Advice From The Top - How To Build Leadership Culture

Effective leadership is the driving force behind high performing business culture. It is integral to the success of any organisation as it creates empowered teams, who are motivated by responsibility and action. A leadership culture facilitates improved productivity, increased focus on solutions not problems, and dedication to improving individual and organisational performance.

How can you build a leadership culture within your organisation?

1. Set a Clear Company Vision

A clear company vision provides you and your employees clear direction. The vision of the organisation should be embedded into each business activity and be clearly understood by all employees, regardless of their role in the organisation. By clearly communicating the business direction, employees take ownership and responsibility for success.

2. Lead By Example

Teams mirror the behaviours, energy and motivation of their leaders and this filters down through the organisation. The key to leadership is leading by example. Demonstrate your commitment to the business culture and values by displaying the right attributes such as clear direction, high productivity, team empowerment and dedication.

3. Empower your Employees

Leadership is responsibility. One way to further empower your team is to invite them to take on new responsibilities and opportunities. Great leaders, develop future leaders by sharing the responsibility and teaching and coaching others to succeed. Sharing responsibility with your team provides them with new growth opportunities while allowing you to focus on strategy and performance.

4. Support New Thinking and Innovation

Facilitate new thinking and innovation within your organisation. By creating a leadership culture that fosters new ideas and innovation, the net benefit to the organisation can be exponential, impacting on business performance, market position and employee retention.

5. Create a Professional Social Bond with your Employees

Recognition and appreciation of effort and high performance fosters results-driven culture and creates opportunities for high performers to develop their leadership skills. Social activities and incentives are a powerful way to bond teams in an informal setting such as a restaurant or entertainment venue. This allows the team to step out of their corporate persona and express themselves more fully as individuals with their team members.

Social events can reveal hidden leadership talent and also create new and effective bonds between team members, enhancing performance and leadership outcomes.

PKL Recruitment specialises in business support and call centre recruitment for temporary, causal and permanent positions. We can help you succeed in finding the right candidate for your organisation. Visit www.pkl.com.au for more information on how you can create a successful culture through effective recruitment.

About the Author – Phoebe Lane
Phoebe Lane is the Founder and Managing Director of PKL Recruitment. Phoebe founded PKL Recruitment in 1995 with a vision of creating meaningful differences to the lives of candidates and clients. PKL Recruitment is focused on producing high quality placements that benefit both the candidate and the client. Contact Phoebe today via LinkedIn or phoebe@pkl.com.au.

Is Job-Hopping A Bad Thing?

Can multiple roles in your career history be a positive? 

For a long time, many of us believed that having multiple jobs in a short amount of time was a deterrent for employers. Occasionally job seekers choose to limit their employment history on their resume and in interviews in fear that it signals a flighty and unfocused individual. However, it has recently been suggested that having multiple jobs is in fact a positive marker, as it allows individuals to have full control of their career and showcases flexibility and willingness to learn. 

Diversity in employment history provides great benefits for candidates. When professional recruitment consultants are seeking ‘all-round’ candidates, that have a variety of skills and the ability to learn and adapt quickly to new environments, varied work history may just work in your favour. Most employers are comfortable with candidates having had multiple previous roles, however, the candidate needs to be prepared to explain the circumstances of the job changes and why it was the right career move at the time. 
 
Today active career management is becoming increasingly popular, with LinkedIn data in August 2014 highlighting that on average, an employee remains with a company for ~4 years. The growing trend amongst millennials, people born between 1980 and 2000, has seen nine out of ten millennials stating they expect to stay in a job for less than three years. (Source: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/job-hopping-generation/).

What are your thoughts on active career management? And how long is it reasonable for an employer to expect a candidate to stay in their role?

About the Author - Shannon
As PKL Recruitment’s New South Wales Branch Manager, Shannon is responsible for both the Temporary and Permanent Divisions. Since joining the PKL Recruitment team in 2013, Shannon has always lead from the front, guiding and growing the Sydney PKL Recruitment Branch to be one of the most successful recruitment teams in Sydney.

Shannon’s success is based on her high ethics, her drive to deliver quality service and her ability to adapt to the ever-changing recruitment industry.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

Is it time for a Career Health Check?

Did you know only 20% of people are working in their dream job? 

