The way we do business in Cairns has certainly changed over the past 30 years. At CBC, we have seen the local business world undergo a transformation, the most dramatic of which is the impact technology has made (and continues to make). The pace at which business moves is faster than ever, with technology delivering efficiencies in areas such as human resources practices and methodologies.

Sally Mlikota, Director of CBC Staff Selection has seen it all so we thought we would pick her brains to find out just how much things have changed, and what this means for those entering the workforce.

Our multi-skilled workforce

‘’People today tend to be multiskilled in comparison to when they were employed solely as say an accountant or an administrator. With younger generations growing up in the digital age, they have more skills at their fingertips and can often bring these to companies, which means their role expands beyond what it would have been traditionally.

It is important to keep in mind that we don’t have jobs for life these days – people move around more. They also have different expectations when finding a job in terms of what a potential employer provides. For example, research has shown that people place more value on purpose and satisfaction compared to traditional values like status and salary’’.

Recruitment trends in Cairns

Trends come and go in all aspects of life, so it will come as no surprise to learn that for recruitment, this is also cyclical. During times of commercial confidence in Cairns, business owners are more likely to make permanent recruitment decisions, but when there is instability and lower confidence, hiring tends to be on a more temporary basis.

‘’Before the Global Financial Crisis in 2007, businesses and government departments didn’t think twice about hiring temporary staff to cover roles or for projects but since then, belts have been tightened and hiring decisions are scrutinised more closely than ever before.

There are also more predictable trends of course. As a general guide, the demand for temporary staff for example, rises from Easter through to early December, but then stagnates during mid-December to Easter for professional and administration staff. For retail and hospitality vacancies, there is a spike in demand over the Christmas break, then again over the Easter break’’.

Technology and recruitment

Given the technological shift and with more hiring options at the fingertips of businesses, it would be natural to assume that the role of a recruitment agency is redundant but the longevity and indeed, growth of CBC, suggests otherwise.

‘’When websites such as Seek and Indeed, became accessible, some businesses chose to drive their recruitment directly, whereas others have found the plethora of options overwhelming, and continued to outsource their recruitment.

Working with a recruitment consultancy has many advantages that an internal Human Resources team may not have access to. For example, recruitment consultants only recruit, so that is their speciality. They are always sourcing candidates, or at least know where to look for them, and have strong networks to link into.

Quality candidates are often more comfortable dealing with a third party than directly with an employer. This can be for reasons of confidentiality as well as mentoring, guidance, and anonymity throughout the process.

Some businesses and government departments don’t want the market to know they are looking to grow their team so by outsourcing, they can save time and money on advertising, testing, pre-screening, interviewing and reference checking. An agency can do all of this for you, leaving you to focus on running your business.

At CBC, we are used to handling negotiations which may be sensitive and provide mediation between the client and the candidate. Sometimes the process can be quite lengthy, so an added benefit of working with an agency, is that a temporary solution can be found to minimise downtime and lack of productivity until a decision has been made’’.

How CBC can help maximise recruitment success

For some businesses, outsourcing some (or all) of their recruitment is something that may be cost-prohibitive. Others who don’t have a Human Resources team, understand the time needed to invest in undertaking recruitment successfully. These leaders and owners prefer to use an agency as there are always guarantee periods, which can relieve the pressure financially and offer security in case for some reason, things don’t work out as they hoped and the new staff member leaves.

Sally’s top recruitment tips:

Recruit in a reactive way, initially you should conduct a culture health check:

• Check in with the team to see what the reality vs. perception of your culture is
• Conduct exit interviews with anyone who leaves
• If you suffer a high turnover, engage a Work Culture specialist to dig deeper.

Introduce a strategic, not reactionary recruitment strategy:

• Review the job description, and ensure it is clear, concise and comprehensive as well as accurately reflecting the role
• Conduct a formal interview process with several people in your business involved. This insures you achieve the best fit for your business and enables a more constructive method for reference checking
• Add science by using a psychometric testing tool.

Communicate, communicate, communicate:

• Provide a strong formal induction when your new staff member joins the team
• During probation, conduct weekly check ins, clarify their role and take them through their successes and areas for improvement
• Continue to communicate throughout an employee’s time with you. Communicate by listening, not talking.

To find out more about how we can help with your recruitment needs, contact us today reception@cbcstaff.com.au