Edition 4 - September 2006A word from the editor The first day of spring is here and what a beautiful day! Access HR has been in evolution for one year now, and reflecting back a lot has changed. We hope that you have been enjoying the changes as much as we have, and we are looking forward to the future with much excitement! This time of year brings of course the AFL Football Finals, and of course in October the Spring Carnival opens. We hope that you all back a winner, and may the best team win! Please enjoy Edition 4 of Access HR News and don’t forget to contact Kim and let her know of topics that you would like to see covered! Enjoy the Sunshine! The Access HR Team! | |
Relationships most important in workplace
The Australian workforce considers relationships with colleagues one of the main factors influencing job satisfaction, according to a survey by Michael Page International. The survey of 640 white collar workers found relationships with team members and relationships with managers are two of the top three factors influencing Generation Y, X and baby boomer’s level of engagement in the workplace. The survey also found personal development is only valued highly by the youngest generation, while Generation X and baby boomers do not consider it a major influence. Source: Issue 107.Human Resources. www.humanresourcemagazine.com.au |
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How To: Change Jobs
There are many reasons for changing jobs, but top of the list are job dissatisfaction and career progression. Why is it important? There are many reasons for changing jobs, but top of the list are job dissatisfaction and career progression. All too often though, job changes are something that happen rather than are planned, or we make hasty moves that we later regret. So ensuring that your next job move works for you on a personal level, isn’t a painful or difficult process, and forms part of a longer-term career strategy, requires some guiding principles to steer you in the right direction. Where do I start? Any move needs to be carefully thought through and sensibly planned to ensure you will not be taking a risk with your career. Why do you want to change jobs? If it is for career development, work out your long-term career objectives and what specific skills and experiences you need to bring about these aims. Be realistic though – high expectations are less likely to translate into workable solutions. If the motivation for change is dissatisfaction with your present role, you need to ask a few questions to get to the root cause. What made you take the job in the first place and what were your expectations of it? When did this great-sounding job turn out not to be what you thought it was? Has this happened before? “From this reflection, you may be able to plan your change to avoid being in the same position when making your next move,” says Malcolm Higgs, professor of HR management and organizational behavior at Henly Management College. Conduct due diligence If you fail to adequately research and understand a new role in another organization, or to assess whether the corporate culture fits with your value system, this could lead to difficulties. Use the company’s website, publications and newsletters, company reports and even other recruitment ads to clue up on its philosophy and HR practices. But don’t rely on desk research alone: talk to as many people as you can in the department to gain insight into the culture and politics of the company and what it’s like to work there. If you can, meet the person who previously held the position you’re interested in. Look into sideways moves Some organizations actively encourage employees to make lateral moves as a way of helping their professional growth and giving them a broader outlook on the world of work. Not only will this do away with the expense of recruiting and training a replacement, but could rejuvenate you if you’re stuck in a career rut. It is also likely to be less stressful and unsettling than starting a new job. “Going through this process may lead you to recognize that you could make the change within your current organization rather that by changing company,” says Higgs. “Equally, if the opportunity is not available in your current organization, you will have a clear idea of the opportunity you need to find elsewhere.” Prepare a functional CV While frequent job-hopping can be a great way of gaining experience and boosting your salary, a pattern of short-term job occupancy will signal high risk for a prospective employer and limit your chance of interview. One way round this is to create an experience-based CV, which avoids exhaustively listing specific job titles or sectors and instead highlights your achievements and transferable skills. Seek advice and support When contemplating a job change, it is smart to consult with everyone who might be affected, particularly a spouse or family. It is also important to cast your net wider than your personal network, as the more honest opinions you hear, the better-informed your choices will be. Hiring the services of an impartial career coach might be another route to uncovering the pros and cons of a particular career direction. Weigh up the evidence before reaching a decision but ensure you can get by, economically and emotionally, in case things don’t go as well as planned: If you only do 5 things:
Source: Scott Beagrie, Courtesy of Personnel Today. |
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Visa Crackdown on employers“Under current law, there is no obligation on employers to check the work rights of employees, even where there is a substantial risk that they are not entitled to work,” said Maddocks immigration partner Maria Jockel. “These proposed amendments to the Migration Act 1958 introduce a range of new offences directed at those who employ or refer people for employment who are unlawfully in Australia, or who work in breach of their visa conditions,” she said. According to the government, at the end of 2005 there were an estimated 46,400 people overstaying their visas who were most likely engaged in some form of paid employment. The maximum penalty for the above offences is two years imprisonment or a fine of up to $13,200 for a natural person or up to $66,000 for a body corporate. Generally, only Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and New Zealand citizens who have entered Australia on a valid passport have unrestricted rights to employment. Others need visas which enable them to lawfully work. Unions have expressed concerns about Australia’s business visa program, claiming the Federal Government issues around 400,000 visas annually nearly 8,000 a week. “The number of temporary business visas that are being issued is now double what it was in 1996 and there has been a 24 per cent increase in the number of long stay (up to four years) business visas in the last year alone. The number of long stay business visas now stands at 50,000,” said ACTU president Sharan Burrow. With so many visas being issued, she said the Government seems unable to properly assess the validity of the applications and is unable to check that the overseas workers are getting the right wages and entitlements. Burrow said unions were very concerned about reports that employers were rorting visas to avoid giving jobs to local workers so they can bring in poorly paid overseas workers, and that this is increasing the competition on local workers to lower their pay and conditions. |
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Access HR TempstarAccess HR believes all our temporary employees contribute and perform extraordinarily and should be recognized for their efforts. It is with great pleasure we announce September 2006 Access HR Tempstar. This award is determined by general work performance, feedback received from clients and the Access HR team. And the winner is Loretta Almeida Access HR Tempstar (September 2006) Loretta has recently joined Access HR in a long term temporary assignment and has already shown her commitment, loyalty and ability to adapt to a new environment easily. Throughout her time with Access HR, Loretta has picked up a new role very quickly and has easily become an asset to both Access HR and our client. Loretta congratulations on receiving the Access HR Tempstar and we look forward to continuing our partnership with you. In appreciation of Loretta’s outstanding efforts we have presented her with a gift and a certificate. |
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Small TalkTwenty-Three per cent of Australian employees have the least amount of respect for politicians when it comes to job roles. Used car salesmen follow closely at 19 percent, followed closely by real estate agents at 11 per cent. When asked if they could have their time again to change jobs, employees would: |
