The Importance of Being Positive
The Importance of Being Positive A person’s ability to deal with uncertainty is influenced by many factors. Those who are more mature or older may be able to deal with uncertainly better because they have experienced uncertainty in the past and have made it through and trust that things will turn out okay or perhaps the way they’re supposed to. Those who practice a faith or religion may also be comfortable in uncertain times because they have a higher power to look to. Putting all that aside, a person’s ability to deal with uncertainly depends not so much on external circumstances but on what they allow themselves to think about. Our thoughts create our experience of life – worried thoughts create worried feelings whilst hopeful or optimistic thoughts create hopeful feelings. Of course, there are circumstances out of our control that can cause worry and distress: natural disasters, unexpected death, financial security and at the moment; a pandemic. Yes, even though these events are out of our control, we DO have control over our reaction. Our reality equals our thoughts. I am a firm believer that attitude is everything. Maintaining a positive outlook is essential during times of crisis. For example, rather than focusing on things that ‘may happen’ have a look at the good things already in your life. Today. Be grateful for it. The benefits of staying positive through uncertainty are not just about feeling better – they will impact the outcome. You will be better able to seek support from others when you remain positive, as people tend to gravitate towards positive people. So, what can we do to stay strong and keep positive? Here are some ideas which may help: TAKE A MOMENTReflect on things that you are grateful for. This is a powerful tonic for your mood. Take the time to write down three things that you are grateful for at the end of each day. We all have at least three things to be grateful for – health, roof over our head, food on the table, good friends, etc. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLEMoods are contagious. Turn off that TV, stop reading negative news stories and instead talk with people who know and love you and are ultimately positive people. Be with people who will make you feel good. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF PHYSICALLYNo matter whether you enjoy walking, cycling, are a gym junkie or just hate any form of exercise, it is essential to do something. It is well documented that if you feed your body you will feed your mind. When we are tired and run down we are more vulnerable to lower-quality thinking. Eat well, sleep and exercise, trust me, it helps! Don’t get me wrong, we all have good days and we all have bad days, but it’s how you respond to the bad days that matter. Do you just give up, or just keep on pushing through? There are numerous examples out there of people who have fallen time and time again but kept trying to eventually become a success. Two that immediately come to mind are Walt Disney and Bill Gates. Gates was a Harvard dropout and Disney was fired from a newspaper because ‘he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.’ What??? Imagine the world without either of them? Remember you are the one who chooses how to respond to events outside your control. Recognise that in life and business, a fair number of surprises will cross your path, and some may come with immense challenges. When that happens, remember: Stop. Think. Decide. Only you can make a conscious decision to take a more effective course of action. Eva GrabnerManaging DirectorElite Executive Pty Ltdwww.eliteexecutive.com.auCairns | Brisbane
Putting your best foot forward
Putting your best foot forward As a recruiter in the engineering sector, we have noticed a misalignment of supply and demand. The civil infrastructure sector is booming, everyone is looking for an extra civil engineer for their growing number of projects. But if Civil Engineers are in such high demand, why is it so hard for some highly qualified engineers to get a job? As a candidate, there are some things you can do to increase your chances of landing that ideal role. With continuing investment from state and local government, we are seeing continued growth of construction projects across Australia which looks like continuing for the foreseeable future. These projects include new road developments, road upgrades and rehabilitation works, buildings, dams and other complex structures, all of which require experienced engineers to oversee the design and construction. We are also seeing a resurgence in the mining sector in Queensland and Western Australia, with mines restarting, expanding, and new mines being developed, again all of these requiring experienced civil and other engineers. Although this is fantastic for the economy, companies are struggling to find suitably qualified engineers. There is a nationwide shortage of civil engineers, with engineering job vacancies higher than any other employment market throughout the country with