Middle managers are vital to the success of a business. In a study that involved 400 HR directors and senior executives, half of whom were from the UK and half from the US, almost three-quarters of respondents said middle managers boosted company morale, while more than half said they had an impact on company productivity.
Middle managers are vital to the success of a business. In a study that involved 400 HR directors and senior executives, half of whom were from the UK and half from the US, almost three-quarters of respondents said middle managers boosted company morale, while more than half said they had an impact on company productivity. More than 50 per cent of UK respondents said middle managers effectively implemented the CEO’s vision, compared with 66 per cent in the US. However, middle managers were not regarded as very innovative, with just 38 per cent of UK and 42 per cent of US participants naming innovation as a critical job function.
Boomer CEOs fear succession planning inadequate
While Australian CEOs of the baby boomer generation are approaching retirement, many harbour concerns about their successors. A study by The Executive Connection has found that 65 per cent of current CEOs are not confident the next generation of leaders is ready to take the helm of corporate Australia. Several factors will shape the generational change: for one thing, many baby boomers are reluctant to retire completely, and many want to maintain a role in their company well into their retirement years. Another consideration is that many members of Generation X are not rushing to take over. Thirdly, some experts believe Generation Y will succeed the baby boomers, leaving Generation X in a leadership vacuum
Accountancy top of graduates’ pops
Accountancy has become cool on campus, ranking number one in a recent survey of more than 7,000 graduating university students. Accountancy was the most sought-after career destination with nearly a quarter of the ‘Class of 2005’in Australia applying or intending to apply for graduate positions in the industry. Accountancy beat 24 other career options including engineering, investment banking, IT and marketing. Graduates said their main priorities in looking for a job were to join a socially responsible employer, to be employed by a well-known organisation and to work for a commercially successful employer.
Auto industry recruitment site an awards finalist
Autopeople (www.autopeople.com.au), an Australia-based online employment website designed exclusively for the automotive industry, is a finalist in the 2006 Onrec Awards, in categories for technical innovation and corporate use of online recruitment. Onrec.com is the leading online recruitment information portal service in the Europe and the US. Autopeople was recognised in the technical innovation category for its Talent Scout service, which links up recruiters, trainers, jobseekers and employers within the auto industry. The service – a first for the Australian industry – is free and confidential. Autopeople’s nomination is also a significant boost for the Australian online recruitment industry, with other finalists including a range of goods and services providers from the UK.
Work avoidance behaviours revealed
There are two types of people who shirk their duties in the workplace, Business Week reported recently: physical bludgers and optical bludgers. The most damaging to co-workers are the physical bludgers, who do not complete assignments on time or leave work to other people in the team. Employees cannot run straight to their boss to complain about this - they need to discuss it with their co-worker first. If the physical bludger does not improve, then colleagues should inform the boss. Optical bludgers are far easier to deal with. These are the people who are always taking a coffee break or looking at their email, but they do get their work done. Co-workers should simply remember that as long as these people do their job, there is no reason to worry. Instead, employees should put more effort into building a better relationship with their boss.
Source: ABIX - www.abix.com.au
IT sector to woo more women
The IT industry is planning to develop a professional accreditation scheme, similar to that used by CPA Australia, in a bid to lure more women to the sector. The industry is working on a standardised course in conjunction with universities in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. The number of people undertaking IT courses in Australia has dropped from 17,436 in 2001 to 11,122 in 2004, and the number of IT jobs filled by women has fallen from 35% to 20%. The Chief Information Officers Council says the lack of women in the sector is disheartening and that it needs to drop its “nerdy” image
Source: ABIX - www.abix.com.au
