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5 Tips to Get the Right people Applying and Committing
07 September 2023Attracting staff (and getting them to commit) is as hard as it has ever been. In the post-Covid world, we as recruiters are finding it exceptionally challenging - and that is our core business! We can only imagine how difficult it is for everyone else. However, there are some simple ways where you can increase your success.
Asking the Right Questions
07 September 2023We often think of candidate attraction and employee retention as two separate entities, but really, they are intrinsically linked. To attract a good candidate, they must see meaning and purpose in your job advertisement. To keep a good candidate, they must experience meaning in their work (consciously, or not).
Dear Employer, From Candidate
07 September 2023A positive work environment is vital for employee satisfaction and retention; but with diverse teams with diverse values, how can this be achieved? We meet with a diverse and vast pool of candidates, who we specifically ask about their expectations from employers. Candidates often describe an employer of choice as one who fosters a culture that promotes open communication, teamwork, recognition, professional development, work-life integration and flexible work arrangements.
What's your style?
01 May 2023For decades researchers have been interested in effective management and leadership styles, leading to a defined list of different types of management styles; some proving to be more effective than others...
Are you looking for your ideal candidate?
04 April 2022Do you want to have your best bet in placing your ideal candidate – the first time?
Casual/Temp Staff - The Law Says Yes!
14 October 2019A rundown of our temp services and a quick survey on them.
Key Selection Criteria
20 October 2017Key selection criteria – to do or not to do
IS YOUR HR MANAGEMENT IN CHECK?
20 December 2016The team at JP Smith Recruitment & HR work hard to find suitable candidates who are motivated to stay in your company and thrive. However, as an employer, are you doing your part? When was the last time that you reviewed your HR Management practices? After all, the effective management of your human capital is key to staff retention.
HR Audits – The Paperwork Behind the People
19 December 2016“What is an HR Audit?” is almost always the first question I am asked when introducing this service to clients. Often business owners have never even heard the term “HR Audit” before, let alone its purpose and the benefits it can provide. In short, an HR Audit is the process of examining every policy and procedure that effects an employee. Here is a brief run down on how they work and additionally, why they are important to your business.
Is Your Leadership Team Ready for 2017?
19 December 2016Christmas is already upon us and before too long we will be stepping back into the office in January to commence a new working year. Many of us have plans in place as to how we will grow profitability in 2017 however, are your leaders and managers best positioned for success? Why not put them to the test?
Don’t be a Fool to a Fake Referee! (Plus 4 more Steps Towards a Robust Reference Check)
07 September 2016Screening candidates is often overlooked by hiring managers when the time to fill the position, or a lack of suitable candidates, takes priority over finding the perfect fit for the business. It is something that needs to be taken seriously however, as hiring an employee without properly vetting their skills or experience can lead to terrible outcomes for the business.
3 Good Questions to get the Most from your Interview
06 September 2016As the Director of JP Smith Recruitment and HR, I am in the fortunate position that many of our clients contact me with a wide array of Recruitment and HR queries. One of the most common questions I get is, “What should I be quizzing for during the interview to get the right information?” I think we’ve all been told too many times what we are not supposed to ask during the interview, so here are three good questions to get the most from your interview.
Make the Most of your Recruitment Partner
06 September 2016At JP Smith Recruitment and HR, the two most common reasons we see for organisations wanting to work with us is either because they don’t have the time to conduct a full and comprehensive recruitment exercise themselves, or they feel they don’t have the expertise to recruit effectively. In either case, they need a recruitment Partner to guide, mentor and support a robust recruitment process. However, all the recruiting expertise in the world won’t net a good result, unless organisations are willing to enter into an open and mutually beneficial relationship with our consultancy. Whoever you work with, it is important to know how to make the most of your recruitment partner to ensure success.
Recruiting Leaders
06 June 2016Strong leadership is the foundation of business success and without it, many once profitable companies have floundered and even failed. Whether it be failure to match culture, having the wrong experience for the role or choosing a leader that is too junior (or too senior), the wrong appointment can be extremely costly to a business. How then, do you recruit leaders?