civil engineering positions dominating this landscape. At the same time, engineering companies are becoming more discerning with their hiring choices even though there is a current skills shortage. There is a big demand now for Australian engineers with ‘soft skills’ like communication, digital literacy and critical thinking. Additionally, engineering companies in remote and regional areas are increasingly focused on culture fit to ensure their current teams are not too disrupted. In Cairns especially, most engineering offices are fairly small (under 25 staff) and they need someone with a broad range of experience that can work on any project, as employing a number of specialists is not in the business budget. What can you do? If you are an engineer, looking for your next opportunity, you need to be focusing on developing your soft skills. Take a course to learn how to use the various programs used in engineering, broaden your areas of experience, develop your communication skills by attending a toastmaster’s session, exercise your brain in other areas to develop more critical thinking skills. We are finding that if you develop your soft skills you will put yourself in a much stronger position in the eyes of your next employer. We are interested in hearing your thoughts or experiences as a civil engineer looking for work. What have you done to secure an interview? Eva GrabnerManaging DirectorElite Executive Pty Ltdwww.eliteexecutive.com.auCairns | Brisbane
Going Regional to Advance Your Career
Going Regional to Advance Your Career As Recruitment Specialists, we are often discussing people’s career objectives and what is standing in their way of achieving them. Unsurprisingly, management level roles are high on the list of career aspirations. But what is the best way to get into a management position? Do you wait until your direct manager moves up (or out) and go for their position? Do you apply for management roles in other companies? We have interviewed countless senior engineers and designers who tell me they can’t seem to break into the next level of their career. Most of them don’t have opportunities in their current company. They could be waiting years for their manager to retire, and they’re still not guaranteed to move up into that role. But if they apply for management roles with another employer, they most likely won’t be considered as they don’t have any existing management experience. It’s a cycle that traps a lot of good people who could go on to become great managers if they had the chance. Most people who work in major capital cities don’t consider the opportunities that moving to a regional or remote area can provide them. Regional and remote engineering firms find it hard to get good staff with experience and can provide a great career boost for a mid-senior level professional to take that next step. It can also give you a much broader experience in your field by being able to work on a wide range of different projects. There are other benefits as well. It will broaden your view of the country, and you will experience a whole different culture. It’s not unusual for people in the major capital cities to not be aware of what’s going on in other parts of the country, especially in regional or remote locations. Outside of where they live, it can seem that everywhere else is just a tourist destination. Before I moved from Sydney to Cairns, I too thought the same. I saw Cairns as just a small tourist destination people went to see the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest and there was nothing else there. But after moving to Cairns, I can see that it is so much more. There is a booming commercial sector as well as the tourism, the locals are much friendlier and more approachable than people in Sydney, there is so much more to do as a family, and the commute times are far less, meaning there is more time to enjoy everything available here. Now I don’t think I could ever leave as I love it here so much more than I ever thought I would. Have you reached a plateau in your career progression? Have you ever considered moving to a regional area to advance your career? Even if it is only for a couple of years, get the management experience, then you can move back with better career opportunities available. Who knows, you might like it so much you’ll want to stay too! Eva GrabnerManaging DirectorElite Executive Pty Ltdwww.eliteexecutive.com.auCairns | Brisbane
Recruiters Can (And Do) Change Lives
