Everyone has networks, but not everyone has networking in their job marketing plan. This is a well-proven strategy to assist job seekers source work.

So many jobs are found through word of mouth and many say “it’s who you know”.  Who do you know in your networks that are in positions of power or even people who know other influential people?  Are you maintaining contact with your networks? Do they know you are seeking work?

Don’t forget that small business is a BIG employer and many don’t have very sophisticated recruitment processes, even though they have very profitable businesses. Sometimes they may ask  current employees to refer “someone they know” for one or more of their vacant positions. If you have not connected with your circle, how will they know to mention your name?

In this Blog I am only discussing the face to face encounter. Social Media is a whole other chapter! However, it is vital that all your marketing is congruent, ie. your image on FB should reflect your professionalism too!

In summary, use each  encounter/ event/seminar/introduction to showcase your professionalism, your commitment to your industry of choice, your positive personality and most of all your advanced communication skills. When “working a room” – (more on this great tactic in another blog- shish so many interesting angles  to this topic!) make sure you ask questions and don’t monopolise a conversation – yep.. it’s 10% talk and 90% listen rule that applies at business and social functions. Keep your business card handy and collect ones from others. Follow up with a nice to meet you email. You want to be remembered and remembered for all the great things!

Just like meeting the Fockers for the first time – every meeting is a chance to impress!

Ivana Agapiou

Eather Recruitment Pty Ltd

The post Networking is Working and working often appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

… at first glance it looks like a shark..

Are you being be 100% authentic? It’s difficult to fake… unless your a sociopath…

At some time we have all heard or experienced how some people act differently at work then  how the behave at home or in social settings.  Sometimes, even new employees once they have passed probation period, can appear to be a quite different person from the personality you met at initial interview! Why is this so?

Understandably there are a variety of complex reasons why someone would react and behave differently at work then at play. Firstly, there are pressures from work commitments, time lines, peers, policies, and company / business culture that will affect the way we behave.

Recent research within the banking industry has shown that there have often been cases of fraud, which have led to a considerable loss of image for banks. Are bank employees by nature less honest people? Or does the business culture in the banking sector favor dishonest behavior? New findings indicate that the business culture in the banking sector implicitly favors dishonest behavior.

Sometimes, it could be the reverse and we can be really nice at work but a nightmare at home!  If you are feeling a little “out of alignment” with your true self… it’s time to pause and reflect..  ask yourself a few questions: like .. Is what you are doing now either at work or at home, beneficial to all concerned? Is it the truth? Does it add-value to your life and the life of others? Is it congruent with the image you want to portray? Is what you are doing meet community and business standards?

Most of all – Is the job you are in, the best fit for you?

if you are seeking more research data and information? go to

http://www.nature.com/news/banking-culture-primes-people-to-cheat-1.16380

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141119132524.htm

Ivana Agapiou resume writer and career advisor

The post Aligning your professional image with the real you – be authentic appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Are you in recruitment mode and seeking workers for your business?   Here are 5 easy tips that may help attract, recruit, and maintain happy workers………….

Market and promote a strong brand image

Good marketing not only applies to attracting clients. Applicants want to work for “employers of choice”. Ensure you project the most professional image you can in all your media choices,  like websites, social media and events.

Create a warm and positive work culture

If you maintain a good work environment and you won’t have to look hard for new team members.  No one will want to leave! Developing a reputation as a great employer helps position you as the ideal workplace. Companies known as quality work places often spend less money and time on recruiting because people are waiting or vacant positions there. Word of mouth works really well as your team talk to peers in other workplaces about what a great boss you are and what a great place they work for!

Demonstrate community engagement

Get involved in your community. Sponsor and participate in events that get you out into the public and in front of prospective employees. Take on some public speaking engagements that present you as an expert and leader in your field. Start a blog and include comments about why your firm has the best people and show you really are proud of them.  Your reputation will spread and your current employees will love you even more.

Utilise Employment and Recruitment Agencies

Professional recruiters know just what to look for when sourcing the right staff for you. If you are a small to medium firm, a good recruiter can attract and place candidates who might not normally consider your firm. For larger firms, recruitment agencies can often be the most cost effective way to find the ideal fit. As we all know, an unhappy misfit can destroy the culture of a business very quickly. Just one bad apple…….

