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Recruitment News: Tips to be a Top Contractor

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:08:40 +1200

Recruitment News Article Series: What constitutes a great contractor? Recruitment agencies work hard in order to place the best candidates into new opportunities. From a recruitment agency point of view here are a few tips that you could benefit from in order to be a great contractor and make your way to the top of the list when they are thinking of exceptional candidates for fresh roles.

Be flexible – this applies to contractors in a number of different ways. Are you open to different sorts of opportunities at different levels; or, are you automatically cutting yourself off from some opportunities because you won’t consider working below what you consider to be your level of experience? The same thing can apply to your rates and your hours of availability. If what you’re asking for doesn’t match with what a client requires for certain roles then you won’t be considered even if the opportunity has the potential to lead into something you’ve always wanted.

Be available – it is extremely important to keep in touch with your recruitment agency and let them know when you are available for new opportunities. Furthermore, you must return calls, emails and be responsive and prompt if they are trying to get in touch with you or risk missing out.

Timesheets – it is extremely important to be as accurate as possible and to get them in on time. Enough said.

Adaptability – contractors are often required because the work environment is in the process of change. Therefore, contractors who are adaptable to change; sensitive to working in politically pressurised environments; and able to communicate at a range of levels throughout the company are highly sought after and valued.

As in any role timeliness is hugely important. Don’t miss out on the next great opportunity. If you think that you have what it takes to make a great contractor contact us at Beyond Recruitment today!

Recruitment News: Beyond’s Biggest Loser Updated

Recruitment News: The Downlow On Being Too Slow

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:53:58 +1200

Why lateness is just plain bad

Recruitment News Article Series: There seems to be two kinds of people out there today; those who take massive offence to other people disrespecting their time by being late and those who are running late and aren’t really bothered.

Greg Savage, writer of The Savage Truth blog and Facebook page, is a card-carrying member of the former of these two groups and has a lot to say on the topic. He has no-holds-barred, spiny, prickly, straight-up-the-guts honest opinions about people who are consistently late and you might be surprised just how many people around you share the same view as him.

“No you are not ‘running late’, you are rude and selfish:” Is the title of Greg’s blog post and effectively the attitude he continues throughout leaving no doubt as to how he views people that waste his time and how he views their excuses.

He makes a valid point. When did being late become an accepted fashion and how on earth did this trend manage to traverse its way into the business world? The fact is that it isn’t acceptable to waste others time; to assume that they will wait for you in good grace; to assume that what you’re doing is more important than what they’re doing; and to keep them waiting for you when they could be doing something of real value.

In the recruitment industry this is hugely relevant. Why is lateness still so rampant even when it has the potential to impact on personal and corporate brands? When it can affect whether someone is hired, promoted, befriended, de-friended or even fired?

If you happen to be one of those people that lets time slide along with other people’s opinions of you, it would be advisable to change your ways. Sometimes lateness is absolutely unavoidable but it’s certainly not fashionable and if you do it consistently it could damage you.

Don’t miss out on great opportunities by being late. Send your CV to Beyond Recruitment today!

Recruitment News: Tips to be a Top Contractor

Recruitment News: Calling Construction Workers

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:46:45 +1200

Recruitment News Article Series: Since the international recession hit most of the industries that make up New Zealand’s economy have been negatively impacted and construction and engineering are no exception. While most industries are slowly getting back on track at this stage there are still certain areas within which they struggle to recover.

For construction the impact lingers on in the lack of graduates within the industry which leads to a lack of qualified intermediates, which leads to a lack of skilled seniors and so on. According to experienced industry professionals a junior would constitute someone fresh out of their 4 year apprenticeship and an intermediate tradesman would have up to 7 years experience, or 3 years on top of their apprenticeship.

As indicated by Mike Westbury, the Beyond Recruitment Manager of Construction, Property and Engineering, the lack of graduates entering into the industry is causing juniors to be prematurely pushed into intermediate/senior roles out of necessity. This can cause issues for companies; not least of which is the fact that junior tradesmen have begun to overvalue their monetary worth within an industry short of workers.

Values differ in various areas of the country according to the cost of living, the amount of work to be found, and whether it is a steady stream of work or the boom and bust of demand that thrives and then dwindles.

However hard to pin down, long time industry professional Steve Hirst, General Manager of Colspec Construction, indicates a wide-ranging guideline of graduate starting rates would be: $18-19 p/hr depending on which part of the country they are based in. Steve adds that you could include anything up to $10.00 p/h for Auckland jobs and anything up to $5.00 p/h in Wellington.