Recruiters Can (And Do) Change Lives I often get asked why I got into recruitment and why I set up my own business. As most people in the industry would attest to, I ‘fell’ into the industry, purely by accident. However, after over a decade in the hospitality and tourism industry throughout the world and being very familiar with diverse cultures, languages and personalities, it was the perfect fit for me. Now into my 10th year in the Elite Executive business, I still jump out of bed every morning, excitement brewing in my stomach about whose life will I change today. When I decided to go it alone ten years ago, it was a combination of flexibility and the desire to be different. To shake things up and to ‘change the face of recruitment’. There are good and bad recruiters out there and I have heard many horror stories, in fact, I experienced a few myself before entering the industry. But there are also many amazing, passionate recruiters in the industry who truly believe in what they do and genuinely want to help. Many of us spend copious amounts of time researching industries, companies and people before we even engage with them. At Elite Executive, we’re all about relationship building and focus on the long-term benefits of working with our clients before we agree to partner with them. Being that extension of your business and knowing your future goals, internal fit and key skills are imperative in assisting us in finding that perfect candidate. Our candidates however, are absolute gold. They are the key to our success. In searching and through detailed interviewing, we really delve in deeply as to what their key motivators are, not only in their career but their lives in general. As we move people all over the country and in some cases, internationally, we take this very seriously. It takes a lot of work to uproot a family and move them somewhere else. We spend a lot of time ensuring firstly that as a family you are clear on what it takes to move away from your current home. We also assist in preparing them for the move, from researching your new town or city to finding the right schools and even assisting your partner in securing employment also. Each and every placement is not taken lightly and we put our heart and soul into each role we place. We only work exclusively with our clients so that we can give them 100% of our time. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that ‘spreading the love’ amongst recruiters will give you three or four times the number of qualified candidates, if recruiters know that they are up against three or four other companies, you will also only get that fraction of work from them. Then there are those that will race to the finish line to get resumes to you first, but at what cost? Have they been thoroughly vetted, or are they just wanting to get that resume to you before their competition? I learnt early on in business that the clients I work with will value what I do and the hard work and passion that goes into every single placement. I would rather work with less clients and deliver more quality than more clients and not be able to deliver what they need. So how does a business engage with a recruiter and how do you pick from over 7,000 agencies currently in Australia? I recommend that you work with a recruiter that sits well with your values as a business and take the time to grow a professional relationship with them. Be honest and keep communication as open and fluid as possible. Good recruiters will ensure confidentiality and knowing all aspects of your business, warts and all, will enable them to better access the right candidate for your business. Nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing a candidate contribute to the growth of a business and also their own career. In fact, today I am catching up with a valued candidate that I placed in a successful and growing business over three years ago. They have been promoted twice and absolutely love their job. This is why I do this and this is why I can and do change lives and I’m so very proud of that. Eva GrabnerManaging DirectorElite Executive Pty Ltdwww.eliteexecutive.com.auCairns | Brisbane
Professionalism
Professionalism. Professionalism. The Oxford English Dictionary says it means “The competence or skill expected of a professional: the key to quality and efficiency is professionalism” but what exactly is ‘expected’ in this context? I once made the mistake of ‘assuming’ a candidate knew what I meant by dressing professionally for an interview at a global (and very professional) business. When speaking with my client afterwards, they said this particular person gave a very bad first impression by turning up in casual pants and a polo shirt. Tidy, yes. Professional, no. Needless to say, they were not asked back for a second interview. However, to be professional can take on many forms, not only how you present yourself (your attire and your grooming) but also how you interact with others (attitude and competence). Are you reliable, respectful and competent? Do you perform your tasks with genuine intent and honesty? Do you maintain professional etiquette and ethics in the workplace? Depending on your workplace this can take on many different forms, however, there are and always will be a few common traits that make us valued and respected, that it helps to be aware of: Respect – Treat everyone with respect, all staff at all levels, vendors, clients and customers. When I worked on cruise ships, we had a 10 foot policy whereby we had to greet everyone we passed within a 10 foot radius with a ‘Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening’. I