When recruiting for senior management and C-level roles, is it best to groom current staff for the management track, or look externally? This is a question many businesses face, however, in short, there is no right answer. Different circumstances call for different needs to be filled and as such, there are benefits to going either way.
5 Key Factors of Talent Retention and Development
07 March 2016This year has kicked off at a rapid rate and as we become immersed with business priorities and growing opportunities, it can be important to “take a step back” and ask some questions regarding your staff management.
Job Analysis and Position Descriptions
02 March 2016The key to any robust recruitment process is having a clear understanding of what you are looking for. Job Analysis and detailed Position Descriptions play an important role in actively improving hiring efficiency and staff retention.
Flexible Working Arrangements
02 March 2016In a time where flexible working arrangements are becoming increasingly popular, it is important to familiarise yourself with what works best for your business and your employees.
Outplacement - Video by Declan
21 July 2015Outplacement services are an important consideration when looking to downsize. In our first video news post, Declan discusses the significant benefits to be gained by providing assistance to your outgoing staff.
Outplacement - An important service to consider
21 July 2015Outsourced temporary employees provide a flexible solution to meet uncertain workload increases whilst providing direct management and control over those working for your business. Consider sourcing temps through an outsource provider as an alternative to direct hires and outsourcing of entire tasks…
Exploring a candidate with transferable skills opens the hiring process to an almost limitless opportunity to find a new staff member who is the right fit for your business and who may well stay longer than the candidate with the most desirable direct experience…
An often overlooked factor of redundancies is the emotional needs of retained staff - the last thing a business needs is to action a series of redundancies only to lose remaining staff or experience reductions in productivity on the back of a significant drop in morale. Fortunately, there are tried and proven ways to manage the morale of retained staff through all stages of a downsizing.
The "must knows" of planning redundancies
01 March 2015The current economic climate has seen many businesses using redundancies to downsize and ensure long-term viability. Undertaking redundancy action requires careful compliance with a variety of requirements. Make sure you know your obligations before heading down that road.
As the start of a New Year approaches once again, the realisation that we can all start afresh and make our New Year Resolutions follows. This is the time to step back and assess what worked well throughout 2014, and what didn’t.
Performing for Profit Seminar
09 September 2014The Crowe Horwath "Performing for Profit" seminar where Jamie Smith answered queries on staff performance matters.
Communication is Key
25 August 2014Keeping your staff aware of what is happening within your business can go a long way to making them feel valued and keeping them focused on business goals.
Staff Retention
01 April 2014“I had a great salesman/service rep/accounts team, but they left.” It is a common statement – retaining good staff is an ongoing battle and one that can be won with strategic management of matters employees value most.
Workplace bullying has become a hot topic in recent years – a few public and high-profile cases coupled with some incredibly expensive settlements have highlighted how serious the issue can be for businesses.
Benefits of Employing Temporary Staff
16 July 2013Recently there has been an increase in the number of organisations utilising our services for the placement of Temporary staff.
The Importance of Reference Checking
05 July 2013Reference checking is a vital tool in the recruitment process and is as important for short term, temporary employment as it is for permanent staff.
Pre-Testing Jitters
28 June 2013As part of our recruitment process, JP Smith Recruitment & HR offers our employers a full selection of administrative computer based tests as well as the Psychological profiling and speed and accuracy tests.
Supporting Each Other Through Difficult Times
20 June 2013Given the wide scale impact of what has just happened to our region, there is a fair chance that you, your staff, or their families and friends have been affected in some way. There are things you can do in your business to help staff to work through this.
How to Motivate Your Staff for the New Year
19 June 2013So you have just arrived back at work after getting over the staff Christmas party and enjoying your holidays when you begin to wonder how you can get your staff performing at the best of their abilities again.
Gain some ideas on providing your team with a great work environment that they will enjoy getting out of bed in the morning to come to.
