Welcome

Welcome to the winter edition of The Johnson Group newsletter.

Welcome also to our new talent resourcer, Pete Meadows. Pete, from Calgary, Canada , has previously worked in marketing consulting and multimedia design.

At The Johnson Group, Pete works with candidates in communications and marketing. He’s also looking at our engagement with candidates, particularly in interactive spaces such as social networking sites.

We know you’ll enjoy working with Pete. Like everyone here, Pete’s an excellent listener and believes in working closely with candidates to find the job that’s right for them.

The job market is slowing down because of the coming election, but don’t let that put you off making a move now. We’re in close contact with clients, so we know where the gaps are and which great jobs are coming up. Give Pete or another member of our team a call if you’re interested in making a change.

Leigh

Reports on Public Sector Pay Misleading

Media reports claiming public sector salaries are outstripping private sector salaries should be treated with scepticism, according to Peter Cornish, Director Executive Reward for The Hay Group.

For fixed remuneration, he says, the public and private sectors pay about the same up to the level of supervisory or team leader roles – after that, the private sector pays more.

And for total remuneration, the private sector begins to pay more at an even earlier stage.

“There is some really bad misinformation out there about public sector remuneration,” says Peter Cornish. “The reality is that the gap between senior public and private sector remuneration is growing. The private sector will pay on average one-third more, excluding bonuses, than equivalent roles in government departments.”

Encouraging Workplace Diversity

We’re delighted that our work with Victoria University’s Skilled Migrant Programme is helping New Zealand workplaces become more diverse.

The 12-work course aims to help migrants find jobs at an appropriate level for their skills and experience. The Johnson Group is responsible for placing candidates with local employers for a six-week internship – a vital part of the programme, and one reason why it has been such a success.

Improve Your Handshake

Improving your handshake could help you land your ideal job. American research has found a good handshaking technique is more important than dress or physical appearance, as it sets the tone for the rest of the interview.

For more details, go to: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4518429a6479.html

IPANZ Conference a Success

The IPANZ New Professionals 2008 Conference in Wellington in June gave about 140 public sector professionals in early to mid career the chance to listen to inspiring speakers, engage in dynamic discussions, forge new networks and develop their professional skills through various workshops.

Outgoing State Services Commissioner Mark Prebble and Olympic gold medallist Danyon Loader were among the speakers at the organisation’s second bi-annual conference, which had the theme: Next Generation Government – Preparing for the Future.

Co-convenor Nedra Fu says the conference was a great success, and thanked The Johnson Group for its sponsorship of the event.

• The Johnson Group is also sponsoring IPANZ’s monthly series of lunchtime seminars. The seminars are usually held on the third Wednesday of the month, and cover general interest subjects. Future speakers include State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie, and winners of the IPANZ Gen-i Public Sector Awards. For more details, go to: www.ipanz.org.nz

Employment Confidence Down

An employment confidence survey has recorded the lowest figures in the four years it has been running. The Westpac McDermott Miller employment confidence index shows the number of people who think jobs are easy to come by almost halved in the June quarter.

Leigh Johnson’s view is that jobs are still available for quality candidates. She suggests candidates keep up their professional development, gaining more technical skills as well as ‘softer’ competencies such as relationship management.

“Clients now want candidates with a breadth of competencies, such as good oral and written communication skills,” says Leigh.

For more details, go to:  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10519394

Aussie Job Ads Fall

Australians are facing a tougher labour market as the number of jobs advertised online continues to fall.

The Seek Employment Index, which measures the ratio of new job ads to job applications posted on the Seek job search website, has recorded its sixth straight monthly fall. Seek sales director Joe Powell says candidates have enjoyed a very strong bargaining position for a long time, but increased competition for skilled work suggests this may be coming to an end.

For more details, go to: http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1828600

On the Move

Congratulations to Sudha Rao, who was recently appointed Manager Strategy Leadership at the Settlement Division of the Immigration Service. It is the third role she has held in the five years she has been with the Department of Labour: Sudha was previously a senior policy advisor in the Workplace Policy Group’s employment relations policy team, and before that worked primarily in the horticulture/viticulture sector engagement area of Work Directions.

“My new job gives me the opportunity to combine my interests in policy, operations and strategy,” says Sudha. “It’s a diverse and challenging role, and one that will enable me to make a real difference to people’s lives.”

Why You Should Use Hyperlinks on Your CV

Including hyperlinks to your academic transcript, your website or any samples of your work available online is a great way to improve your CV. If you make sure your hyperlinks are targeted to suit a particular potential employer, you’ll really stand out from the pack.

Job Doctor

How can social networking sites help my career?

Jacqui, Brooklyn

“Social networking sites allow you to connect with recruiters and potential employers in a direct way,” says Pete Meadows. “You can make an impression on people without having to go through a formal interview, and find out more about potential new roles.”

At the recent IPANZ New Professionals conference, 70% of those who filled out a survey used social networking sites.

“The number of people using social networking sites for professional reasons is significant, and those numbers will grow as people become aware of the benefits they can offer,” says Pete.

LinkedIn, the social networking site for career development and professional interactions, is particularly useful as it enables users to post recommendations about workplaces. The Johnson Group has a LinkedIn Group, as well as a presence on Facebook.

And finally...

Would you like to join our specialist talent pool of public sector professionals? Call us and arrange to come in for a coffee and a chat if you’re a policy analyst, planning and reporting advisor, strategic planner, data or information analyst, project manager, researcher or evaluator, or hold a related position.

We’re also looking for a new recruitment consultant to join our team. If you already have experience in the industry, or if you’re a public sector professional with enthusiasm and excellent relationship management skills - and, ideally, expertise in economic or commercial areas - we’d love to hear from you.