Skye Recruitment win at Quest Awards!

Skye Recruitment is celebrating a great week of achievements, after being named 12th fastest growing company in Australia in the BRW Fast 100, and then winning in our category of professional services suppliers in the Quest Business Achiever Awards 2010.

Co-founders Sophie and Kye Macdonald attended the awards along with Craig Trevithick, a Recruitment Consultant at Skye, who had been nominated for an Employee Excellence award, and his partner Heather Zabusky.

The Quest Business Achiever Awards recognise leading businesses around the Brisbane area. Businesses are nominated and voted in by their customer base, and then go through several stages of scrutiny, including being visited by a "mystery shopper".

It is especially meaningful to all at Skye to have been voted for by our clients and candidates. We work hard to deliver the highest level of service, and these awards not only recognise the commitment and hard work put in by all the team, but also drive us further to be the best we can.

We would all like to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for us, and also to the team at Quest and their sponsors.

Skye Recruitment named Australia's 12th fastest growing company

Celebrations all round for Skye Recruitment this week, as we were named Australia's 12th fastest growing company on the BRW Fast 100 2010 list.

The BRW Fast 100 ranks companies with up to 200 staff according to their average annual turnover growth over three years.

To be listed as the 12th fastest growing company in Australia is a massive achievement for us, and we're excited about taking another step closer to our goal of being the number one technical agency in Australia.

We are continually striving to provide the highest quality service to our customers, and to add value in all our business dealings.

We love to hear from you, so let us know what else you would like us to be doing! You can contact us on info@skyerecruitment.com

How to write a good online ad

A recent ANZ survey showed that job advertising on the internet rose by 0.8% last month, compared with a 1.9% decline in job advertisements in major metropolitan newspapers in Australia. The internet has become a great resource for companies looking to hire, and is often a first port of call for job-seekers considering a change of job.

It is relatively cheap and easy to advertise on most of the generalist job boards and most recruitment agencies, along with many major companies, have rolling contracts for bundles of advertisements that they can place with the boards each month. As any job-seeker can attest, the quantity is there but the quality is often sadly lacking.

So how do you make your ad stand out from all the others? How do you make it searchable, attractive, and of a high enough standard to encourage people to apply? The following can be taken as a guide to increasing the value of your ad, and decreasing the risk of damage to your brand.

Proof read before you submit

Sounds obvious? Take a look at any one of the major job boards and it is apparent that not everyone is doing this. Poor spelling and grammar not only damages your brand, but can also prevent your job from appearing in candidate searches.

Don't abbreviate words

Candidates search on complete phrases and job titles. If you have "Snr Eng Mgr" (for example), then your job will not appear if a candidate types in "Senior Engineering Manager" as a search.

Always list salary

Statistics show that you will get more applications if you do. Often advertisers are afraid to do this in case they put people off with a salary that doesn't meet their expectations. Often salaries are flexible, and a company is willing to pay more for someone with great experience. However, if you want to maximise your chance of people applying then you need to at least put a ballpark salary range in your ad. You can use the main text of your ad to explain that the salary is flexible, and that higher rates may be considered for candidates with higher levels of experience.

Don't be cliched

Avoid phrases such as ‘think outside the box’, and ‘dynamic’ - be original. Studies from MyCareer have shown that application rates decrease when an advertiser uses the word 'exciting' in their advert. Try to be a bit different.

Break it up

Job-seekers will not be inclined to wade through hefty paragraphs of text (especially if they are having a quick browse from their desk while at work). Keep it short, use bullet points, and get to the point.

Don't be too specific

Try to change your 'must haves' to 'nice to haves' in order to widen the pool of applicants you will receive. E.g., instead of "You must have experience working on $200m projects, and be degree qualified" try "You will have experience working on high value projects, and a degree would be advantageous."

Does this mean you will get applications from hopelessly unqualified people who will waste your time? Yes. But you will get those anyway. You are trying to include the Project Manager who has worked on (say) $150m projects, has a nearly-finished degree, with lots of great experience, who is otherwise perfect for your company.

