and workers preferred to be thanked in person rather than by email.

Stress the top factor in quitting a job

Almost 40% of people taking part in a worldwide survey on work rewards say stress is the main reason they have resigned from a job.

Managers believed that pay was the main reason employers walked out, and ranked stress only fifth in the list of reasons for going. For more details of the survey, see: http://www.watsonwyatt.be/research/resrender.asp?id=2007-US-0190&page=1

You don’t have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things; to compete. You can just be an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals

(Sir Edmund Hillary)

Hidden dangers of Facebook

Job candidates should be careful about the information they include on social network forums such as Facebook or MySpace.

A study by privacy think tank US Ponemon Institute found that 35% of hiring manager used Google to do online background checks on job candidates, and 23% looked up candidates on social networking sites. About one-third of those web searches led to people being rejected for jobs.

For more details, see: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20202935/print/1/displaymode/1098/

Job Doctor

What are the benefits of going contracting?

Sophia, Wellingon

Contractors have more control over the working lives, earn more than full-time workers, improve their work/life balance and avoid office politics, says Kirsty Bidwell, who is responsible for The Johnson Group’s contracting section.

Contract workers can choose between building a reputation as a specialist or opting for variety. Some managers choose contracting because they prefer to get back to the work they were originally trained to do, and to have less responsibility.

Kirsty says people who flourish as contractors tend to be experienced, confident, pro-active, independent, outcome-driven and good at networking. Call her for a chat if you’re considering contracting.

And finally...

As 2008 is an election year, many of our clients are busier than ever and need to strengthen their teams to meet their goals. If you’re thinking of making a move, this is a great time to do it.

We have built a specialist talent pool of public sector professionals.  That means if you are a policy analyst, planning and reporting advisor, strategic planner, data or information analyst, project manager, researcher or evaluator, or any other related position – we are keen to hear from you.

This year will bring many new opportunities, and The Johnson Group can help you make the most of them.