SYDNEY HAS dropped to third place as the preferred city in which Australians would like to work
SYDNEY HAS dropped to third place as the preferred city in which Australians would like to work. A national survey of 1,327 workers also found that 64 per cent would happily take the opportunity to work in another Australian city if they were given the chance. The top three cities where workers would like to live, based on the quality of life, are:
Brisbane/Gold Coast 29%
Melbourne 26%
Sydney 18%
Nearly one in three people said future career prospects were the main motivation for moving to another city.
Source: Talent2
Departing CEOs not receiving extra payments
SEVENTY-SEVEN PER CENT of US companies provided no additional compensation to departing CEOs than what was disclosed to shareholders in the 2007 proxy disclosures. The remaining 23 per cent of companies increased compensation for their CEOs at termination by a median value of about $655,000. Smaller companies were more likely than larger firms to provide exit pay above what was reported in their proxy disclosure. In some cases the increase included additional quid pro quos such as future consulting services and general release from claims.
Source: Watson Wyatt
Executive jobs boom defies global pessimism to reverse five-month slump
EXECUTIVE DEMAND in Australia, a leading indicator of general employment trends, rose 44 per cent between January and February this year. Overall there was a 44 per cent increase in executive positions advertised nationwide and a 50 per cent increase in general management positions.
Source: E.L Consult
Looks could kill job opportunities for ugly mugs
EIGHTY-EIGHT PER CENT of UK employers have admitted at some stage to giving a job to the most attractive candidate. A survey of 2,266 UK employers revealed that employers select candidates based on their looks rather than their skills and experience. A similar number (92 per cent) said that appearance could influence their decision on who gets the job.
Source: Peninsula
Home-working eases stress levels but leads to fear of being overlooked
FORTY PER CENT of people who work more than 20 hours per week at home reported feeling a great deal of stress because of their job, compared with 65 per cent of employees who worked solely in the office. A survey of 749 staff in managerial or professional positions revealed, however, that despite less stress, working from home can lead to fears about career progression with home workers worried about missing-out on ‘water-cooler networking’–where potential opportunities for moving up the ladder are discussed informally in the office.
Source: DurhamBusinessSchool
Time management tops training priorities
FIFTY-THREE PER CENT of employers are concerned about their employees’ time-management skills. A survey of 330 companies also revealed that 46 per cent of respondents have similar concerns about delegation skills. However, only 28 per cent of businesses offered delegation training compared to 49 per cent that provided time-management courses.
Source: I4CP
Graduates choose experience over money
WHEN LOOKING for their first full-time job, Australian tertiary students would prefer roles with responsibility over positions that offer a good starting salary. A survey of 525 graduates found a reputable company and a training and progression plan were also highly sought after and rated above a good starting salary. The survey also revealed that Google was found to be a graduate’s employer of choice with Macquarie Bank and Microsoft second and third respectively.
Source CareerOne
Global CEO turnover rises 10 per cent
CEO DEPARTURES at the world’s 500 largest revenue-producing companies jumped 10 per cent from 2006 to 2007. According to a global CEO analysis, turnover within Asia-Pacific’s most elite companies also climbed 25 per cent from 2006 to 2007. This increase is partially due to unusually high turnover in Australia, which lost four CEOs in 2007, compared to none in 2006. North America saw the most CEO departures. This is attributable partly to the retirement of three Canadian chief executives, up from zero in 2006.
Source: Weber Shandwick
Flexible hours key in finance industry
FORTY-SIX PER CENT of senior Australian finance industry executives would prefer to work in businesses which offered flexible working hours. Of the 780 executives surveyed, 35 per cent of respondents cited creating a work-life balance for themselves and their staff as their biggest management challenge.
Source: Robert Half International
Males dominate top jobs
FIFTY-FOUR PER CENT of jobseekers do not believe women are well-represented in senior management roles. More than 700 jobseekers across Australasia, including 220 New Zealanders, were asked if the number of female senior managers in their companies reflected the number of female employees in their businesses overall. It was revealed that women were significantly under-represented in the senior management teams of New Zealand businesses. Respondents felt that women were:
Not fairly represented 54%
Well represented 26%
Could be better represented 20%
Source: Hays NZ
