HR
Employee engagement is a key theme for many SMEs as they struggle to attract and maintain talent in the highly competitive employment market. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workforce report, only 13% of employees worldwide are engaged at work and in Australia only 24% of workers are engaged. Employee engagement isn’t the same […]
Ever wondered what makes a strong company, strong? You’re not alone. For years, unsuccessful brands have been chasing the “secret formula” used by Apple, Amazon, Zappos, and others. Here’s what separates the good from the mediocre. Market And Customer Impact Brands that are wildly successful “wow” their customers. They don’t just make them happy or […]
Graduates are unable to find jobs that make use of their qualifications but employers are struggling to find the right talent. Solutions to this mismatch, including a shift away from the ‘disciplinary silo’ mindset, were discussed at a recent panel event hosted by Indeed, the world’s largest job site. The panel, ‘Tapping into Australia’s high potential workforce’, was held at […]
An efficient employee referral program can save on recruitment fees and time spent hiring new staff. This can have a significant impact on a business’s bottom line. It can cost up to $20,000 in fees and take hours to hire one staff member through a recruitment firm versus hiring someone via employee referral programs.[1] Employee […]
The end of financial year can be a hectic time, particularly for SME business. With books, budgets and tax time on the mind, it’s easy for business owners to cast recruitment plans aside to focus on other aspects of the business. The truth is that end of financial year extends well beyond inventory and overheads, and is […]
The Turnbull government has been cautious in making changes to parental leave. The previous Abbott government had a generous package in planning, but that was shelved, and with Turnbull at the helm, the LNP has put on hold further proposed changes to the parental leave scheme that were aimed to address “double dipping,” where […]
In the last ten or so years, internships have boomed in Australia – perhaps following the example set in America where young people routinely work for free to make themselves more employable. Back home, internships have certainly become commonplace, and with good reason. Why not take advantage of free labour if it’s on offer? The […]
Do you struggle to retain talented people with your business? Do people learn and grow with the needs of your business? How well are you creating career pathways and engaging your team? The opportunity to be a part of a thriving organisation and do meaningful work is important to most career minded people. Talented and […]
Today is the international day to celebrate workers – a day created in 127 years ago in the Netherlands to rally workers in support of 8-hour work days. Traditionally workers across the globe take to the streets in the call for better wages and job conditions. While May day celebrations, or Labour Day, are a […]
The definition of a small business has been further clarified in legal terms in a decision by Fair Work Australia that could have ramifications for small business owners across the country. The South African owners of a Perth-based garden statue business, Gardens of Italy, were taken to the Fair Work Commission over the alleged unfair […]
If you ask people who have their own business if they love it, many will tell you that they have a love/hate relationship. They might love what they do in terms of the product or service that they deliver but they don’t love the bits and pieces that they need to do in order to […]
Focus can be a tough gig for anyone. Even the most experienced CEOs will tell you that they have not always had the laser focus skills that they possess now. What I’ve learned is that focus is a skill that is honed over a long period of time. I have also learned that even though […]
With the unemployment rate hovering around the 6% mark, it’s clear that there are candidates out there, actively looking for work. But speak to any hiring manager out there and they’ll tell a different story – that good people are hard to find, and the skills shortage we’ve been hearing about for years is a […]
“Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.” Sam Ewig Running a business for over 20 years provides a wide ranging perspective on hiring, firing and the movement of people. We’ve seen all levels of skill, experience and commitment; […]
When you imagine a construction worker, would you think of that person as male or female? It’s perhaps not necessary to state the assumed response to that question because we have been educated to pigeonhole men and women in particular industries. As a result, women are largely underrepresented across a number of industries in the […]
If you practice what you preach, you’re more likely to gain credibility as a business leader – whether that be with your staff or customers. After all – would you take fitness advice from a personal trainer who smokes; or would you take driving lessons from an instructor who has a string of driving offences? […]
As the owner of an SME, it’s more important than ever in this rapidly-changing business environment to get flexible working schemes right. Compared to ten, or even five years ago, employees are now looking for more of a balance between their personal and work lives. This can be a great thing as flexible working arrangements […]
Leadership is the ability to direct, create, inspire and influence. It requires flexibility; leaders must roll with the punches, be open to change and continuously look for opportunities to move forward. Most importantly, leadership is about motivation. It is about growing others while they work with you towards a common goal. Great leaders have specific […]
Australia is lagging behind in the innovation stakes, ranking 17th for 2 years running in the Global Innovation Index 2015. We are being overtaken by the likes of New Zealand and even smaller markets like Luxembourg amongst a range of criteria, such as business sophistication, infrastructure, human capital and research and creative outputs, amongst others. […]
Flexibility. To many business owners this may sound like a swear word. The prospect of having employees who are not working in the office or not available during work hours on certain days could appear to be more of a hindrance than a help. But if entrepreneurs and small business owners want to attract and […]