Of course there will always be some essential criteria for your role, and I am not suggesting you ditch these. But review each item carefully - would you consider someone who was perfect in all regards other than possessing Skill X/ Qualification Y? Could you train them/ get them qualified if everything else was perfect? If so, that item is not a 'must have'.

Use the summary section wisely

The summary section is common to most of the major job boards. It's a 150 character snapshot of what your job is about, and job-seekers then click through to find out more. The only purpose of this section is to attract a job-seeker into clicking through to the main body of your advert. So think about what will make them do that! They need information about the job, so they know if it's (roughly) relevant to them, and they need to be tempted in with something appealing.

Often advertisers are very vague in this section, and summaries can get littered with over-used adjectives that reveal nothing of the job or the company, e.g., "Exciting opportunity for dynamic individual. Career progression!" This does not stand out in a list of similar summaries, and the job-seeker could be wasting their time by clicking through further. By being specific you will be more likely to attract the person you want. E.g.,"$2b infrastructure project. Roads and drainage experience needed. Opportunity to advance to lead role."

Get with the times

Gone are the days of the dry position description doubling up as an advert. Your advert should not feature a series of hurdles that the successful candidate has to be able to navigate in order to apply. If you want to attract good applicants then don't put them off! Remember who you are writing to. Don't make it all about you and what you need! Tell them what they get out of it too. And benefits don't have to just be salary related. What about training opportunities, ability to travel, the chance to mentor junior staff? There are lots of things that will appeal to a potential applicant. What do you love about that company? Why are you there?

Be legal

Be careful to ensure that your ad does not feature anything that could be viewed as direct or indirect discrimination. You cannot (for example) advertise for Australians only, or state that you need "a young go-getter". There is more on avoiding discrimination here.

Finally...

Treat your applicants nicely. One of the biggest complaints from online applicants is that they never hear back about their application. Ensure you have a system in place that will acknowledge receipt of all applications (either automatically or personally), and will advise applicants of the next step. This may be as simple as telling applicants that if they have not heard by a certain date then they were not successful, and providing contact details if they want feedback.

It can be difficult to manage high volumes of applications, but ensuring that all applicants are acknowledged and are not left in doubt about their success (or otherwise) will leave a good impression. The person who is not right today may be great tomorrow, and may know others who are great. Ensure you leave them feeling good about your company, and with no reason not to recommend you to others.

Should you be friends (or more) with your co-workers?

We spend much of our lives at work, and often spend more hours per week with our co-workers than we do with family or friends. Some say that being friends with colleagues helps the day pass faster, and creates a nicer work environment, but others swear that mixing personal and professional lives is a recipe for disaster.

I once worked for a company that had a policy banning inter-office relationships. The company even went as far as fining couples who had been found to offend, with a direct deduction from each pay packet that was then donated to a charity of the offender's choosing. A violation of all sorts of ethical (not to mention legal) rights? Sure! But, dubious company policy aside, should you become friends (or more) with your workmates?

My opinion, as someone who met her (now) husband at work and subsequently co-founded a company with him, is absolutely yes. But with some caveats.

Below I have listed the most common objections to personal relationships in the workplace, and my replies to them:

Staff will spend all day chatting/ gazing romantically at each other, and not do any work.

Well - maybe. But this is a behavioural issue, not a relationship one. Staff who never meet outside of the office can still spend all day gossiping about their terrible boss/ partner from hell/ crazy weekend, and flirtatious behaviour/ staff getting distracted by the attractive person in Accounts are also highly possible without a relationship needing to exist. If there is a problem with the way in which staff are behaving then this needs to be addressed as a separate issue. Staff should behave professionally at work, and do their jobs properly, regardless of relationships outside of work.

Other staff members may feel excluded by a relationship, or may feel that there is favouritism at work.