Reward referrals

Use networks to help find new staff. If one of your contacts refers a candidate to you, some of  the work is done as the candidate already has been provided a positive impression of you. You may like to offer rewards to current staff for high quality referrals. In most cases, your staff will only recommend other people if they think they will fit-in and add value to the company.

If you would like some advice on how to find and keep the best staff for your business, why not call us for an obligation free chat. We’d love to help!

Ivana Agapiou
Eather Recruitment Pty Ltd

The post Looking for Workers? Great employees who will remain with you? read on… appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Whether you are a seasoned holiday maker who travels extensively, or someone who stays closer to home, we all get opportunities to witness a sneak peak into other lives; towns or people working in their own environments. Observing others, is more than just looking… it’s a valuable exercise – Just like reading a good book, travel should make you think; ponder; doubt; analyse… it should leave you with valuable memories that you can recall and use for your future. Yes, travel does expand the mind, but only if you let it!

Many travelers fast track visiting great, new  locations, with their “tick” list,  and run to the nearest tourist sites one after another, without really stopping and fully experiencing the culture and the people of that area.

One of the main benefits of travel is relating to others and using empathy and understanding. Tolerance and acceptance of other cultures and lifestyles. Understanding the “big picture” of why certain things are done, as well as appreciating the day to day routine and traditions.

What a wonderful divers world we live in. It teaches us that we can all live in harmony, if only we took the time to understand first!

Want to develop your interpersonal & communication skills? Want to increase your confidence? Want to engage in meaningful conversations and remain curious? These are mandatory core competencies in any job role… and what a great way to enhance your existing skills by travelling in our wonderful world!

Ivana Agapiou

General Manager

Eather Recruitment Pty Ltd

The post Experiences that enhance our jobs and future prospects appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Is there a difference between a Metro and multi national recruiter and a Regionally based one?

Yes, there is. As a  regionally based recruiter, and not metro-based or Sydney-centric means that we do not have the metro-mind set. What does that mean for you?  It means we possess strong country values, built on trust, respect and honesty – we are bound to meet you down the street, we live and work in the same town. We know what it is like to do business in this region and  it means we appreciate your business and want to remain of value to you for the long term, not just for the duration of the contract!

We are personally connected to many people within and throughout several communities. The 6% of separation is really only 2% – the people we meet at the supermarket and after work, or the people whose children attend the same schools, These are the same people we want to have in our lives.

We value our reputation and by performing at a consistent high levels, we can proudly add-value to our communities.

Ivana Agapiou
Eather Recruitment Pty Ltd

The post Regional Recruitment Agency appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

You may have said “Good staff are hard to find” or heard others say it…

Often employers ask us “Why is the person I interviewed and selected to join my organisation,  turn out to be different at the end of 3 month’s probation?”

For the purposes of this blog, let’s fast-track to the interview process as this is usually where the final selection is made.  (I will post more information on resume confirmation and referee checks at a later stage)

There are 5 simple MUST DO for a selection  interview

1) Listen 80% and talk 20% of the time!

2) Be 100% there and have absolutely NO distractions or interruptions

3) Ask high order questions – treat Google as your friend…. search for the 10 best interview questions and you will be surprised what appears. Select ones that suit you and your business/role

4) Intuition counts! listen, feel and observe… any red flags, that is, concerns, doubts or queries… then ask more questions, for example, if applicant responded to “why do you want to work for us?” with … “it’s so handy to my home” – follow up immediately with another probing question “Is being handy to home a priority for you?”

5) Have another observer at the interview.  They can help you by gauging reactions and providing a second opinion.

Finally, dont forget your own experiences at job interviews, most applicants are nervous.  However, there are some applicants we call  “serial interviewees” who can act slick and polished and provide all the classic responses… watch out for the “charm” factor!

So you dont want to  raise the anxiety levels for your potential employee, you will get to know them better if you are more relaxed in style, but still manage to ask the right questions and make better, more informed decisions.  Only then will you hear happy customers ask you ” How did you find such good staff?”