The fact is that the industry is calling out for more skilled workers. Graduates simply don’t have enough experience and knowledge to make the quality decisions expected of industry seniors and they often encounter trouble managing more experienced and seasoned workers.

Are you skilled, experienced and looking for work in construction or engineering?
Contact Beyond Recruitment now, we can help!

Recruitment News: The Downlow On Being Too Slow

Recruitment News: Worklife After Children

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:45:44 +1200

Recruitment News Article Series: Going back to work after childbearing is a huge decision. If you’re contemplating whether or not to do it, or if you’ve made the decision but are wondering how you’ll cope then read on:

The number one thing holding mums back from the workforce is letting go of the guilt. There ARE benefits to having a working mum: it encourages independence, responsibility and sets a great example; increases exposure to other children and many different types of play; helps children view Mum as multidimensional; and teaches them to develop more egalitarian attitudes towards marriage, family, men and women's roles.

Making the transition back to work easier begins during maternity leave:

Set a return-to-work date to have a guideline to prepare for.
Talk to your employer, clarify your duties and schedule when you return.
Find dependable childcare and leave your child with the carer for short periods.
Make back up plans for childcare in case the unforeseen happens.
Prepare yourself if you wish to continue breastfeeding.

And it continues after you start back:

Get organised, make a to-do list eliminating tasks that aren’t essential.
Prepare baby’s bag the night before to save time.
Start off part time, build up your work hours gradually.
Provide continuity of care; stay connected with a daily call or text to your carer to see how things are.

Jane Reddiex, Beyond's Business Support Manager, indicates that job share arrangements and reduced hours help the transition: “As long as mums have kept up with changes and trends in their industry there’s no reason why they shouldn’t return to their original career paths. Sometimes it is sensible to take a step down to the level where they left off, get their confidence back and polish up skills that have been dormant while on leave”.

Beyond Recruitment is hugely supportive of mums returning to work and boasts at least 18 staff nationally who are successfully returning from maternity leave and that number only continues to grow.

Recruitment News: Beyond's Biggest Loser

Recruitment News: The NZ skills shortage – reality or imagination?

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:23:40 +1200

Recruitment News Article Series: There are strong indications skill shortages will worsen (worse than pre-recession levels) in 2011.

This skill shortage is driven by:
Strong skills demand in Australia and perception of higher income potential there.
Return of demand in Europe.

Continued but gradual improvement in New Zealand economic conditions: lowering unemployment and driving skills demand in Wellington, with even more accelerated improvements in other parts of New Zealand.

Organisations need to ready itself for more competition for the best talent. Everything organisations can do to ensure responsiveness, provide market competitive rates and remuneration, promote its recruitment value proposition and continue its retention strategies will be worthwhile investments.

Contracting – Recruitment Auckland and Wellington

There is a noticeable trend of contactors not accepting short term contracts (less than 6 months), driven by improvements in this market and a perception that longer term engagements will be in plentiful supply for the rest of 2011 and into 2012. We are also seeing rates starting to move upwards (they were more static in 2010).

Organisations may need to look at ways to make shorter term engagements more attractive, such as completion bonuses. Organisations also need to ensure it has an up-to-date understanding of what will be a rapidly changing recruitment market by gathering information on a regular basis, something Beyond is able and keen to assist with.

Permanent – Recruitment Auckland and Wellington

Like contracting, the permanent recruitment market is feeling skills shortage pressures. Of particular note is the Business Analysis market where widespread organisational change management programmes, baseline consolidation and effectiveness reviews are occurring, particularly in Wellington.

Similarly Human Resources skills are finally in more demand (this sector has been particularly flat in the last 2 years). We are seeing less demand for Legal professionals which will improve supply of this historic skills-shortage pressure point.

As the contract market improves, permanent candidates will be attracted to contracting. Organisations should be aware of employees in your permanent workforce that moved from contracting through 2009. We would consider these to be at risk individuals currently.

Recruitment News: Worklife After Children

Recruitment News: Key For Your CV

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:08:27 +1200

Recruitment News Article Series: Your CV is the first point of contact when job-seeking. First impressions last therefore it pays to get it right. Many CV’s come in to Beyond and we’ve come up with recruitment tips to help guide you before you submit.