Are you one of the lucky 20%? If not, it may be time for a career health check!

Assessing your current role is a natural step as you consider your career advancement. It’s important to review your current role and perform a career health check every few years. Start thinking proactively, even if you are not quite ready for the big leap. A simple way to start the process is by researching companies and networking within your industry to increase your exposure to new opportunities.

A career health check doesn’t have to wait. It can be an on-going activity that explores if you are enjoying your work and if your current role is accelerating your career or just paying the bills. 

Key considerations for an effective career health check include: 

• Access to training and new skill development 
• Opportunities for promotion and career advancement 
• Business expansion and associated growth opportunities 
• Industry growth trends and the potential impact of economic fluctuations  

When performing a career health check, you need to be clear about your career aspirations and be willing to make a change if necessary. There is no point in identifying gaps in your current role if you are unwilling to do anything about it. It may also be worthwhile discussing career progression with your employer as they may be willing to invest in your development if they value the contribution you make to the company. 

Whether you are comfortable in your current role or are seeking exciting new opportunities, our team of recruitment consultants can help you! We are dedicated to taking the time to get to you know you – your career aspirations, skills and requirements – to ensure that we can source the right career opportunity for you. Visit http://pkl.com.au/find-a-job to search our current opportunities. 

About the Author – Fleur Mumford
Fleur Mumford in the Victorian State Manager for PKL Recruitment with more than 18 years of recruitment experience. Building a strong, dedicated and fun business culture motivates Fleur, who consistently strives to achieve success.  

For more information about PKL Recruitment and to explore your career opportunities, contact Fleur today via LinkedIn orfleur.mumford@pkl.com.au. 

Perfect The ‘Balancing Act’ And Integrate Your Work And Personal Life

Advice on how to successfully manage work and personal life.

Work-life balance is a concept that we hear almost daily. It means different things to different people, with the common conversation based on achieving the infamous ‘balance’. 

But is work-life balance really achievable? 

Although it can be challenging, it is achievable to live a balanced lifestyle where both work and personal commitments are successfully managed. The difficulty in pursuing work-life balance may lie in the use of the word ‘balance’ to describe the situation. The word ‘balance’ implies a precarious juggling act with the slightest wrong move tipping the whole situation into chaos. 

Would ‘integration’ be a more appropriate word to describe managing work and personal commitments?

Integration reflects two or more aspects working together to achieve a common goal rather than a risky, balancing act that can sometimes be an uncontrollable seesaw relationship.

If you think of the situation as integrating two of the most important realms of your life, it may help you in successfully achieving ‘balance’. Integration encourages initiative and making deliberate choices. 

The key to success in work-life integration is deliberate choices. This means making sometimes challenging decisions of what opportunities you will pursue and what you will decline in order to successfully manage work and personal commitments. 

I’ve spoken with our recruitment consultants, who have integrated a successful career and personal life and here is some advice as to how we integrate our work and personal life at PKL Recruitment. 

Define what success looks like for you

What does success mean to you? Do you rely on objective metrics such as your job position, financial security or providing the best you can for your family? Or do you focus on the subjective, such as the satisfaction of solving challenging problems at work, the joy of collaborating with a clever team, or how happy you are at home?

It is important to understand what success means to you. It will never be a concrete idea. Your success will most likely change and evolve as your life changes with new roles or changes to your personal life. 
With your definition of success, you will begin to find it easier to prioritise the activities that will help you reach your goals and those that are not productive and may cause unnecessary stress or pressure. 

Build a plan and schedule time

One of the common activities that our recruitment consultants do to help them integrate their work and personal lives is planning. Planning your day and week is crucial to managing your time and will give you the opportunity to say no when needed. 

A flexible calendar with scheduled work and personal events such as client meetings, gym classes and regular exercise, reading time or dinner with friends is a great habit to manage your time. It will give you clarity as to where you are spending most of your time. If events are scheduled and planned, there is a higher likelihood that you will attend and successfully manage all your commitments. 

Proactive scheduling of both work and personal events allows you to plan time to recharge and enjoy life. Once you have focus and clarity in your schedule, you may even notice a reduction in stress levels. 