Again this comes down to how the situation is managed. I would agree that there are situations where it would be inappropriate for there to be a close relationship between a manager and a direct report - particularly when it comes to performance review times, pay rises, and disciplinaries. If a relationship evolves between two such people then the best solution would be for those involved to sit down with another manager and discuss how this should be handled in the office. It may be decided by all parties that the best solution is for one person to transfer to a different department or, in some cases, to move on to a new company.

If the hierarchy is not an issue, but it is the case that others are feeling put out, then you (as manager) need to review the situation. Are the friendly pair/ group behaving professionally and maintaining pleasant working relationships with other staff? Yes? Then perhaps this is just a case of office gossip that needs to be ignored, or the complainants dealt with. Are the friendly pair/ group behaving in a cliquey way/ excluding or singling out others, or giving each other preferential treatment? Yes? Once again the behaviour (not the relationship) needs to be dealt with.

They will bring their arguments/ pet names into the office.
Why would they? Again this is down to you to ensure that staff know what behaviours are acceptable and what behaviours are unacceptable within your workplace.

When the relationship breaks up then one of them will have to leave.

Not necessarily. There are numerous reasons as to why a relationship or friendship breaks down, and not all of them are acrimonious. Even if they are, then it may be possible to transfer a worker to a different area where they will have less contact with that person. You may be thinking that this would be highly inconvenient, and exactly WHY you don't want the relationships forming, but the bottom line is that you cannot control every person's feelings toward each other. Colleagues with no relationship at all can form a dislike for each other, and these are issues that will always need to be dealt with when you employ human beings. And if someone leaves then that may be the best thing for them and for you. You cannot stop someone from making a decision based on personal reasons.

I don't want my colleagues/ employees to lose respect for me if they get to know me outside of work.

Ah yes... You have spent many years crafting a carefully styled image of the professional version of you. The professional you has great hair, dresses well, is intelligent, articulate, and emanates a quiet authority wherever you go. However, after dark, the personal you emerges. This person wears trackie pants, and slobs on the sofa eating pizza and watching trashy TV. This version of you gets drunk and sings karaoke, and says silly things. You are convinced that if your colleagues/ boss/ employees ever saw you like this then they would lose all respect for you straight away, and realise that you are not the slightly intimidating career dynamo that they first thought.

Well... So what? Maybe they would be a bit surprised at first, but maybe they would then realise that you are human too. Maybe they would like you better for it. Maybe they would feel that they knew you better. There is, of course, a limit here. I am not suggesting that all behaviours are a good idea in front of your boss/ staff/ colleagues. I am simply saying that maybe you should relax a little, and that it doesn't always hurt for people to get to know you - ALL versions of you - better. Just because you like a few glasses of wine at the weekend, it doesn't mean that you're not excellent at your job. The only time I would have a problem with an employee's extra curricular life is where it impacted on their behaviour and reputation at work. I consider several employees to be friends, but we all know when we are at work and when we are at play.

I don't want to be friends with colleagues on Facebook.

Well then don't! Tell them that you have a policy of not friending work people. But I would also suggest that you take a good look at your Facebook page, and make sure you are not posting anything that you would mind work people/ bosses/ customers seeing. Nothing is private on Facebook, so only publish information or photos that you are happy for the world to see. Oh - and don't invite junior workers/ direct reports to be your friends on Facebook. It puts them in a horrible position. Many people are reluctant to be friends with their boss on Facebook, but how do you tell the boss that you've ignored their friend request? If you're the boss then it's nicer to wait to be asked.

So, to sum up - I say go for it. Be yourself at work, but be the best version of yourself that you can be. Be friends with your co-workers, because we could all use more friends, and it does make the working environment nicer when people know and trust each other. Fall in love! But don't throw your judgement out of the window. Be professional, treat people nicely, and never forget that you are at work. Don't put co-workers in a difficult position by telling them confidential info. Don't say anything that you may regret on a Monday. Treat your company with respect. Apply common sense. Lastly, behave!!

