Our world of work, December 2010
By Josephine Asher
During 2010, the recruitment industry has recovered and grown following the GFC. At CareerOne.com.au, we have seen the recruitment market substantially improve.
As the year comes to a close and festivities take over, we need to maintain our professional awareness, as Christmas parties and workplace activities could present some dangerous risks.
READ MORE: The art (and dangers) of workplace gift giving
But it’s also a time for reflection and for planning our achievements for the new year.
Like the old saying, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life,” it’s never a bad time to start moving your career in a better direction.
READ MORE: Ten Career resolutions
If you’ll be kicking off 2011 in a new job, be sure to watch our animated video on how to make a dignified entry into your new workplace.
WATCH VIDEO: Guide To Day One In Your New Job
One corporation that has already implemented their new year’s resolution is transport and logistics giant Linfox.
Linfox will lift superannuation contributions to 15 per cent, increase wages by 12 per cent and make casual employees permanent after six months, under a deal that has been hailed as a pacesetter by the Australian Council of Trade Unions leadership
Unions and Linfox management yesterday welcomed the agreement that delivers three annual 4 per cent pay rises and commits to increasing superannuation by one percentage point each year over six years, taking the rate from 9 to 15 per cent.
A Linfox spokesman said “attracting and retaining the best possible people is fundamental to ensuring productivity and customer service requirements.”
Workplace benefits that have not been so successful in implementation is the new parental leave scheme.
Only 786 businesses across Australia had registered for the Government’s paid parental leave scheme just three weeks before it starts.
Business groups said many employers were confused about their role in adminstering a scheme they labelled as unnecessary red tape.
It will be funded by the Government but administered by employers, which business groups said was causing confusion and anger.
In more general workplace matters, poor management is fuelling the skills shortage, according to finance recruitment firm Robert Half.
A recent survey of 345 Australian finance, accounting and HR professionals found 40% of employees describe the management skills of the person they report to as average or below.
“Given the increasing skills shortage, organisations can’t afford to have ineffective managers pushing staff over the edge and into other job opportunities,” said Kevin Jarvis, Director of Robert Half.
READ MORE: Bad managers adding to skills shortage
Commercial law firm Finlaysons Workplace says managers must engage every staff member and ensure they feel part of the team.
Workplace partner Grant Archer cites the recent stashed cash affair in which public servant Kate Lennon transferred $6 million to a trust account without authorisation.
He says this is prime example of what can occur when a staff member, or team of employees, is ‘‘excluded from the collective”.
READ MORE: Make staff part of the team
The skills shortage is driving the recruitment of overseas employees.
Australia’s only chance of building the big infrastructure projects urgently needed to grease the wheels of national productivity is to turn to cheaper overseas workers on a contract-by-contract basis, according to Australia’s leading demographer Peter McDonald.
READ MORE: Overseas labour ‘key to projects’
READ MORE: Private sector plugs policy gaps
Despite the skills shortage, discrimination still plays a prominent part in employee selection in Australia.
This week CareerOne Editor Kate Southam gave A Current Affair viewers some insight on age discrimination in Australia on the program’s segment on Malcolm Holt – a former executive who has unsuccessfully applied for 400 jobs.
She said age discrimination in the workplace is still very much alive in Australia.
Looking to the future and Australia’s Y and Z generations, Ms Southam has also written some valuable advice for school leavers and students.
Often school leavers choose a course because they think it sounds glamorous or fun but if the employment opportunities are severely limited then grads will be behind the rest of the pack and might be forced to do a second degree before they get their career underway.
Students also believe doing an under graduate degree and then a master’s degree back to back will give them a competitive edge in the job hunting market. This is largely untrue.
Aspiring teachers need not worry. Geography and history teaching graduates will be among the most sought-after educators alongside maths and science teachers in coming years, experts predict.
CareerOne wishes you all a happy and safe festive season and new year. Please consider following us on our social network channels to stay up to date on current employment news and trends.
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Our week at work, October 25-31
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Our week at work, October 11-17
Our week at work, October 4-10
Our week at work, September 27 – October 3
Our week at work, September 20-26
Our week at work, September 13-19
Our week at work, September 6-12
Our week at work, August 30-September 5
Our week at work, August 16-22
Our week at work, August 9-15