When we think about effectively integrating work and home life, it can be difficult. Life happens and plans can change, altering schedules and allocated home or work time. To achieve integration and successfully manage your commitments, flexibility is the key. Be flexible at blending your work and personal lives and you may eventually find that these two components of life aren’t so separate after all. 

So what are you waiting for? Start making deliberate choices, defining success, planning and reward yourself today!

About the Author

Rachel Stefanovski is the NSW State Manager for PKL Recruitment, leading the NSW business support and onsite divisions. Rachel takes great satisfaction in setting a strong and motivated team culture through engaging with intelligent and driven recruitment consultants. 

If you would like more information about PKL Recruitment and to explore your opportunities as a recruitment consultant, contact Rachel today via LinkedIn or rachel.stefanovski@pkl.com.au.

How To Write A Perfect Resume

Position your application for success with a well-written and tailored resume!

Whether you have just graduated or if you are looking to expand your career opportunities, before commencing your job search, it is important you have an up-to-date and high quality resume.

Your resume is the first point of contact for a potential employer. The first impression can influence your success at securing an interview and potentially a new job.

Before writing your resume, ask yourself the following questions:

• What are my strengths and attributes?
• What experience (formal and informal) should I prioritise?
• What are my relevant work-related achievements?
• What are the key criteria for the roles that interest me?
• How can I differentiate myself from the other candidates?

To ensure your resume stands out from the crowd, customise the content to match the potential employer and the position. Emphasise the specific skills that the employer is looking for with genuine examples from your education, work and volunteer history.

Here are some final tips from our PKL Recruitment consultants on how to prepare a perfectly tailored resume:

• Include only relevant details such as:
  • Your name and contact details including phone number and email address
  • Qualifications: title, year of expected completion and education provider
  • Your work experience: in chronological order – starting with your most recent experience
  • Skills and attributes – Highlight the key skills that are compatible with the role and demonstrate how you achieved results
  • Keep your resume to no more than 2 pages. Only include relevant, concise information and avoid long sentences
  • Choose simple format and design such as styles that are professional and easy to read. Avoid fancy fonts, photos and borders
  • Seek feedback, where possible from a trusted associate in a similar role or organisation

A high quality and well-constructed resume is the first step in the employment process. Its role is to demonstrate your appropriateness for the position and to encourage the recruiter to want to meet you.

PKL Recruitment specialises in permanent and temporary recruitment for business administration, office support and call centre jobs. We can help you perfect your resume and secure your ideal job to match your career aspirations.

About the Author
Phoebe Lane is the Founder and Managing Director of PKL Recruitment. Phoebe founded PKL Recruitment in 1995 with a vision of creating meaningful differences to the lives of candidates and clients.

PKL Recruitment is focused on producing high quality placements that benefit both the candidate and the client. Contact Phoebe today via LinkedIn or phoebe@pkl.com.au.

How To Achieve A Pay Increase By Demonstrating Your Value

• Are you beating your targets and exceeding your manager’s expectations?
• Do you go above and beyond your responsibilities and contribute substantial additional value to the company?

Do you know how to effectively communicate your value to confidently discuss a pay increase with your manager? 

Discussing your value and potential for a pay increase or promotion is a natural step in any career path. As you build your skills and continue to work hard to reach and exceed your performance targets, it may be the perfect time to consider the value you bring to the company and how you can effectively communicate this to ask for pay increase. 

Just because you are doing your job does not mean that you are entitled to a pay increase. It is important to highlight the additional contributions you are making to the organisation and take time to think of your request from a manager’s perspective. What will they need to know to make a considered decision? 

So how can you leverage your accomplishments and value and request a pay increase? 

Here are our top 4 tips on how to prepare for the discussion and communicate your value:

1. Research market rates and industry averages

• Conduct thorough research into the average salary for your position based on your experience level, skills and position description. This will assist you in having an approximate target figure that you would like to work towards. It is important to also consider the business size, current and future growth potential when researching market rates.
• Familiarise yourself with the company procedures. Identify the best person to speak to and the expected achievements and length of service expected prior to the discussion. 