still do it sometimes to strangers on the street. Yes, they look at me funny! But it’s only good manners and isn’t it nice to get a greeting and a smile from a stranger? Competence – Know your role, your skills and what is required of you. Don’t just ‘talk the talk’, ‘walk the walk’. If you don’t know what’s expected of you, then ask a person who can tell you. Reliability – Be dependable, turn up to work, meetings and appointments on time. Honesty – Be honest, admit your mistakes and take responsibility for rectifying them. Support others – Be sure to include your team in on any accolades, share the spotlight. Be a team member. Be positive – Smile and see the good in everything! Stay work-focused – leave your personal life at home and do not use the company time for personal issues (unless there is an emergency of course) or to bog your colleagues down with negative energy from non-work matters. Project a positive business appearance – dress professionally and speak positively and confidently about your company and yourself. Integrity – This is one of my company (and personal) values. Do what you say you will do and you will become known as someone whose word can be trusted. It goes without saying (or does it?) that unprofessionalism includes gossiping, being negative, poor attendance or tardiness, unprofessional body language, presentation and disrespect. The more you practice ‘being professional’ the more chances you will have to create a positive reputation and image for yourself, this can ultimately translate into a better job, promotion and more chances at exciting projects or opportunities. But most importantly, you will benefit from feelings of increased self-worth and dignity and isn’t that the best reason of all? Eva GrabnerManaging DirectorElite Executive Pty Ltdwww.eliteexecutive.com.auCairns | Brisbane
The Only Resume Advice You’ll Ever Need
The Only Resume Advice You’ll Ever Need If you have ever been looking for a job I’m sure asked yourself: “What can I do to make my resume stand out and get an employer to seriously consider me for a job”? If you Googled the term “resume”, you know that there’s a dizzying array of information and advice out there about what works best in putting something together that presents you best. How do you make sense of it all? I’m going to make it easy for you – I have looked at well over 50,000 resumes and talk daily with Recruiters and HR Directors who are often the ones making the first pass at your resume. No matter your experience level or what kind of job you’re looking for, these are the most important “insider tips” you will need to know and do: The “one-size fits all” approach won’t cut it in a marketplace of increasingly specialized needs. So plan on having several versions of your resume adjusted for the different jobs you are applying for. Include ways you can make an immediate contribution to the organization that reflects the homework you should be doing about the organization you’re applying to. Make sure that you – and at least one other person you trust – carefully review your resume and adjust it to contain the “key words” that recruiters will be searching for. Don’t worry about an objective – employers will skip over this, or worse, will screen your resume out based on an objective that is not a perfect match for the job they are hiring for. Instead let your experience, skills and results-driven descriptions make the case for you. “Space equals importance”, so put the most critical information first and spend more time and space talking about the skills, experiences, and results that are directly related to the job you are applying for. Avoid all complicated fonts or design elements. To be considered an applicant, you will likely be uploading your resume to an applicant tracking system (ATS) on a company or third-party web site. These systems have a difficult time deciphering elaborate fonts or design elements and if your resume can’t be read easily, it won’t be read at all. Quantify whenever possible. We live in a metrics driven work culture and it’s no longer enough to state that you increased sales or productivity, you need to back it up with quantifiable data whenever possible. Check your resumes for errors of fact, typos, formatting woes or omissions. After you checked it and before you send it to an employer, let a trusted person in your network review it as well. One inaccuracy or misspelling could cost you a second look. Omit any unnecessary, or potentially controversial, information, including sexual orientation, religious or political affiliations. It’s illegal for employers to ask for this information and irrelevant to whether you are a strong candidate for the job. “Size matters” and no one has the time to spend a long time reviewing a resume. Keep the resume to one or two pages depending on your experience. If your resume is more than a page, be sure to include your name and email contact on subsequent pages and do your best early on to make sure the recruiter will want to read more!