How recruiters can avoid discrimination

It is important to avoid discriminating against applicants at any stage of the recruitment process. The federal government has set out laws prohibiting discrimination against employees on the basis of race, colour, sex, sexual preference, age, disability, marital status, family responsibilities, pregnancy, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin. In addition to this there are minor state differences - for example, WA prohibits discriminating against someone on the basis of a spent criminal conviction.

Not only is discrimination on the above grounds illegal in Australia, but it also reflects poor recruitment practice. A good recruiter will put the best match forward for the job - regardless of any irrelevant factors, such as those listed above, that do not prevent the candidate from doing the job in hand.

What is discrimination?

Discrimination relates to treating one group or person less favourably than another because of attributes such as race, sex, or marital status (to name a few).

There are two types of discrimination - direct and indirect. Direct discrimination relates to treating one person less favourably than another because of a particular attribute. An example would be deciding not to employ someone because of their age. Indirect discrimination relates to allowing a condition that would mean a group of people could be excluded or treated less favourably due to a particular attribute. An example of this would be to specify a minimum height and weight for job applicants that would mean females as a group were generally unlikely to meet the criteria.

Even though it is possible to discriminate unintentionally, the laws regarding discrimination remain the same regardless of whether your action was intentional or otherwise, and an individual or company found to be responsible for discrimination will find themselves facing the legal consequences of a tribunal.

There are occasions where it is lawful to stipulate that an applicant must possess a particular attribute, such as being of a specific race or gender (for example). Certain roles are subject to exceptions on the basis of it being a genuine occupational requirement for a person to possess that attribute. E.g., a role may stipulate that a male worker is required to clean men's lavatories.

Types of discrimination

Race, colour, national extraction, and social origin

It is unlawful to discriminate on the above grounds. An example of direct discrimination would be advertising that job applicants must be of Australian nationality. An example of indirect discrimination would be requiring applicants to be able to write in English. This could only be justified if writing in English was essential for the role.

Sex and sexual preference

It is unlawful to discriminate on the above grounds. Direct discrimination here could be if you were to hire someone on the basis of them being male or female. Indirect discrimination could be advertising your vacancies in a magazine or newspaper that was aimed at a male / female or gay audience, and not advertising anywhere else.

Marital status, family responsibilities, and pregnancy

It is unlawful to discriminate on the above grounds. An example of direct discrimination would be overlooking an applicant who was pregnant, or failing to allow flexible hours where possible for childcare arrangements. An example of indirect discrimination would be stressing that a full time commitment to long hours was necessary, when it was not in fact essential to the role.

Age

Discriminating on the grounds of age is unlawful. It would be direct discrimination to refuse to hire workers who were too old or too young for a particular company. An example of indirect discrimination could be if a company adopted a 'last in - first out' redundancy policy, or if a company advertised using adjectives that specified an age group - e.g., 'mature workers.'

Good practice is to advise candidates not to publish a date of birth on their CV's, and to avoid asking candidates for their date of birth or age.

Disability

It is unlawful to discriminate on grounds of disability. Direct discrimination would be choosing not to hire someone who was wheelchair bound (for example) who was still capable of doing the job. An example of indirect discrimination could be advertising for 'able-bodied workers.' As long as someone with a disability is able to do the job then they should be treated equally to someone without a disability.

Religion and political opinion

It is not lawful to discriminate against someone on the grounds of their religious beliefs or political opinions and/or affiliations. An example of direct discrimination would be if a company did not hire someone because of their religious beliefs (actual or perceived). An example of indirect discrimination would be if a company stated that employees were not allowed to wear anything covering their heads. This would discriminate against people adhering to religions that require heads to be covered, and could only be justified if the employer could prove that there was a genuine and necessary reason for employees to have their heads uncovered.

So how do you avoid discriminating?

Advertisements

• State clearly what is required in order to do the job, and avoid mentioning anything that may be superfluous;
• Do not state that an applicant must be from a particular race/ nationality/ place/ gender, etc. unless that is a genuine occupational requirement, and therefore allowed under discrimination legislation;
• Avoid using terms that imply a certain age group (such as youthful / mature).