2. Demonstrate your contributions and value

• Develop a list of the goals you have achieved and/or exceeded for the company. This should include how you have effectively contributed to the business goals, key performance targets, projects you have completed or any additional responsibilities such as supervisory role.
• Ensure your goals are measurable and quantifiable. Consider presenting them in a report with graphs and figures to assist your manager in understanding your contribution to the company. Highlight the areas that you excel and also the areas that you know you need to work on. 
• Prepare a list of new performance targets and goals to demonstrate your dedication to growth and development, as well as your focus on entire business performance. 

3. Time your request

• Email the appropriate manager in advance to schedule a meeting regarding a salary and performance discussion. Remain professional throughout the discussion and focus on the fact base, rather than emotions. To be successful you should be willing to negotiate.

4. Stay positive after the meeting

• Regardless of the outcome, remain positive and thank your manager for their time. If the result of the discussion was not what you expected, do not be discouraged. Ask your manager what specific areas you need to develop to prepare yourself for future salary discussions. This demonstrates your focus, attitude and dedication. 

Approaching the discussion with an open mind and a focus on demonstrating your value and accomplishments will put you in the best position to achieve your desired outcome. 

PKL Recruitment specialises in permanent, temporary and call centre recruitment for business administration and office support positions. Visit http://pkl.com.au/find-a-job to start your search today.

About the Author
Phoebe Lane is the Founder and Managing Director of PKL Recruitment. Phoebe founded PKL Recruitment in 1995 with a vision of creating meaningful differences to the lives of candidates and clients. PKL Recruitment is focused on producing high quality placements that benefit both the candidate and the client. Contact Phoebe today via LinkedIn or phoebe@pkl.com.au.

The Top 3 Benefits Of Temporary Employment

Finding your feet in the current job market can be challenging, however temporary work can provide immediate employment and provide opportunities for the future. Here are three reasons how a temporary role can help build your career and provide great growth opportunities.

1. Flexibility   

One of the most attractive benefits of temping is flexibility. Being able to choose your work hours based on personal preferences means you can maximise your income earning potential while enjoying the benefits of more personal time. You can use your free time to relax, exercise or ramp up your job search. Either way, you are getting the best of both worlds.

2. Experience

Another benefit of being a temporary employee is the opportunity to gain valuable new experiences. Temporary roles have greater flexibility than permanent roles and the opportunity to use and acquire ‘transferable skills’ is generally greater. Temps often have the opportunity to work across different industries, acquire new skills and add new experiences to their resume. 

3. Networking

Finding the right role in the future is as much about who you know as what you know. Developing a broad network across industries, companies and levels of management is one of the most effective ways to build your personal brand. Temping is a great way to quickly establish or build your network. This is especially true for candidates who have just arrived form overseas or moved interstate.

Knowing how to network is a critical skill for any employee and being a temp allows the freedom to move from company to company or across departments whilst making valuable connections. 

Temporary jobs can be a huge career boost providing you make the most of the opportunity. The potential for growth and professional visibility is huge. It is also an excellent entry point into the workforce for people just starting their career. 

If you are interested in exploring this career opportunity to benefit your future prospects, see http://www.pkl.com.au/find-a-job or contact our Sydney agency on (02) 9232 4980 or our Melbourne agency on (03) 9608 0333.

How To Prepare For Your Performance Review

Performance reviews are an essential part of career growth and development. Prior preparation is the best way for you to get the most benefit from your performance review, and ensure you put your best foot forward, towards a successful future. The following are three easy steps you can take to properly prepare for your review.

1. Create a foundation

Start by going back to the basics of what the role responsibilities and performance requirements as detailed in the Position Description (PD). Using that information as a foundation, create a list of all your responsibilities, achievements, strengths and weaknesses. By reviewing your own performance and being straightforward about your strengths and growth opportunities, you will earn the respect of your manager and as a bonus feel more composed during the performance review.

2. Prepare for growth

It is important to understand that you will receive both positive feedback and constructive criticisms on areas for growth. How you handle both can have profound impacts on your career development. Especially when your manager has highlighted some areas for improvement, it is important to engage positively and seek assistance on how you may be able to improve your performance to meet the job requirements. The most important thing to do is to listen carefully to the feedback and if there are any uncertain areas, ask your manager for some examples to help you understand how you can improve. The more readily you can receive and respond positively to constructive criticism, the faster you can progress your career.