Ivana Agapiou
Eather Recruitment and Labour Hire

The post Good staff are hard to find? appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

If you are like the majority of Managers, providing feedback, often to reduce or eliminate negative behaviours can appear as an overwhelming task. Many of us have trepidations and palpitations! How do you provide feedback that will strengthen your staff’s good points and highlight areas for development is such a way that they actually modify their behaviour and become better employess?

Tough call! however, this is a highly valuable skill that can not only improve your communication capital, but also help your employee/s to address areas of concern.  So how do you commence the “tough conversation”?

Here are some 6 simple tips to start …

1) be courageous ! don’t pike out on your management responsibilities!! .. talk early and talk often! as soon as you witness any dysfunction or mistake, address it immediately! dont let it fester or assume it wont happen again!

2) set up regular, one on one meetings, find out how your employees are going in their job and their lives… build a strong, firm but friendly climate so that they feel comfortable coming to you with any issues

3) Recognise the good and reward them! this can be a simple reward – but ensure you are genuine and sincere with your praise

4) treat all your staff with equal compassion and time

5) research the best methods to provide feedback – you can utilise a number of them! one in particular is the CRC method – Compliment or Commendation, Recommend and then leave them on a high note with a lasting Commendation.  Some may know this also the “sandwich method”. It is a simple skeleton to follow, and there is so much literature and information available for managers…. use a method that works for you!

6) lastly, follow up!!! dont leave this without further action and review – set up another meeting to see how things are tracking and set definite, specific improvement plans, for example,  “answer phone after 3 rings” or ” arrive to work on time”… monitor the behaviour and stomp on poor behaviour immediately as well as thank them if their behaviour has improved!

These conversations MUST occurr or you will find that assumptions will take over and when you do actually have the serious conversation it is way too late!

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://www.eatherrecruitment.com.au/about-us/our-team/[/author_image] [author_info]Ivana Agapiou General Manager Eather Recruitment Pty Ltd[/author_info] [/author]

The post Don’t be afraid of tough conversations! appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

It’s called Informal recognition and here are a few basic, simple ways to reward & recognise staff with little, or, NO financial costs, yep, nothing! Most of the time it’s just good manners and common courtesy!

…. I’m sure you could add many more to the list!

1. Greet and meet – say good morning each day
2. Enquire about their welfare, family and hobbies, know what is happening in their lives and take a genuine interest
3. Remember their names of spouses/partners/children/pets
4. Thank him or her for a job well done.
5. When discussing an employee’s or a group’s ideas with other people, peers, or higher management, make sure you give credit where it is due.
6. Acknowledge individual achievements by using people’s names when preparing status reports, and copy them in on relevant emails.
7. Ask five people in your department or company to go up to the person sometime during the day and say “(Your name) asked me to thank you for (the task or achievement). Good job!”
8. Write five or more Post-it notes thanking the person for a job well done
9. Have lunch or coffee with an employee or a group of employees you don’t normally see.
10. Make a thank you card by hand.
11. Remember their birthdays and especially their work anniversary with a simple card expressing your thanks
12. Commence a “celebration calendar” of recognition tacked onto specific dates to honour contributions made by team members.
13. Write a personal letter of thanks to the employee
14. Implement” humorous” trophy that is passed among team members based on “inside” criteria

Most of your employees want to feel valued and important. What other ways can you find to maintain their loyalty that is not going to cost you any money?

Ivana Agapiou

Eather Recruitment Pty Ltd

The post Staff and Worker Rewards that are FREE appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Do you portray authenticity? what is your personal brand?

what are you doing to enhance or even align with the image you want to project?  Your Job  and career prospects may depend upon this!

Due to the massive growth in social media – The lines between personal, professional, public and private business is becoming more blurred….who you are; what your business values are; how you behave and communicate is now so visible and so accessible to so many.

A ‘personal brand’ is in many ways synonymous with your reputation. It refers to the way other people see you. Are you a genius? An expert? Are you trustworthy? What do you represent? What do you stand for? What words pop up as soon as someone hears your name? What is your “tag line”? and is this Tag line congruent with your business message?

