“We are constantly working with businesses in the performance management field and have developed an approach and philosophy which has also impacted positively on our recruitment outcomes for our clients. I think this company was right to move away from their old process and the big wins for them are focusing on the six monthly conversations and also the twice weekly check ins. Forced distribution doesn’t help a business, and when remuneration reviews or bonuses are attached so directly to ratings because there is only so much money to go around, then the credibility of ratings is unavoidably compromised.”

In general I think HR often falls short of a CEO’s expectations because it struggles to articulate commercial outcomes. The HR Manager identifies a new way for performance reviews but speaks little about commercial outcomes. To read this full blog post by Andrew Thoseby from the Executive Recruitment Firm, 1st Executive visit Performance reviews need extreme makeover?

So, what happens when you are being considered for a job, and perhaps you have not even been interviewed yet a potential employer or recruiter conducts an ‘off the record’ reference or character check with someone who knows you. Even though you have not included this person/s on your list of referees that you provide consent to contact, they are still approached and questioned about your suitability for a job. At the senior levels in particular this is common practise.

Is it ethical or not? Share your views and experiences.

Join us on 22 Nov in Sydney for the first Recruitment Technology Evaluation Convention (RECTEC). The event is the first of its kind in the region to focus solely on technology and its application to recruitment.

Speakers will include technology path-breakers, consultants, vendors, innovation experts, software entrepreneurs, technologists, RPO innovators, industry analysts and staffing professionals who are at the forefront of technology adoption.

The event will tackle wide ranging subjects; from cloud computing to vendor selection, social technology to mobile apps, video technology to website analytics, all in the context of recruitment. All things under the broad umbrella of technology and its application to recruitment and talent acquisition will be addressed. Put simply, RECTEC is where recruitment meets technology.

The event is also part-expo, where you can meet some of the most innovative recruitment technology providers in Australia. Delegates have the option of requesting a one-on-one session with vendors prior or after the event. The event is fully catered and, thanks to our supporters, is one of the most affordable recruitment events to be held in Australia.

The event is a must-attend for those interested in using technology to enhance their recruitment efforts. Whether you are a recruiter, internal HR or recruitment business owner you will find something that will challenge your perspective and encourage you to innovate.

To find out more visit Recruitment Technology Evaluation Convention (RECTEC).

As a professional or executive, having a clear career plan and strategy becomes increasingly important. Being clear and focused on the jobs that are going to get you where you want and the industries you want to be building your career within are important.   Too often I see job seekers not sticking to their plan and wasting time applying for jobs that are off their career track and are not going to get them where they want, or that they are unlikely to get an interview for.

A few things you can to do to assist keep you focused are:
- Have a career goal and strategy to support it (short and long term)
- List the job types and industry/s you want to develop your career within and keep it handy to refer to when job seeking
- When applying for jobs remain focused – if you do find yourself being distracted by great sounding jobs that are out of your focus, revisit your strategy and list of jobs and industries
- Likewise when approached or headhunted about jobs, revisit your list – if it does not add up walk away

While there is nothing wrong with being spontaneous and carefree, when it comes to your career it is certainly something that requires more considered thinking and a strategic approach.

To access more career change and job seeking resources visit the Six Figures Career Resources area.

“Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.” —

Here are some interesting stats that may get you thinking differently about how you are approaching your career.

• On average we spend 44 years or 91,250 hours of our lives working
• On average we spend 2 hours a day or 4.5 years of our lives watching TV
• In Australia only 18% of the staff are interested in the jobs they are doing
• On average less than 1% of our time is spent on planning and managing our careers

Given how important our careers are to our sense of self and to our financial situation, it seems ironic that for the majority of people they never set out to proactively manage their career.  It is the minority of the working population who have a mentor, sponsor, executive coach or careers coach/strategist to help them achieve their goals. Meanwhile, many of us financial planners to help manage our money, personal trainers to help us with our fitness and so on.

Taking a proactive approach to your career involves time and money. Your time and your money!  It also requires a desire to achieve a personal and financially satisfying worklife.

In the business world, Michael Gerber (writer of the ‘e-myth’) is famous for his advice to business owners to also be working on the business rather than in the business.  This same advice translates to our careers. While most of us just go to work, too few of us are working on our careers. We spend an excessive amount of our lives at work, with a small percentage of this doing some training and development, so most of us would be lucky to spend 1% of our time on our careers. By this I mean actually having formalised career goals and strategies that we implement.

Talk to any successful person and they will tell you that they had a career goal in place supported by a strategy. Career success does not happen by chance. Take a proactive approach to your career.  If you don’t have a career plan or strategy, a career strategist can help get your career on track.

For more information and resources visit Six Figures Career Services.

Do you actively plan your career?

Kelly Magowan, a director of Six Figures, says it might not make sense, but recruiters are employed to find people who match the profile for a job. People who are too experienced, she says, are a high risk candidate. The big fear is that they will move on when a better job comes along.

I wonder whether that’s the real reason, or is it because managers are worried about employing someone who knows more than they do? And if it’s a fear of the person moving on, why not take advantage of their knowledge in the meantime and develop a career path within the company that can see them returning to something more akin to their status and experience.

Kelly provides some advice for people who have heard the “overqualified” argument one too many times. It means you can’t follow the traditional channels to recruitment.

In my mind, there is no legitimate excuse for turning someone down because they are overqualified. In fact, I’d suggest nine times out of ten it amounts to ageism. What do you think?