DO’S:

Keep your format consistent. We recommend BOLD and capitals for MAIN HEADINGS and Bold in lowercase for Subheadings.
When writing up your relevant experience follow this format:
- Date
- Company
- Position.
Bold this information and write anything relevant underneath in normal text with subheadings for things such as:
- Responsibilities:
- Achievements: and
- Projects:
Start your relevant experience from most recent employment going backwards.
Put two spaces in between jobs so it’s clear where they end and begin.
No lonely headings at the end of a page! Start a new one even if it means leaving a gap.
Write words in full.
Include interests and hobbies.
Mention your references are available on request but no details.
Run a spell check! It’s too easy not to and saves embarrassment.

DON’TS:

Avoid fancy formatting, writing text in boxes etc. A simple, concise word document lets your experience speak for itself.
Stick to relevant experience. Don’t go back decades in time to the beginning of your work history.
Avoid pictures and symbols, especially in tables.
Highlight key technologies in bold to make them stand out. The only place a table would really be necessary is a Skills Matrix.
Don’t justify text.
Don’t email your CV in PDF format.
Lastly, don’t forget to maintain a clear, simple and consistent style throughout your CV using the same font throughout.

With this recruitment advice we hope you make an excellent first impression and wish you all the best for those future opportunities.

For a CV template we recommend, click here.

Recruitment News: The NZ skills shortage – reality or imagination?

Recruitment News: Beyond Success

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:19:50 +1200

Recruitment News Article Series: There isn’t much that is more important to us here at Beyond Services Limited than people but there is one thing that is of far greater consequence to us. What could possibly be more significant to a recruitment agency than people? The simple truth of that answer is: it’s how we treat them.

That’s why it was so important for us, in the beginning, to clearly define the founding values of our recruitment organisation. They remain our fundamental and perpetual principles today and into the future:

We are fair, open, flexible, professional and honest in all our dealings
We treat all people with respect
We work collaboratively
We stand for excellence in delivery and value
We work to benefit New Zealand.

Every employee signs up to share in these values. They grace the last page in all of our associate contracts and we aspire that they are first and foremost in the minds all of our people in their daily interactions with others.

We see our values as a code to live and work by by. It’s not just business. Therefore, we hold quarterly awards to acknowledge and celebrate those individuals on our staff who exemplify these values and other qualities each and every day.

This quarter the awards were held on Thursday the 4th of August. There were many deserving nominees but only and handful of leaders emerged this time; chosen for the way that they carry themselves on professional, personal, and performance fronts:

Beyond Leadership Award

Carren Walker Raos
Steffan Mills

Beyond Values Award

Emma Wadsley
Freeman Tong

Beyond Teamwork Award

Nadine Kellett
Rhonda Rock-Evans

Beyond Sales Award

Mandy Noble
Kelly Hughes

Congratulations to you all, nominees and winners alike, on your successes. We love your work!

Recruitment News: Key For Your CV

Recruitment News: What dream jobs pay

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:50:49 +1200

Recruitment News Article Series: Have you ever said it? I’m in the wrong job.

Hearing about the ludicrous amount of money Moe Joe from Down the Road is getting for doing something you’ve never heard of you begin to fantasise about the ridiculously well-paid positions out there that you’re missing.

Despite tiny issues like training and experience you could throw in the towel today and go try one of these for size:

Science:

Food scientists and technologists, and animal scientists earn up to $40 p/h with an annual fee of $80,000.

Entertainment:

Film and video editors earn $37 p/h with an average annual fee of $75,000.
Multimedia artists or animators earn up to $40 p/h.
Television producers can earn up to $44 p/h on average.

Medical and Healthcare:

Psychology pays around $34.50 p/h. Counseling, school or clinical psychology, it makes no difference, earning $69,000 a year on average.
A registered physical therapist can take home $35 p/h with an average annual salary of around $70,000.
A dental hygienist has an average hourly rate of $37.
Ultrasound technologists and diagnostic medical sonographers earn on average $48 p/h.

Arts:

Writers and authors get paid an average hourly rate of $35 with an annual salary of around $70,000.
Fashion designers get an hourly rate of $36 and can earn up to $75,000.
Grants writers, writing proposals for funding, can get paid up to $50 p/h.
Web developers can get as much as $65 p/h.

Engineering:

Architects have an average hourly rate of $40 and an average yearly salary of $79,000.
Construction Foremen, who manage laborers, earn an average of $58 p/h.
Civil and environmental engineers earn anywhere from $28 to $100 p/h with an average annual salary of $122,000.

OR you could register with Beyond Recruitment, we can help you find your niche if you haven’t already found it. But, if you have found it and still aren’t quite satisfied we could help you look around. You might be surprised at what you find!