How to Successfully Structure a Panel Interview
17 June 2013There are many ways to interview a candidate. These can include one-on-one interviews, group interviews, panel interviews and interviews via Skype or phone. This article will highlight how to successfully structure a panel interview.
5 Key Metrics of Staff Engagement
14 June 2013Employee engagement is a hot topic at the moment and basically, it does not revolve around the employee being happy rather, it is their involvement in stimulating and challenging work. This engagement in stimulating and challenging work is one of the key facets of retention and productivity.
Making a Connection Through ‘Hobbies’
13 June 2013Hobbies – I like spending time with friends, going to the movies and walks on the beach.
As June 2011 figures show, there is a surge closer to full employment with negative growth in Australian Unemployment Rates of 4.9% and a similar trend for Queensland with a decreasing Unemployment Rate of 5.2% (www.abs.gov.au).
Keeping the Ball Rolling on the Recruitment Process
10 June 2013As recruiters, it is our role to source quality candidates for our clients. Depending on the role, this process can take anywhere from hours to weeks. Once a Shortlist of suitable candidates is found and forwarded through to our clients for their perusal, our role does not end.
At the recent Industrial and Organisational Psychology Conference in Brisbane, one of the most talked about themes was the impact of social networking within the workplace. We have all heard about disrupted productivity and decreased attention to detail but it was amazing to hear the number of positives that psychologists had noted with regards to this new phenomenon.
It really is all the rage now – social networking. If the ‘seven degrees of separation’ paradigm seemed a bit farfetched before, it certainly isn’t now. The minute you register a new friend on Facebook or colleague on LinkedIn, you are hit with a barrage of ‘other people you might know’ from your new friend/colleague’s contact list – and chances are you know at least some of them.
What motivates your staff?
30 May 2013People spend a lot of time wondering what it is that motivates their staff and colleagues. It can be quite simple to find out: just ask them.This can be done in a number of ways:
Encouraging a Positive Working Culture
28 May 2013We all know a positive work place creates higher staff motivation and morale, which in turn, leads to greater productivity and output. We all know that a positive work place leads to happier staff, which then increases employee retention which can help reduce turnover costs.
Not only do you personally, as an employer want to appeal to the candidate as a great boss, your organisation needs to provide additional benefits, so you are seen as an ‘employer of choice’, which will entice people to work for your organisation. Below are some tips on how to create a positive organisation and workplace.
Best Practice Recruitment – The Finishing Touches!
02 April 2013You have been through the arduous task of sifting through resumes, you have shortlisted and you have narrowed it down to one candidate, but best practice recruitment does not stop once the letter of offer has been signed.
Best Practice for Evaluating Candidates
29 March 2013By managing the candidate evaluation process successfully, you better your chances of finding the “Brightest and the Best” candidate to suit your business’ needs.
Best Practice in Recruitment – Job Descriptions
16 March 2013The process of Recruitment begins with attraction then recruitment and selection, and finally retention.
Five, no-nonsense tips, that will ensure you instil best practice in your recruitment operations.
03 March 2013As the quality of the applicants will depend on the quality of the recruitment practices in place, ensuring best practice throughout the recruiting process is paramount.
5 Points to Remember to Help do the Best Recruitment Job
02 March 2013Five, no-nonsense tips, that will ensure you instil best practice in your recruitment operations.
Recruitment Specialist Backs Jobs Hot Spot Claims
27 February 2013The Chronicle reported on a Suncorp Bank report, interviewing Jamie Smith for his thoughts.
The Bottom Line
08 January 2013Temporary staffing is on the increase and part of this new found fascination is due to lower financial costs.
HR Audits – What Are They, Exactly?
07 November 2012Simply put, a Human Resources Audit is an assessment of policy and procedure.
Recruitment – Minimise Its Affect On The Bottom Line
07 September 2012When staff turnover or productivity starts to affect your company’s bottom line, it could be time to look more closely at how you hire.