To listen to this BTalk interview with Phil Dobbie and Kelly Magowan from Six Figures visit BTalk

Occasionally I come across gold like this 4 minute video which is a must watch for anyone who is about to interview or going through the interview process. It is a very powerful message and one that empowers the job seeker and hopefully will bring about a better job search experience for everyone.

If you are a Sales professional you may already be doing what the video suggests, if you are not – chances are you are lacking the sales edge. So, please invest 4 minutes in your career to watch this video.

Watch – The MOST important interview question

To all of you currently interviewing, I wish you all the best for landing the job.

So while the online world seems to be focussed on personalisation of content it seems that the major players are opting for a more generalist approach.  This certainly makes sense for some jobs and professions, particularly those high volume and generally lower skilled jobs.  However to source the best talent - a one size fits all approach no longer will suffice.

As a specialist (niche) job site for executives and high income earners Six Figures has seen there is still a strong appetite for marketing job opportunities via specialist job sites to attract a more targeted and often passive audience. Australia has a terrific offering of specialist job sites of which we have listed a few below.

In today’s job market, advertisers need to be strategic in how they source talent, with a strategy that encompasses generalist job sites, specialist job sites, social media, careers campaigns, referral programs and where relevant print.  The speakers at the Australasian Sourcing Summit certainly confirmed this.

A few of Australia’s specialist job sites include:

Six Figures -   exclusively for Executives and Professionals earning $100K+
Career Mums -  for working parents
Artshub -  for Australia’s creative community
Teachers.on.net – Australia’s education job site
Adage Jobs -  for mature age workers
Capital Jobs -  exclusively for jobs in Canberra

We welcome your input into specialist job sites that you have found useful either as a job seeker or advertiser to grow our list so that others can benefit.

Sites others have suggested:

Lifestyle Careers -  Our niche and specific focus is the advertising of flexible employment and work at home positions.

http://www.bluecollar.com.au (trades and technical roles)
http://www.nfpjobs.com.au (roles within the NFP / community sector)
http://www.traveljobs.biz (roles within the travel and tourism sector)

The list of speakers was varied from corporate to consultants, to recruiters and those in employer branding. The mix certainly worked well and came together to provide a current picture of where sourcing in Australia is at.  The long and short of it is that sourcing is very much in its infancy in Australia – however like many things is building momentum at a rapid rate as organisations slowly realise its value to their bottom line!

I have provided a brief snapshot of the speakers that I saw on Day 2 of the presentation which I will post over the next week. I invite your thoughts, views and comments on the topics, which are of importance to job seekers and organisations alike. A list of the speakers can be found here

At the conclusion of the Summit a panel discussion occurred that covered;

• Ongoing growth and importance of social media in sourcing – organisations just have to jump on board
• The future of job sites: both the generalist and specialist job sites with the view being both have a role to play however given the future is about personalisation of information specialist sites will likely have a bigger role to play
• Recruiters getting referrals from candidates and communities (something I am not comfortable with)
• The lack of conversation about the job seekers (active & passive) - the talent employers and recruiters are after!

The Summit involved a lot of sharing and created healthy discussion, all important in driving change which is certainly needed in this space.

1. What is your take on how the job market is shaping up for the second half of 2011?
From my experience, the job market is certainly starting to pick up. Based on conversations I have been having with many of the clients I support in a recruitment capacity, many of them are considering recruiting once the new financial year begins.

2. When it comes to the interview, what advice do you have for those wanting to sell themself and their experiences more effectively?
Think about the role you are applying for and the relevant skills and experience you bring prior to attending the interview. This will help you to focus on answering questions that may be asked of you. It is also vital to be yourself (and try to relax where possible!). Interviews are never an easy experience to go through but being yourself, and being totally honest, is important. The interviewer wants you to do well at the interview so keep this in mind. I have not come across as interviewer yet who enjoys making those they interview feel uncomfortable.

3. If someone is not feeling satisfied with their career and is contemplating a career change – yet does not know where to begin, what do you recommend as the first steps?
Taking some time to reflect on what you have enjoyed about your past roles and why. Thinking about the skills you have (and enjoy using) is a good starting point too. Completing a personality questionnaire often also helps when the outcome is discussed in conjunction with your current skills and motivators. The Career Development Association of Australia has some good resources and a section that contains details of career counsellors who may be able to assist with getting the ball rolling.

4. Everyone always talks about the ‘hidden job’ market. What’s your take on this? What people can be doing to capitalise on it?
I think the hidden job market definitely exists and is more powerful than one realises particularly in small to medium sized businesses which are still reluctant to spend a great deal on money on recruiting new staff. Spreading the word that you are seeking a new position through those you know (family, friends, neighbours) is very powerful. Linkedin is also another powerful tool when it comes to the hidden job market. Many recruiters are now searching through Linkedin to find ‘passive’ job seekers whom may be suitable for their positions. Having a strong personal brand on Linkedin is important in today’s job market.

5. What is your best piece of job search advice for those who are actively looking for new employment?
Consider your personal brand – what image does your resume set for you? What can employers or recruiters find out about you online (ie through Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter)? Tailor your resume for each application so that your relevant skills and experience are highlighted and only apply for the positions you have the right skills and background for otherwise you are setting yourself up to experience a lack of success in your search.

To find out more about Melissa’s coaching services visit the Six Figures Career Services area.