If you’ve been around for a while you’ve probably already developed a personal brand. People recognize your name, what you’re working on, what you offer and what you’re about. That being said, your personal brand might be a little weak and disjointed. If you’d like to make it stronger you do need to explore your life purpose/ principles/ and perceptions others may have as well as how you see yourself.

Here are some FUN, sometime deep but fruitful questions for you to help identify your image bran… like

If I was a car, I would be a

Because

If I was an animal, I would be

Because

Words I believe other people currently use to describe me are

Three main or key themes, of my personal identity are

Draw a suitable logo that depicts your identity

My life purpose…

My key principles that drive my life purpose are….

Perception – what are the key descriptors for my personal branding?

How can I promote my personal brand image?

Internal – some words that I use to describe myself

What I will place in my epitaph? How would you like to be remembered?

My unique personality leads me to consider the following colour/s

Ivana Agapiou

Eather Recruitment

The post Private Vs Public image – are you authentic in your job? appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

The term “ethics” comes from the Greek work ‘ethikos” which describes the authority of custom/tradition and a form of common law.

Much more complex than a straight right or wrong, in fact 50 shades of grey for many of us!

It may help to think of the people around you as an ethical compass guide. Before you act or react to what others say or do, consider the following self-analysis …

• If the media published what I did /said, would it reflect the community’s feelings also?
• What would my family and friends think of my decision?
• What would others within my profession think of me?
• What would my peers and my manager think?

I’m not talking about peer pressure and/or taking advice from unethical people. Just because people are educated or your friends does not mean that they may be the best to consult.  Qualifications alone do not mean that people will act professionally or ethically. Honesty, fair play, and correctly representing yourself is still most important. Congruence with a professional image is vital. Professionals dress and act appropriately; they respect other’s differences; they are fair and honest in business dealings; and abide by legal, industry and workplace standards.

Ivana Agapiou
Career and outplacement

The post Ethics are important in any job – do you have an Ethical Compass? – 50 shades of right. appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Temporary labour hire contractors

Labour Hire workers are often in demand across all industries. Eather Recruitment and Labour Hire has extensive experience providing on-call and on-demand temporary workers. Examples of these are when businesses are experiencing unusual busy phases; seasonal work; end of financial year challenges; unexpected sick leave or staff absences and /or a new project. These placements can be for one day or several weeks and the contracts are often open-ended.

Sometimes this is a great way to enter an organisation as well as a fruitful way for the business to experience the new worker’s abilities. Many times the contractor successfully obtains a permanent role with the company!

Temporary casuals include both blue and white collar workers. Other examples of supply: conference staffing when workers are required for the duration of the event; maternity leave; back filling whilst permanent employees on leave or/on staff training. At the conclusion of each working week a timesheet is completed by Temporary/Casual employee, which requires authorisation and  signature from the employer or supervisor.

Our experienced consultants provide both employers and workers the best possible solution for their recruitment needs within diverse industries including (but not restricted to) building and construction; industrial; mining and road works. Eather Recruitment and Labour Hire specialise in both permanent recruitment and temporary labour hire contractors, from a junior level through to your most senior positions. We service both large multi-national and small boutique firms throughout regional NSW.

Ivana Agapiou

The post What is Labour Hire contracting? appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Job Interview the 4 areas that Employers look for in a new recruit

Employers traditionally recruit with the following  4 things in mind…

1. Personality: Would this person fit in with the business culture and get along with all stakeholders?
2. Aptitude: Would this person be able to perform the role and do tasks with competence and the right attitude?
3. Experience: Does this person have the skills and knowledge to be able to hit the ground running, or at least get up to speed quickly?
4. Affordability: Will this person be happy with our pay and benefits? Can we afford to place them?