Why you need to recruit staff that align with company values
Why you need to recruit staff that align with company values Focusing on those ‘soft skills’ There is so much that goes into hiring the right candidate for a job, and there is a lot of pressure on HR and department heads to make sure that they get it right. It costs a ton of money and time to hire and onboard an employee, and employee turnover costs even more. The hiring process therefore cannot be a flimsy trial and error guessing-game, nor can it be based on a “gut feeling”. It needs to be calculated and ironclad. One of the most important elements to consider when hiring is whether the potential candidate aligns with the values of the company. Why? Because when people are passionate about what they do and they connect with a mission, they are more likely to stay at the company and thrive. The state of employee engagement around the globe Supposedly, a whopping 38 percent* of people around the world do not believe that their personal values align with the core values of the company. That is a significant number, and it is not without repercussions. When an employee doesn’t connect with a company’s mission, they risk becoming disengaged. What is employee disengagement? Disengaged employees are currently costing Australia alone more than $50 billion dollars a year. At some level, your company is a contributor to that massive number. When employees are disengaged, there’s a downward spiral that risks: Employees losing interest in their role Staff not working as hard Unhappy customers The company suffering The employee losing their job Money being spent on recruitment and onboarding of a new employee It is the manager’s job to keep employees engaged by ensuring that they give regular and meaningful feedback, offer constant recognition and create a positive workplace environment for their team. But the job of a recruiter, first and foremost, is to make sure that the new hire is strongly aligned to the cultural fit of the organisation. When employees are a mismatch for their role and organisation, they often struggle to succeed or become bored and restless. Their days — even their careers — can feel wasted, along with their sense of purpose. They need to be sure that the employee’s personal core values align with the company’s core values. For small businesses, 46 percent of hires will be gone after 18 months, and an enormous 89 percent of these cases are due to a poor fit with the company’s organisational culture. That is no small number. More shocking statistics on company alignment in today’s workplace Just to give you some insight into the ongoing issue surrounding company alignment, we have compiled these statistics: 22% of employees either don’t understand their company’s values or simply don’t know what they are. 33% of employees don’t feel that they are reminded of their mission often enough. 38% of employees don’t believe their company’s core values align with their personal values. These numbers reveal that there is a lack of clarity and communication surrounding company values. And even worse, most Executives believe that a clearly defined organisational culture is vital to workplace success. So where is the point of contention? It is so important for companies to know their mission and to share it loud and clear. Ingrain it in the thought process of each employee and give them something bigger than themselves to work for and towards. This offers them a collective purpose beyond a paycheck. The cost of employee turnover Employee turnover costs a company up to 34% percent of the employee’s salary. This cost includes: Cost of hiring Cost of onboarding Loss of engagement and productivity Customer service and errors Cost of training Cultural impact What can HR and Recruitment do to fix the problem before it begins? It’s important for recruiters to ask the right questions to evaluate cultural fit. Nowadays so many interviews are happening via video that it’s harder to evaluate someone. However, if you ask the right questions and are observant of body language, social etiquette, presentation, mannerisms, energy and more, you will get a strong idea of whether this person is a good fit for your organisation. Here are some helpful questions you can ask candidates to determine culture fit: What do you think causes failure? Give me an example of a time when you helped a coworker when there was no direct benefit for you. How do you define success and failure? Describe one world leader that you admire and why. What character from a popular TV show do you identify with? What is more important to you: money or job satisfaction? Why? Describe the type of company you would like to work for and why. The mission of our company is ______ and we believe in _____. How do you connect with this mission? What interests outside of work do you have that you think connect with the core values of the company? Do you know your company values? Do they align with who you are? But more importantly, does your team know what your values are, and do they live and breathe them? If they are just a set of words that everyone has learnt off by heart without really understanding their meaning, then you need to review them. Put something in place that resonates with people and that will also resonate with future employees. At Elite Executive we recently updated our values to better reflect who we are. What do you think? Love what you’re doing. Be passionate about life and what you do. We deliver WOW. We think differently. We challenge the status quo and don’t follow the herd. We go above & beyond. We push boundaries. Play it straight. We are transparent and honest, and we care. We always do what is right and fair. We say it as it is. One team. We collaborate, we support, and we share with each other. We seek to understand. We don’t assume. We ask
