JUNE 2011 - Cameron Recruitment Newsletter

Welcome

As we prepare for the end of the financial year, the Australian economy has endured a mixed bag of fortune.

A surprise dive in company profits in the March quarter has resulted in negative economic growth. New-home sales growth remains sluggish, adding to the growing evidence of a lull in the property market. The economy continues to be affected by drains in consumer confidence and is still rebounding from the effects of the floods, cyclone and one of our key trading partners Japan's earthquake and tsunami.

Employment, including skills shortages, remains a primary focus for the government and the May budget. The Australian unemployment rate was steady at 4.9% in April and May. The ABS reported the number of people employed decreased by 22,100 people to 11,436,500 in April. The decrease in employment was driven by a decrease in full-time employment, down 57,200 in April. The ABS also reported labour force participation in April of 65.6 per cent, a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from March. A similar picture emerged for May - full time jobs shrank by 22,000.

Personally, in contrast, we have seen a marked improvement in the recruitment market in 2011. So we're hoping and expecting good results in June.

Yours Sincerely,
Diane Humphries, CPA
Director | Cameron Recruitment

The Federal Budget - it's all about the workforce

The federal government's return to Budget surplus in fiscal year 2012-13 is built on the health of the non-mining sectors of the economy to rapidly improve over the next two years. Treasurer Wayne Swan described his fourth federal budget, as a "jobs, jobs, jobs" strategy designed to create a "bigger and better workforce".

Much of the May announcement dealt with employment participation and how to get the unemployed back into work in a patchwork economy.

The government pledged pre-budget to create 500,000 new jobs and cut the unemployment rate from its current 4.9% level to just 4.5%.

Swan said the government's Building Australia's Future Workforce program was about getting "more people into work, and to train them for more rewarding jobs. So that national prosperity reaches more lives, in more corners, of our patchwork economy."

A new National Workforce and Productivity Agency, to cost $25million and replacing Skills Australia, will administer the fund and work with industry to identify areas of need from July 2012.

The Treasurer also announced a lift in skilled migration places for regional areas. A further 16,000 migrants will be shipped in, with new Enterprise Migration Agreements for large resource projects (with businesses expected to contribute to train workers).

The "very long-term unemployed" will be targeted with $133 million in support programs to co-ordinate training, Work for the Dole and other activity requirements. There are also wage subsidies for employers to take on workers who have been on income support for more than two years.

It will be interesting to see the outcome of this government intervention into a jobs market principally driven by self regulation and the forces of supply and demand.

Best places to work

Google is no longer the coolest place to work, with construction products company Hilti, marketing company Aegis and pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson Medical all named in the top ten best employers.

Hilti topped the list for Best Employers in Australia and New Zealand, researched by consultants Aon Hewitt. Other highly coveted employers include, beverages company Frucor, finance giant FlexiGroup and the InterContinental Hotels group.

The research found that the factors used to attract and retain talent, such as good relationships with co-workers, relationships with customers and work/life balance - have now become the baseline expectations for most of these organisations.

As unemployment drops, employees have become more confident and choosy in seeking new opportunities, and businesses are more willing to pay more and be more flexible to get talented staff, the report found.

The companies that hit the top ten had some common traits, senior executives were judged as more effective, and they prioritise their teams to ensure problems are solved effectively and are much clearer about how pay and rewards are structured.

The survey also found 67% of employees in the Best Employers list believe their company delivers on its promises it makes to staff, with 65% saying their leaders communicate and explain the vision of the company, compared to just 40% of workers in other industries.

The top employers are:

Hilti
Aegis
Boehringer Ingelheim Australia and New Zealand
Flexirent Capital
Frucor Beverages
InterContinental Hotels
Johnson & Johnson Medical
Merck Sorono
Millward Brown

Overqualified and over it

Human resources experts often warn against pursuing a job that you are overqualified for but as the employment market changes, both employees and recruiters are rethinking the concept.
Overqualified candidates can actually yield exceptional results for a company and recruiters are realising that simply disqualifying a candidate for being too experienced or too senior for a position may be doing the organization a disservice.

In the US and some parts of Europe, where the economy is still recovering from the GFC, employers have had to change their mindset towards overqualified candidates, as so much senior and very eligible talent is seeking work, particularly in the financial services sector.

Recent studies outlined in the Harvard Business Review, have shown that the risks of hiring someone who is overqualified are more perceived than actual and that overqualified employees actually outperform their colleagues.

Tips to bust the overqualified myth:

If you are an 'overqualified' job seeker here are some ways to debunk perceptions:

Clearly communicate your motivation to the recruiter for wanting the position.
While the recruiter may suggest that you should be holding out for a more suitable role, you may have specific reasons - such as lifestyle, health or career reorientation - for why the position suits you at this time.
Remember that your experience will save the company on training expenses. You can offer new insights about the position and potentially improve working practices.
Leadership and mentoring opportunities. While the role may be less well paid or a lower responsibility level, it allows you to act as a mentor to junior staff, but also push senior staff to achieve higher levels of performance.
Bringing new skills. Experienced staff can bring new service opportunities to clients or help improve working practices.
Remind the company that you are bringing new leads and an extensive contact base with you.