In summary, Can they do the job? Will they do the job and ,,Will they “fit in”

The post Job Discrimination or just the way it is?? appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

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Employers looking for staff and frustrated with the process? Regardless of your industry or role, finding great staff is the key to building your business and your profit potential. The real challenge in Regional NSW is attracting and retaining great staff. Certainly in areas such as Port Macquarie with limited tertiary education facilities, many of our Gen X & Y’s are leaving for the larger cities where their career opportunities may increase. Many of these young people, find that in small towns, jobs have limited career progression, so unless they are prepared to “settle” for less salary and less diversity and progression, there is little to no career development opportunities. There will be other potential applicants who come with a wealth of experiences and it is up to you to see if these skills and experiences will transfer to the position you want filled.

If you are currently seeking staff, here is a quick checklist of must do’s

• make sure you really need the role filled (some roles can merge or perhaps dont require replacement)
• conduct a thorough job analysis
• prepare a clear, simple job description
• ensure you have the salary sorted prior to recruitment
• decide if you will recruit yourself, or if you need to contact an agency
• have a good idea when you want the person to commence
• prepare a good orientation or induction plan
• provide a training plan that includes some mentoring, particularly in the first 3 months (or probationary period)

Once you have this new recruit, there are thousands of ways to retain and reward… many of which are FREE!

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://www.eatherrecruitment.com.au/about-us/our-team/[/author_image] [author_info] Eather Recruitment [/author_info] [/author]

The post Seeking staff for jobs in Regional NSW? appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Eather Recruitment Pty Ltd has been established for a number of years, established to specifically service the needs of Regional NSW.   With offices and personnel located in Mudgee and Port Macquarie, we can be close by and ready to assist.

This clear, strategic positioning of our services is to assist Regional councils and businesses with recruitment needs as we understand the challenges and the difficulties of living and working away from the centralised areas.  Our years of extensive experience with bulk recruitment and with providing staffing needs to diverse industries and job roles from Executives to blue collar labourers places us as experts in our field.

Our prices are lower than Metro suppliers; our service is more personalised and timely due to our locations and experienced staff!

So use your regional businesses…. The money is made and stays within the Region!

Need help with recruitment – call us now on 02 65838222

Ivana Agapiou

Eather Recruitment Pty Ltd

The post Recruitment and Employment in Regional NSW appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

I’m sure you have all heard the saying “if you want to work, then there’s work out there for you“?  Do you agree with this statement? I think it’s easier said than done!… easy to say, but a little more complexity than just being determined! Finding a job requires skills as well as determination! It requires an updated,  relevant resume along with specific marketing and promotional ability.

Each day we receive calls from job seekers who tell us that they will” do anything” and yet when an “anything” job presents, they often have an excuse as to why they can not perform that role.  The most important thing is to be 100% sure of what you can do and what you are “willing” to do, for example, I can clean homes, but I don’t want to do this for a living – unless I’m homeless and desperate that is…and then who will employ me based on my desperation and not my skills-set and experience? tough call!

Our advice is firstly, to seek advice! consult with the recruitment professionals and with potential employers. Ask them what jobs are in demand, in fact, ask a lot of questions… and don’t forget to ask yourself this dream question ” If you could have any job you wanted, and there were no barriers, what would that job look and feel like”

Your response will be an indication of what you really want.. and then you can set a plan and goals to achieve this! Life and work is not meant to be a prison…

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://www.eatherrecruitment.com.au/about-us/our-team/[/author_image] [author_info]Ivana Agapiou  Eather Recruitment [/author_info] [/author]

https://www.eatherrecruitment.com.au/about-us/our-team/

The post Jobs, jobs and more jobs appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Would you host an event like a wedding or dinner party, without first considering the following?

1. Careful selection of the guests to be invited
2. Thoughtful invitations that outline the 5 masters – what/when/where/who and how
3. Start and end times and some basic safety and comfort information
4. Facilitate a warm welcome and introduce them to other guests and VIP’s
5. Check on your guests through the party and then regularly follow up
6. Evaluation of value for expenditure

So why do so many organisations not plan and implement a simple induction process that can forge a positive and lasting impression of them and their company?  We spend valuable time and money sourcing and selecting new recruits and then often forget to organise a proper orientation for them to our business. The test of a great company is the way it treats its new employees! Just like organising an event where you would like your guests to feel welcomed and embraced, we need to consider how outsiders can be inducted more effectively. I’m sure some of us have experienced the “baptism of fire” induction that left us scarred and marred for life!