Recruitment News: Beyond Success

Recruitment News: Non-stop Nine To Five

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:10:10 +1200

Recruitment News Article Series: Always taking work home to catch up or finish off? According to Harvard Business Review recent research shows this is the main reason why 20% of people take work home every day. If you’re in this 20% your time management or productivity may be lacking. Here’s some ways to figure out what may be out of balance in your workday.

Review your job description. Often the one that you begin with is only relevant to the role in its initial stages. Eventually you’ll find yourself taking on new responsibilities, delegating others out or generally reorganising your workload. Take note of whether you are still doing the job you are supposed to be doing or whether you are taking on a load of extra responsibilities that aren’t yours and that your employer isn’t acknowledging.

Track your work. Log how you spend your time in 30-60 minute periods. This will give you an understanding of exactly how your time is being spent and an indication of where it’s getting lost. Pinpoint activities like web surfing, attending irrelevant meetings and giving in to interruptions. Only uninterrupted blocks of time are truly conducive to productivity.

Finally, question your colleagues. If everyone takes work home, then it might be the norm and if you don’t like it consider changing jobs; but if most of them don’t, then somehow you’re out of balance.

Examine the information that comes out of this process. If it appears that you aren’t being as productive as you could be, look at your time management. Don’t spend too much time on personal business or get caught up in issues or tasks that aren’t your responsibility. If your findings show that you simply have too much to do, learn to delegate, ask for help, or ask your supervisor to help you prioritize your workload.

At Beyond recruitment we specialise in helping jobseekers through all aspects of the recruitment process. Search all jobs now and let us help you.

Recruitment News: What Dream Jobs Pay

Recruitment News: Performance Appraisals Reviewed

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:56:29 +1200

Recruitment News Article Series: Once the recruitment process is over and you have secured a position, the subject of the performance appraisal will usually be raised. Just mentioning the term can instil anxiety in employees; but the fact is managers can struggle with the process too. There’s a growing sense that performance appraisals stem from a time when company management was autocratic and employees were treated as chattels.

Things are now more fluid and the top down approach customarily used in appraisals doesn't work. At a time when companies try to create more level team structures, it's hard to get people to take a step back into the past and reassume outdated and sometimes dysfunctional hierarchical roles.

How can the process be brought up to date and made to achieve the results intended without causing anxiety for managers and employees alike?

Commentary from several HR Practitioners suggests best solution is abolishment and replacement with normal conversations. The opinion is that if managers trained in giving performance feedback then talked with employees on a regular basis about their performance it would eliminate the need for a performance appraisal.

While it might not eliminate a formal documented conversation (just like the recruitment process), the formal conversation would no longer be focused on past performance it would be about goals for the future. Call it an annual development discussion but it would result in a totally different conversation.

Nevertheless, a system that documents and gauges how people are performing and growing is still a requirement. Many HR specialists have the view that there are numerous informative questions managers can ask in appraisal of performance to create real associations with employees and connect them with organisational goals.

It's been indicated that a performance appraisal by itself won’t achieve much. Instead, managers should talk to their staff daily, even if only briefly, and then make sure they have deeper conversations once a month to stay in touch and united in their expectations.

Beyond recruitment offers resources and support for job seekers. Contact us for help or register with us.

Recruitment News: Non-stop Nine To Five

Recruitment News: All Work, No Play?

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:29:45 +1200

Recruitment News Article Series: Enjoying your work has a beautiful butterfly effect on the rest of your life; if you don’t, the negative effect will also ripple. This is one issue to consider in seeking work-life balance. Here are some others to ponder:

Avoid letting work creep into other areas of your life. Sometimes home or social life is lacking. Throwing yourself into work can seem to help. But be honest, if you are substituting work for the rest of your life, its time to create new habits! Keep the balance and create positive experiences outside work.

Know how to say NO! If work is creeping beyond its borders, learn to say no. No more unpaid overtime and taking on more than you can handle because you don’t want to let people down. Help out when you need to but remember you don’t have to agree to everything. Start small, practice makes perfect. Set clear boundaries and value your time then others will too.

No one’s irreplaceable. It’s nice to feel needed, but ultimately no one is indispensible. If you rely on positive feedback at work to feel good, it’s time to look at the bigger picture. It’s okay to delegate work. You don’t have to do it all. It involves letting go of some control, but it will result in a better experience for all.

Finally, spend less than you earn. The better your money management, the more flexibility and options you will have, which in turn feels better in all areas of life. Splashing everything takes away your choice, leaves you reliant on your job and at the whim of any external changes. Get used to managing what you earn and living within a budget. It will empower you, offer you a safety net and help you to feel more in charge.