3. Plan for the future

Ultimately a performance review is to help you improve your skills and develop your expertise so that you can advance your career through improved performance and contribution to the company. Be prepared to talk to your manager about what can be improved and be honest about your current skill set. This is a great opportunity to set shared goals and expectations with your employer so you both have a clear picture of the year ahead. 

Think about how you can increase the value of your contribution to the company such as improved work processes, attracting new clients, new training and development opportunities that will help you and the company achieve their goals.

Overall, a performance review is a great learning experience about your capabilities and how you can improve and grow your career for the future.

Perfect The Balancing Act

How to get the most out of school holidays  

When it comes to planning for your children on school holidays, you can experience mixed emotions. You may be excited that you have the opportunity to spend more quality time with your children, or slightly anxious about organising activities while you are at work. 

School holidays can become challenging when you receive 4 weeks of annual leave per year, and there are 12 weeks of school holidays per year – between yourself and your partner, it is not enough.

Here are some of our best tips for our PKL Recruitment working parents on how to prepare for school holidays and perfect the balancing act: 

• Plan ahead – consider your children’s interests and start planning holiday day camps or clubs. These are a great way to keep the kids entertained while you are at work 
• Ask for help – grandparents, family members and even neighbours and friends are often delighted to help out and spend quality time with your children, even if it is 1 or 2 days per week 
• Take a day off or seek flexible work arrangements – if you are unable to take the entire holiday period off, schedule annual leave days during school holidays, or work from home if possible, so you can relax with your children and ensure that they get to spend some time with you.

There are many more options out there to help working parents perfect their balancing act when it comes to school holidays. We would love to hear what our readers do during school holidays with their children! 

PKL Recruitment specialises in permanent and temporary recruitment for business administration and office support positions across a wide variety of industries. We can help you find a job flexible enough to suit your family and career aspirations. 

Survival Of The Fittest – Adapt Or Be Left Behind

The changing face of recruitment.

Print media has been declining for more than 10 years, and many would argue that the industry is dead. The traditional print media revenue drivers such as classifieds, real estate, motor vehicles and recruitment have now all but migrated online with dedicated general and specialist websites.

 Against this rapidly changing media landscape, it is surprising that, according to Changeboard, 36.3% of recruiters continue to publish advertisements in print media, while only 4% of candidates use print media when searching for roles. 

The financial cost in terms of wasted advertising dollars is huge, although the biggest cost is opportunity cost as recruiters and organisations fail to connect with candidates while they are in the active job searching phase. 

So what does this mean for recruiters and organisations wanting to tap into a digitally connected candidate pool? 

• Organisations must have a strong online and social media presence to position their brand favourably with prospective candidates
• There must be organisational buy-in and engagement at all levels to adopt a digitally focused strategy
• When choosing a recruitment partner, it is essential the recruitment company and their consultants are digitally savvy and understand the value of online marketing

A recent survey of top search terms also uncovered some surprising results. While candidates are happy to search and apply for jobs online, they still need lots of assistance in basic resume preparation and interview skills. For example, did you know that ‘how to write a resume’ and ‘how to write a cover letter’ were two of the Top 10 ‘How to’ Google Searches in Australia?

This creates an incredible opportunity for forward-thinking recruitment firms to engage with candidates while they are in the research and preparation phase of changing roles. By helping the candidates with simple tips and tools to manage their career, the recruiter plays a valuable role in identifying emerging talent and being able to match that talent with the needs of their clients – the employers.

Apart from the demise of print media, what are some of the other impacts of technology on the recruitment market? 

Social Media

Leading recruiters are using social media to improve candidate experience and widen the talent pool of potential candidates. Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn provide recruiters with a platform to connect with potential candidates early and direct them to suitable roles online much more quickly than with print media. Online screening and other developments mean the identification and selection of talent can happen more quickly, meaning faster recruitment times.

Mobile

More than half of total ‘digital time’ is spent on a smart device – smartphone or tablet. Candidates can now view and apply for positions from almost anywhere. Recruiters must ensure that their website, job advertisements and career pages are mobile friendly. 

Are you prepared to adapt to technology and take advantage of the future of recruitment? 

PKL Recruitment specialises in business support and administration recruitment for temporary, causal and permanent positions. We can help you succeed in finding the right candidate for your organisation. Visit www.pkl.com.au for more information on how you can use technology as your secret weapon to win the talent war.