Need help organising and structuring a simple and effective  induction program? Give Eather Recruitment a call!

Ivana Agapiou
Eather Recruitment

The post Inductions are not just good business etiquette, they help retain loyal staff! appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

The Recruitment Agency Expo is a trade event that is dedicated entirely to the recruitment industry, providing an excellent showcase to promote your products and services to your target market.

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Last week the fall in the unemployment rate brought some good economic news but, as always seems to be the case, it was tempered by the quarterly vacancy figures which shows life is pretty tough out there now for those looking for work – indeed as tough as it has been for more than a decade.

The labour force figures released last Thursday by the Bureau of Statistics showed that the unemployment rate was steady at 6.2% in trend terms but had unexpectedly fallen in the more volatile seasonally adjusted measure to 6.1%.

The fall in the seasonally adjusted measure was a surprise to financial traders who had been expecting a higher rate, one that would make it more likely for the RBA to cut interest rates next month. This set currency exchange dealers into a frenzy, sending the value of the Australian dollar to rise to around half a cent in under a minute.

Because the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is prone to jumping up and down a bit from month to month, the ABS says you should treat such monthly movements “with caution”. And given the drop in December was the biggest monthly change in almost two years, it is better to wait for a month or two to see if it was just a bit of statistical noise or the corner being turned.

Moreover while a fall in the unemployment rate is to be welcomed, the reality is it is currently harder to get a job than any time in the past decade – even harder than during the global financial crisis.

Last week the ABS also released its quarterly job vacancy figures. These showed a slight increase in the number of vacancies from August to November, and a 6.7% increase in vacancies in the past 12 months. While this would seems good news, the number of jobs available remains well below what is required to cause the unemployment rate to fall.

The latest figures meant that the job vacancy rate – which is the number of vacancies as a percentage of the labour force – rose to 1.21%, up from the low of 1.15% in November 2013.

This is a good thing: as a rule, the higher the vacancy rate, the lower the unemployment rate. The relationship between the two is known as the Beveridge Curve. Data over the past 20 years suggests that with a job vacancy rate of 1.21% you would expect the unemployment rate to be around 6.2% to 6.3% – what it was in November.

However to get the unemployment rate down to 5.8% we would need a job vacancy rate of around 1.28% – or about an extra 10,000 more job vacancies than there was in November.

The current difficulty for those looking for work is highlighted when we look at the number of unemployed per vacancy. On this score, things in November got worse – going from 5.12 unemployed for each job vacancy to 5.17.

The increase was not universal across the states, driven mostly by Western Australia and Queensland – reflecting again the difficulties of the end of the investment phase of the mining boom.

According to the ABS, Western Australia still remains the easiest place to get a job, but the situation there has deteriorated very quickly. In the middle of 2012 there were just a mere 1.55 unemployed for each vacancy; a year ago this had risen to 2.5; now there are on average 3.55 unemployed fighting over each vacancy in the state.

Fellow mining state, Queensland, has also seen the situation worsen – from 5.3 unemployed per vacancy at the end of 2013 to now to just on 6.

But while those two states have become worse, the fight for jobs on the mainland remains toughest in Victoria and South Australia with both states having 6.9 unemployed per vacancy. In Tasmania it is an extraordinarily tough 8.5 for each vacancy.

Despite their poor situations, the fight for jobs is actually easier now in South Australia and Tasmania, than it was a year ago. But in South Australia’s case it can partly be explained through a decline in its participation rate – people have in effect found the fight to get a job so hard they have given up and are no longer actively looking for work.

The Department of Employment’s monthly vacancy report shows that, of the job vacancies in November, a quarter were for professionals and 13% for managers. This is actually higher than the proportion of the managers and professionals in the total workforce, so it is a good time to be looking for work right now in that area.

Would-be labourers, technicians and trade workers or machinery operators and drivers, however, will find the going rather tougher. While they account for 31% of all currently employed, they only accounted for 25% of all job vacancies in November. This would suggest that opportunities for work in such occupations are not growing and that in the future there will likely be fewer such jobs than there is now.

