SEVENTY-SIX PER CENT of Australians would like to be headhunted for a better job
SEVENTY-SIX PER CENT of Australians would like to be headhunted for a better job. A recent survey found that 46 per cent of Australians have been headhunted in the past, while respondents who have never been sought by a prospective employer felt it was because they:
Didn’t promote themselves enough 37%
Didn’t know enough people 27%
Were not highly regarded 18%
The survey revealed headhunting is becoming a more popular method of recruitment due to Australia’s skills shortage. The survey also found that networking and self-promotion are key to becoming headhunted.
Source LinkMe.com.au
Optimism in the face of skills shortage
SEVENTY-FOUR PER CENT of business owners and managers expect business to increase despite the ongoing skills shortage. A quarterly survey of recruiters shows that availability of suitable candidates is at a record low since the survey began in 2001. However, while 95 per cent of respondents cite a lack of candidates as their biggest concern, business confidence remains high. Recruiters are adapting to the challenges of a skill shortage by continuously looking for new ways to attract good candidates. Forty-seven per cent of the industry use temporary work visas to bring in skilled migrants for clients, as they are seen as a critical source of labour for many different industries.
Source: RCSA
Rewards and benefit programs are biggest incentive
TWENTY-EIGHT PER CENT of Australian workers feel that a rewards and benefits program is the most significant factor motivating them to remain with an employer. The survey also revealed that only 2 per cent of employees consider flexible working arrangements and salary package as compelling reasons to stay with their current employer. Other factors which encouraged workers to remain with an organisation were job security (13 per cent), regular salary reviews (12 per cent) and an engaging corporate culture (6 per cent).
Source: RedBalloon Corporate
Senior management needs to engage more
LESS THAN one-third of employees feel that senior management communicated openly and honestly with employees. A survey of 5,000 UK employees revealed that only 29 per cent of employees thought that senior management had a sincere interest in employee satisfaction and wellbeing. The survey also revealed that employees are more likely to stay with their current employer in companies where senior management directly engage with employees. The findings contradict the assumption that direct line managers are the decisive factor in unlocking the full potential of the workforce. The study, which calculated how engagement levels of employees impact performance and retention, also revealed employees are increasingly concerned about the reputation of the organisation they are working for.
Source: Towers Perrin
Work affects love-life
SIXTY-SIX PER CENT of Australian workers feel that work affects their love-life. A survey of 1,000 employees found that over two-thirds of respondents felt the demands of their job negatively affected their relationship or kept them from meeting their match. Conversely, 60 per cent of respondents said relationship problems can affect their ability to do their job. The relationship problems mentioned range from divorce to frustration at not being able to find a partner. When it came to suggestions on how to solve the problem, 40 per cent of respondents said employers should offer married employees counselling, and 17 per cent said access to social activities and matchmaking services would help single workers with their dating lives.
Source: HR Live PRO
Lack of capability seen as reason for inequality
FIFTY-ONE PER CENT of Australians believe women are not treated equally in the workplace because they are perceived to be less capable than men. Other reasons cited were women’s length of service, work-family balance and maternity leave. The survey conducted to establish reasons for lack of equality in the workplace also found that women in more highly paid positions notice lack of equality more than others. Sixty-eight per cent of women earning more than $100,000 find women are still struggling for equality at work compared to 60 per cent of females earning less than $50,000. Only 33 per cent of men felt the workplace is not equal.
Source: LinkMe.com.au
Mid-level bankers first in firing line
THIRTY-TWO PER CENT of banks believe mid-level banking staff would be the first to go if the credit crunch becomes a full-blown banking crisis. A global banking survey found 25 per cent of banks believe junior staff would be the second group most at risk. However, the job security of junior staff varied from country to country, with junior-level staff most at risk working in:
Australia 32%
UK 28%
Far East 17%
At a senior level, vice-presidents would be first in the firing range, while managing directors are also at risk with 24 per cent of US respondents and 23 per cent of Gulf-region respondents feeling they would be the most vulnerable group. MDs were seen as less vulnerable in Australia and the UK.
Source: eFinancialCareers.com
Internet: number one for job seekers
THE INTERNET has become the most popular method of searching for jobs. A recent US survey of 5,000 households showed 73 per cent of job seekers used the internet to find a job, compared to 66 per cent in the same period in 2005. While newspapers are still popular as a major job search method, job seekers reported using them less, dropping from 75 per cent to 65 per cent between 2005 and 2007.
Source: The Conference Board
Bread crumbs on the keyboard
MORE THAN seven out of 10 Australian workers eat lunch at their desks, according to a survey of more than 2,000 employees. Eating lunch at the desk is becoming a daily habit for many employees, according to the survey, while a further 53 per cent get takeaway or order home delivery after work because they are too exhausted to cook. The survey also found that other reasons for ordering home delivered food include:
Variety of food 32%
Lack of cooking skills 5%
Nagging children 5%
Furthermore, only 5 per cent of Australians claimed they do not enjoy home-delivered or takeaway food.
Source: Menulog.com.au