What to do when an employee resigns
/*! elementor – v3.5.5 – 03-02-2022 */ .elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px} What to do when an employee resigns /*! elementor – v3.5.5 – 03-02-2022 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=”.svg”]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} We’ve all been there. You have an employee whose attitude suddenly ‘changes’, they don’t seem to care about their work, take long lunch breaks, and have gone ‘cold’. Then one day, you see them approach your office looking nervous, clutching an envelope, or in some cases, you receive an email or text out of the blue a resignation. It’s a relief for some employers, but mostly it’s a shock. Initially, we tend to take it personally: “How could he/she do this?”; “How can they let the business down”; “How am I going to explain this to clients” etc. But really, it’s not personal, it’s business, and primarily if you operate a small business or a small team, it can be hard to accept. Abrupt departures especially are challenging on the psyche. If you have grown to rely on that person, you may feel that they are deserting you. However, here are some tips to help make the transition as smooth and amicable as possible: 1. Know the Protocol It’s vital to understand your company’s HR procedures for handling resignations. In some larger organisations, policy dictates that the moment a person resigns, you cut up their key card, pack their desk, and escort them out of the building. In other organisations, employees will have to work their notice period as stipulated in their contract or award. 2. Gauge the situation The way employees approach their notice period will vary. Some will be unproductive and sour, and others will keep up their stellar work until the very last day, professional to the end. So, I recommend you pay close attention to your employee’s general attitude when they give their resignation. Are they concerned about wrapping up their remaining work, or are they bitter, resentful, and openly complaining about the workplace/situation/colleagues/managers? Paying attention will help in a couple of ways, firstly it will help you decide how to best announce the departure to the team and clients and whether you need to call a quick meeting to set the tone first or leave it up to them to tell the team. A discussion on how they handle their remaining time with the company is essential, and you need to set clear guidelines from the outset. 3. Develop a Transition Plan The next step is to sit down with the employee and develop a plan, as their idea may differ from yours. It would be best if you work collaboratively, make a list of all their regular duties, current projects, and clients. Make this list as comprehensive as possible as you will need to decide who will take over these responsibilities. It would also help determine who will contact the clients, vendors, and colleagues to inform them about the transition and ensure their professional service will continue. Meet with the employee on their final day to ensure the transition was successful. 4. Transfer of Knowledge Do you know what they know? Before they walk out that door, taking essential information with them, it is best to sit down and evaluate what they know. It may be something as crucial as knowing an old software system that they support some clients with or the level of service they give a particular client. It’s essential to do this as there is nothing worse than finding this out a few weeks after leaving. Passing on knowledge is especially important with staff that has been with you for a long time. 5. Replace them Before you jump the gun and start putting adverts everywhere or calling your favourite recruiter, be sure to evaluate the need for a replacement. Once you have done your knowledge transfer, you will know in detail what this employee does, and you will need to compare this with your team’s current priorities, tasks, and workload. Then you can determine if and when you need to hire a replacement. For instance, you may realise that their workload is so daunting you will need a temp immediately, or in some cases, you may be able to distribute some of the work to other team members until you find a new candidate. Perhaps, you may realise that now is the time to restructure the position. In any case, it’s a good idea to commence the hiring process sooner rather than later. Within days of receiving the resignation, update the job description, notify your recruiter or HR manager and get ready to start resume reading! In the end, remember that losing this employee is just business and no matter the circumstances, make sure you both leave on good terms. Always remain professional, don’t emote (especially when you initially hear about their resignation), and wish them well in their new position. Offer to be a referee and encourage them to keep in touch. Even if their performance wasn’t the best before or during their notice period, there is no need to burn that bridge; you never know when you may cross paths again. Eva Grabner Managing Director Elite Executive Pty Ltd www.eliteexecutive.com.au Cairns | Brisbane Eva has been working in the executive and professional recruitment industry for nearly 15 years. She is a highly professional and driven Managing Director and Principal Recruiter with a wealth of recruitment experience across a multitude of industries. Her previous experience includes executive leadership and senior management-level operational roles throughout the world. What stands out as soon as you meet her is her passion for what she does. She is a proud Cairns local and solo parent to her son, Kai.