The Department of Employment’s leading indicator of employment fell in January, making it 12 consecutive months without a rise – the longest such run since 2003. The department suggests that this “indicates that employment growth is likely to be below its long-term trend growth rate of 1.2% in coming months”.

So the fight for jobs looks set to continue and despite a nice improvement in some measures of the unemployment rate, it doesn’t look to be getting easier anytime soon.

– See more at: http://www.staffingindustry.com/row/Research-Publications/Daily-News/Australia-Fight-for-jobs-continues-32832#sthash.3wqZ7tAk.dpuf

Source – http://www.staffingindustry.com/row/Research-Publications/Daily-News/Australia-Fight-for-jobs-continues-32832

Ivana Agapiou Career and outplacement Advisor

The post Employment – jobs – statistics appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Staffing industry analysis ..What are your thoughts?

A new temporary-entry permit proposed by Australia’s Department of Immigration that would allow overseas workers to stay in the country for a year without a skilled temporary 457 visa will create “open slather” on the Australian labour market. At a time it faces growing unemployment, unions warn, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has reviewed skilled migration and last month it quietly released its recommendations to relax entry requirements for short-term foreign workers.

The change would mean overseas workers would not have to apply for a 457 working visa, which imposes stricter entry requirements; including English language tests.

Michael O’Connor, National Secretary of the Construction, Forestry and Forest Products, Mining, and Energy Production Union (CFMEU), warned that proposals to abolish the requirement for language and skills tests for temporary overseas workers will worsen unemployment levels in Australia.

The proposals would mean employers no longer have to demonstrate they had first tried to fill job vacancies with Australian workers before offering them to people overseas.

“It is absolute madness in the current environment, with unemployment at a 10-year high, to be removing even more opportunities for people to gain access to the workforce. The impact on young people will be particularly harsh. Youth unemployment is at crisis levels, yet the majority of 457 visa approvals are for people under 30,” Mr O’Connor said.

He added that one-in-five workers on 457 visas already was being paid below-standard wages: “The 457 visa program needs to have requirements strengthened in the current economic climate, not relaxed.”

Ged Kearney, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), suggested that the proposed relaxation of requirements for temporary-entry visas would undermine Australian wages and conditions: “We find it absolutely extraordinary that the government’s panel has made a recommendation to just have open slather on the labour market,” he said.

Opposition spokesman for Immigration and Border Protection, Richard Marles, said the Labour Party was “deeply concerned” about any proposal to remove labour market testing or English language requirements for temporary skilled migrants.

A spokesman for the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Michaelia Cash, said the Coalition government fully supported the principle that Australian workers have priority for domestic job opportunities.

“Contrary to union claims, an effectively managed temporary labour migration program will not threaten Australian jobs.  Rather, it will secure the future of businesses and grow employment opportunities to enable businesses to employ more Australians,” the spokesman stated.

“An effectively managed skilled migration program is essential in supporting employers in industries and regions experiencing skill shortages.  It is essential in restoring growth in the economy.  It is essential in lifting our productivity,” he added.

Submissions to the skilled migration review will close at the end of this month before the federal government responds.

Director of Employment of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jenny Lambert, said all stakeholders, including unions, needed to recognise that opportunities for Australians are enhanced by a strong economy that is globally competitive.  She said the Department of Immigration proposal referred to highly specialised skills.

“Access to these skills can only benefit the skills development of the Australian workforce as evidence shows that such arrangements allow for the transfer of skills to Australians,” Ms Lambert said.

“Part of being globally competitive is recognising that the labour force is increasingly global and strong international companies will be attracted here through effective regulatory environments that allow them to operate seamlessly.

“A balanced and reasonable approach to skilled migration policy, preferably with bipartisan support, is good for Australia, and most importantly good for Australian jobs and the economy. Let this be the starting point for a rational discussion,” she concluded.

– See more at: http://www.staffingindustry.com/row/Research-Publications/Daily-News/Australia-Proposal-to-allow-temporary-overseas-workers-to-work-without-457-visa-criticised-32712#sthash.MS7Eqq4n.dpuf

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