Interviewing

• Avoid questions that are irrelevant, such as "Do you have children?" or "Are you married?" or "What nationality are you?";
• When referring to a candidate's family use gender neutral terms (e.g., 'partner' instead of 'wife') and only ask what is necessary. For example, a client paying for relocation may need to know how many people they will be relocating with the candidate, so instead of asking if a candidate will bring his wife or children (for example), ask if he will be relocating alone, or if he will be bringing any other parties with him;
• It is your responsibility to ensure a candidate has the right to work in Australia and, if they don't, that you communicate their visa requirements to your client. When asking about this situation simply ask your candidate if they have the right to work in Australia, or if they require sponsorship. It is not necessary to ask for details of their nationality or citizenship;
• If your candidate has a disability ask only what questions are necessary to ensure that they are able to do the job;
• Do not attempt to elicit irrelevant information from your candidates - e.g., what religion or political persuasion they are.

Client dealings

• Do not pass on irrelevant information to clients that could then be used to discriminate against an applicant. For example, a client does not need to know if a candidate is homosexual, or if they have children (unless the latter forms part of an arrangement such as relocation and arranging flights);
• If a client asks you to discriminate when finding suitable applicants then you will need to take the following steps:

1. Advise the client that you are not able to narrow your selection on that basis, and that you will endeavour to find the most appropriate person for the role regardless of the particular attribute that the client has asked you to seek out/ avoid;
2. Stay friendly and polite to your client, and remind them that recruitment agencies are subject to the same discrimination legislation as all companies;
3. Do not lecture or admonish your client - stay positive and say that you are happy to find suitable staff for them, but that you will have to disregard any preference that could be discriminatory when putting candidates forward;
4. Put full notes on the database of what your client said and what you advised;
5. Put forward a selection of CV's to your client, ensuring that you do not discriminate in any way.

To sum up

Always consider what information is necessary for you and your clients to know when recruiting staff. Ensure that you seek out the most suitable people for your clients regardless of race, gender, age, or any other attribute that does not impact on a person's ability to do a job.

Do not be pressured by clients into acting in a way that could be seen as discriminatory. If found responsible for discrimination both you personally and your company could be held liable.

If in doubt - ask for advice from more senior staff!

The Lies that Job-Seekers Tell

A variety of studies estimate that (depending on which study you read) anywhere between 25-75% of job-seekers admit to either telling outright lies or else omitting/ bending the truth in order to secure a new job.

If those figures are representative of those who admit to lying, then we can be pretty sure that the actual figures are higher still.

Lies can be relatively minor (e.g., slight exaggeration of responsibilities and time spent doing certain tasks), or major and potentially very costly to a new business - e.g., claiming to possess qualifications/ certifications when that is not the case.

One example of this that we at Skye Recruitment have seen is when a worker claimed to be a qualified WHSO (Workplace Health and Safety Officer), and said that he had shown his qualifications to our client, a civil contracting company. Our client agreed that he had seen the certificate, but in actual fact he had not: the worker had given him so much paperwork to review that the boss had become confused and assumed that it contained the necessary certificate. It transpired that the worker was not qualified at all. The cost to a company of not having a qualified WHSO on site can run into millions of dollars in fines, and if this had not been picked up at an early stage then the situation could have been disastrous for the company in question.

Here are the key areas that you, as an employer, need to focus on when looking at a new hire:

Gaps in the CV

If a candidate has had a bad experience with a company he or she will often simply omit that company from their CV - particularly if they have only been at the company a matter of days or weeks.

It is important to ensure that all the dates line up on a CV, and that any gaps are accounted for. Always ask the candidate what they were doing between jobs, even if the gap seems small. If the dates on the CV are broad - e.g., "2009-2010" then ask for specifics. "Dec 2009 - Jan 2010" can mean that a candidate worked anywhere between 1 day and 2 months for a company - make sure you know which it is.

Finally, always ask the question: "Have you worked for any company that is not on your CV?"