If you are looking for a recruitment company to help you find a job or career to give you more balance, try Beyond recruitment. Register with us or search for jobs.

Recruitment News: Performace Appraisals Reviewed

Job Interview Tips

Tue, 03 May 2011 12:18:24 +1200

Recruitment News Article Series: It may feel like interviewing for a job isn't getting any easier any time soon - even if you have been to loads of job interviews and have the experience. It involves meeting new people, promoting yourself and your abilities and often being questioned aggressively to find gaps in your knowledge or competency.

Here are some job interview ideas to help you properly prepare. Good preparation can help to reduce the stress you might feel when going through the interview process.

Practice

It's important to practice being on the receiving end of interview questions. Think of actual questions that might be asked by an employer. You should use real examples of how you have used your skills. Giving proof of your achievements is a solid way to put your best your best foot forward.

Preparation

Take the time to get ready for questions "What do you know about our organisation". Know the name of the interviewer and use it during the job interview. You might be unsure about the name of the interviewer. If so, telephone beforehand to check. It is a good idea to match what you know about the company with the responses you give.

Videos

There are opportunities to watch video interview processes online and apply these points into your preparation.

Presentation

Be sure that your interview dress is tidy, neat and appropriate for the type of organisation and role you are interviewing for. Have copies of your CV with you and make sure you have a pen and paper for making notes.

Be Punctual

Be on time for the interview. This means 5-10 minutes early. If it is required, block out some time to drive to the office ahead of time so you are familiar with the route and have an idea of the time it will take to arrive.

Be Calm

It's important to not let stress or worry affect your interview. Try to stay as relaxed as you can. Take a deep breath. Keep eye contact with the person interviewing. Listen to the question and pause before answering! If you forget the question asked, it's not a good look.

Demonstrate Your Knowledge

You should try to relate what you know about the organisation with your own knowledge when answering questions. When reviewing your career achievements, see if you can align them with what the company is seeking.

Follow-Up

Send a short thank you note after the interview that confirms your interest in the position. If you are interviewed by more than one person for the same role, go ahead and send a thank you note to each person.

Recruitment News: All Work & No Play?

Where Did My Day Go?

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:18:24 +1300

Recruitment News Article Series: The question of time management and understanding this area has fascinated many. Some people use a notebook or diary and many others use technology or a phone app to keep track of priorities and calendars. That’s why it was interesting to see that Xerox has just released a desktop application called “The Business Of Your Brain, which tries to track the day by analyzing your Outlook habits.

“We’ve become so completely dependent on Microsoft Outlook,” says Christa Carone, Xerox’s chief marketing officer. “The first thing you do in the morning after you get that cup of coffee is click on the mail icon on your desktop. Now you start managing your day based on email and your calendar.”

The Business of Your Brain application uses a special algorithm to process your emails. It can work out who sends the bulk of the “reply all” emails, who sends the most messages tagged as “urgent,” who actually turns up to all of your meetings, the number of minutes spent in each meeting, the type of email volumes you are producing and other shows up in all of your meetings, how much time you spend in meetings, what kind of email volume you’re generating, and other interesting insights on your daily work behaviour.

Carone isn’t just pushing this product onto the market, however. She’s also tried it on herself, with her team learning some interesting things over the past few months of testing.

As an example, 30% of Carone’s email volume comes on Friday. Though we normally think of Friday as a “slow” day, “Friday tends to be a pretty high activity day, with people gearing up for the weekend,” she says. The downside for managers? All your employees’ active email activity with their friends and families about weekend plans, rather than being work related.

Carone found out that she used the buzz word “leverage” 65 times in one month!

She discovered that one active member was emailing her 3 or 4 times per hour with progress reports.

Carone also found out that “the amount of time spent in meetings is amazing.” On a typical day, she had 4.5 hours of meetings scheduled, with an average of 8 people per meeting — way too many to be focused. “I would question the productivity of that time,” she says. “When you actually look at it on a clock, it’s a little bit startling to me.”

On the upside, an examination of her emails finds that “I use ‘thank you’ quite a bit,” says Carone. “Clearly my mother would be pleased.”

Having all of this information on hand is nice, but the true goal is for it to help you to be more efficient and effective. Carone, for instance, plans to use the word “leverage” less often. She and her email-happy work colleague have agreed to share less updates. In the long term the idea is to review how many people need to be in each meeting so that, rather than attending low-priority meetings, participants can get on and do more productive work.

Job Interview Tips