The key is to help the recruiter understand how transferable your skills are while also presenting a view of yourself that is in line with the goals of a prospective employer.

HOT JOBS

Process Analyst

$85K - $95k + super + bonus
Blue Chip Organisation
Lean / Six Sigma
Western Suburbs

Our client is a highly regarded blue chip company with a strong corporate reputation.

This is an exciting new opportunity for an experienced Process Improvement Analyst to work across the multiple business improvement initiatives they are undertaking.

The purpose of this role will be to facilitate the improvement of business processes to support organisation change and the delivery of business performance improvement.

Your key responsibilities will include:

Lead initiatives to design the improvement of business processes to support business performance improvement.
Define the scope, approach, deliverables and timeframes suitable for each process design assignment.
Contribute to the company's Process Framework development, improvement, adherence, standardisation and acceptance.
Champion innovative change and a process improvement culture.
Manage stakeholders from various levels of the business to achieve an outcome.

To be considered for this role you will have the following:

Exposure to Business Process Design and process improvement methodologies such as TQM, Six Sigma, Lean etc.
Extensive process design, process mapping and change agent experience.
Understanding and experience in using or deploying Business Process Management (BPM).
Strong skills and experience with development of process frameworks, process definition and process redesign.
Strong facilitation, workshop and influencing skills.
Ability to lead and facilitate process outcomes that support business strategy and business operations.
Exceptional communication skills both verbal and written.

To express interest in this role please forward a detailed resume in Word format. Job Ref: C321

Please contact Diane Humphries or Josie Suraci for further information on these roles on 02 8853 7838.�

Cost Accountant

Established and successful manufacturer
$85-$95K + super + bonus
Western Sydney

Our client is a well known manufacturing operation in Western Sydney. They are a multi national with well established distribution channels and have performed very well over the last few years.
They currently require an experienced Cost Accountant for a stand alone role that makes a critical contribution to the business. Reporting to the Finance Manager you will liaise extensively with the operations and manufacturing teams.

Responsibilities include:

Standard cost management including BOM's and overhead allocation
Variance analysis
Budgeting and forecasting
Analysis of conversion costs and plant processes
Inventory valuation and accountability
Analysis of waste, freight and landed costs
Month end and management reporting
Work with Oracle system and Excel spread sheets

To be ultimately successful in the role your value add will be in the areas of overall review and improvements including:

Overall review of conversion costs
Simplifying of procedures and spreadsheets
Increased accuracy of costing data and analysis

The person we require must have extensive costing experience in a batch processing environment within a large manufacturing organisation. You must be qualified with a Business or Commercial degree and CA/CPA is desirable. Your attitude, enthusiasm and communication skills will set you apart from other candidates.

Being able to question the status quo and make improvements is what our client is seeking. Good ERP systems experience and intermediate Excel skills are also required. A good package and bonus scheme are available for an experienced candidate.

Reference number: P273

Please contact Diane Humphries or Josie Suraci for further information on these roles on 02 8853 7838.�

Business Process Manager

Key Business Process Improvement role
Lean / Six Sigma / Kaizen qualifications
Western Suburbs
Up to $150K base + super + bonus

Our client is a highly regarded blue chip company with a strong corporate reputation; the culture is fast paced and demanding.

This is an exciting new opportunity for an experienced Business Improvement Manager to work across multiple business improvement initiatives they are undertaking.
Attributes of flexibility and adaptability are key qualities as is the dedication, passion and commitment to achieving results.

Reporting to the Senior BPM you will be required to work closely with stakeholders to analyse existing business and operational processes and implement efficiency improvements. You will play a key part in larger projects, also play a role in the testing of these improvements and help prepare clear, concise documentation that articulates the new processes and procedures.

To be considered for this role you will have:

Relevant Business based degree
Solid experience in an operational or business improvement role
Demonstrated project management, continual process improvement and realization experience.
Demonstrated delivery of sizeable /complex BPM projects
A proven track record of managing and mentoring teams is essential
The ability to clearly communicate with team members and subject matter experts
The ability to work independently and as part of a team
Any exposure to training users would be desirable
Process documentation experience
Experience in preparing test cases and managing testing of system changes
The ability to operate at the coal face

In addition, you will possess strong stakeholder engagement and management experience, coupled with exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

This is an outstanding opportunity to join a reputable organisation in an interesting and diverse role.

To express interest please forward a detailed resume in Word format.
Job Ref: P312

Please contact Diane Humphries or Josie Suraci for further information on these roles on 02 8853 7838.