Job title

Candidates will often feature a job title on their CV that does not accurately represent the role they have held for that duration of time. For example a Project Engineer may have worked for a company for 5 years before being promoted to a Project Manager role. The CV may simply say "Company X, May 2005 - present, Project Manager" - which clearly implies that they have 5 years experience as a manager.

Always ask at what level someone joined a company, and how long they have held their current job title.

Responsibilities

To ensure you are hiring someone who can do the job they say they can, always ask for specific examples of how they have used that particular skill. It will quickly become apparent if the person does not have the depth or breadth of experience you are seeking.

Examples of this could include "Tell me about a time when you did XYZ." By asking open questions you will be able to gauge how much that person's skills and experience suit your needs, and if the candidate is unable to provide examples then that may indicate that they have not done all that they say they have.

Qualifications

These can easily be checked, simply by asking the candidate to bring all necessary certificates with them to an interview. Beware the candidate who has a tale of woe about why they cannot do so...

Salary

This is one of the more common areas in which candidates will stretch or bend the truth. When talking directly to a company candidates will either tend to over-estimate their current salary (in order to negotiate a higher wage), or else under-estimate their salary because they are afraid of scaring a potential employer off. This means that when you offer a salary you run the risk of paying over the odds for someone, or else putting an offer to someone that is too low, which they will immediately reject.

Companies who use recruitment agencies have an advantage here, as the agency can act as a go-between at the salary negotiation stage. A good agency will know what salaries you usually pay, how much the candidate earns, what salary they are looking for, and also what salary they are being offered by other companies. They can then advise you as to an appropriate level for that person, and negotiate with the candidate to maximise their likelihood of accepting your offer.

If you are not using an agency, then look at steps you could take to make the candidate feel comfortable about discussing salary openly with you. Consider getting an HR person to talk through those areas with the candidate, rather than the line manager. Also ensure you are aware of the types of salaries your competitors pay, and that you are up to date with the market rate for that level of role.

Reason for leaving

This can often be a sensitive area, and candidates sometimes give 'fluffy' answers that don't reveal the real reason as to why they left or are looking to leave their job. Common answers include "I've been there 5 years and it's time for a change," "I want career progression," or "I'm looking for a new challenge." None of these answers tell you anything about why someone would leave their company for a different one.

This is where you need to do some digging, and get to the bottom of the situation. If someone says it's time for a change - why? What change, specifically, are they after? What things are they looking for that their existing employer cannot provide? Why is that not possible with their current employer? Have they discussed it with them?

Here you often find the real reason. Perhaps they want a management role, but none will be available in the near future. Perhaps they don't get on with their boss. Perhaps they had a poor performance review, and have been put on warning. Perhaps they did not leave of their accord...

Beware the candidate who has quit a job without another one to go to, unless they have a very good reason for it. We often find in these cases that the candidate did not choose to leave the company. Similarly, beware the candidate who tells you that one of your major competitors (who you know is also hiring) let them go because of "lack of work".

Reference check

Make sure you take references. Ask the referees for examples of things that candidate has done. Use open questions, and ask them to tell you about specific times when that person has excelled/ failed/ dealt with others. Look out for those times when a referee indicates something but doesn't want to reveal more. Watch out for when they give a short answer, or cover up after starting to say something that could indicate a problem with the candidate. Don't just stick to your template of questions - if something doesn't feel right then keep digging!

Staff and clients do Bridge to Brisbane for charity

The Skye Recruitment team, consisting of staff and clients, completed the Bridge to Brisbane 10km event on Sunday, in aid of the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

It was a great opportunity for staff to get together outside of the office, and team up with clients from companies such as SMEC, Thiess, Brown Consulting, and Anglo Coal (amongst others), for a common goal.

Skye Recruitment would like to thank all our clients and candidates who took part. Donations are still coming in, but we are very much on track to hit our $1000 target! Make-a-Wish grants wishes to children and young people with life-threatening illnesses, and we are proud to support their efforts.