Aug 10 Newsletter

WELCOME TO OUR NEWSLETTER!

Dear All,

I am not sure about you but Winter seems to be dragging on this year, we at Beaumont Consulting just can’t wait for the Spring to kick in with those sunny days and light nights!

Having just closed off the books for the financial year I thought it would be appropriate to report back on what the latter part of the year looked like for us as a business and some insights looking ahead.

The beginning of 2010 saw some big changes at Beaumont with the expansion of the office itself as we knocked down walls and refurbished our premises almost doubling in size in physical floor space. This expansion created new jobs internally and the start of some new divisions for us working in new and exciting areas such as IT and Property & Construction.

Over the last six months we appointed Rachael Burling to manage our specialist Property desk and are in the process of relocating Joe Hendry from the UK who comes with over ten years of construction recruitment experience, we look forward to his arrival anytime in the next few weeks. We also expanded our Business Services Division (Office Support) with the appointment of three new consultants Pauline Carr our Events specialist, Sam Torma our Call Centre Specialist and Rebecca Choularton our Executive Support specialist.

Our Temporary Services Division is going from strength to strength supplying across a variety of industries and in particular our call centre clients have continued to use our services and some in much greater volumes. Unfortunately, we are saying goodbye to Claire Tate who has been with the business for 2 years, moving onto pastures new. As with all sad news there is positive to follow with the promotion of Tracy Myneham from Resourcer to Account Manager and the appointment of Karen Thorney who will be joining the temp team with over five years experience in late August.

Our Chatswood Branch continues to expand and is seeking to appoint a further six consultants across the board in the next twelve months. We are very much enjoying having the familiar face of Rhonda Dunn on board as acting Branch Manager.

Looking forward, business is looking bright for us and many of our clients. As always a positive sign in the market is the number of live and vacant positions we have on our books and although we saw a slight dip in July, the flow is strong and clients are optomistic for the next quarter. Our Banking & Finance clients are remaining more cautious than our commercial clients but there is still a green light on recruitment for the coming months so we hope not to see the much talked about “W” effect happening in the market.

Best wishes for the new financial year from all at Beaumont, may it be prosperous and here’s to the first signs of Spring !

Emily

STAFF RETENTION

Here at Beaumont Consulting we have just completed our internal staff survey and are busy looking at the findings to ensure our strategy is in line with what our staff want so that we can continue to build on the brilliant team we already have.

Given that employee engagement is so important today and that it will become even more pressing in the future, why aren't more employers changing their business practices to achieve engagement?

Employees leave for many reasons, and it is generally not because they want more money or better benefits. Importantly, employers can control why employees leave, as this article will demonstrate.

Essentially your relationship with your employees is key to their satisfaction and their decisions to stay or leave. A good boss who cares about keeping good people will help them find what they want from their organisation. You can do this by talking with them and listening and by discussing the issues that are most pertinent to them as individuals.

So, what should managers do to keep their staff?

1. MAKE THEIR JOBS INTERESTING
Employees need opportunities for personal challenge and growth. If good workers find out that they are no longer receiving these necessities then they may decide that they have outgrown the company and consider leaving. Their current job may pay well, be enjoyable, provide security and attractive benefits and it may be an excellent department doing important work. However the day-to-day tasks may not provide the stimulation or sense of achievement that make an employee want to stay. The simplest way to enrich jobs for individuals is to ask them questions such as:
• In what ways would you like your job changed?
• In what areas would you like increased responsibility?
• What skills do you have that you are currently not using?
The manager's job is to help employees evaluate their jobs and discover ideas for enrichment. These discussions need to be collaborative with an understanding that the manager doesn't need to have all the answers but can facilitate the process.

Managers therefore need to focus on job enrichment for their employees if they wish to retain their services and this just doesn't mean "fascinating work and more money". This can be achieved through a variety of ways including rotating assignments; having employees visit more customers so that they can obtain first-hand experience and involving employees in the decisions that impact on their work.

A major cause of turnover is workplace boredom. Job enrichment is not difficult, but it does require staying alert to opportunities for all your employees and working with them to enrich their jobs.

2. SUPPORT THEIR CAREER GOALS
Discuss your employee's futures, openly and frequently. Involve them as you discuss their abilities, choices and ideas. Too many managers avoid career conversations. Employee's don't expect you to have all the answers, but they do want you to listen to them and to offer your perspective. They will also benefit from specific feedback with examples of their performance and how it relates to their future goals.
Take time out to have serious and in-depth discussions about how the industry will be changing over the next 2-5 years and what skills your staff will need to compete for roles in the new environment. For instance, should they be doing marketing or business studies, a qualification in health economics, gaining exposure to new therapeutic areas or undertaking overseas assignments. Career development of staff is a responsibility for all managers and should be undertaken in a considered and structured manner.

3. SHARE INFORMATION WITH THEM
Make your employees feel part of the organisation by telling them what is happening. If you don't tell them what is happening they will make it up together with all the associated inaccuracies. Information sharing is important at all times but critical during periods of change (downsizing, mergers and acquisitions). If employees are worried about events and don't have sufficient information they are likely to worry about their job security and update their resumes.
Managers must give information as early and as honestly as possible and this will make employees feel important and valued. These employees are likely to have insight into the specific problems and may be able to offer solutions.
The role of the manager is also to help employees look into the future, by providing information that helps with the employee's development and career advancement. Employees want to know about the company's direction and goals, the industry's future and the emerging trends that may affect career possibilities. Employees with this information will feel more confident in their future within the company.

4. GET THEM CONNECTED
Employees leave when they don't feel connected with others in the organisation. Employees need groups of colleagues who can support them, offer information or help, or just listen to them. Connections are a major reason why people stay with a company. Managers need to give attention to strengthening the bonds between people in their team and others within the organisation. Employees need to link with others to get their jobs done effectively. Managers need to be asking their staff 'who else in the company do you need to be liaising with to optimise your role?'
Relationships with others will help your employees get their work done and will give them insights to enhance their productivity. As employees are linked to other functions within the company their knowledge and skills will grow and they are more likely to stay.

5. RESPECT THEM
Even if employees are well paid and have opportunities to learn and grow, if they don't like their bosses they will leave.
It is unacceptable for managers to exhibit any of the following behaviours: acting in an arrogant or condescending manner; intimidating staff; slamming doors; pounding tables; swearing; behaving rudely; showing disrespect; being sexist, bigoted; using inappropriate humour; humiliating and embarrassing others; deliberately ignoring or isolating some people…and the list goes on.
If you do exhibit any of the above behaviours then think about the implications of your behaviour on your staff. Are you causing good people to leave? What can you do to improve your interpersonal skills?
The same applies to what managers should expect from their staff. To ensure the integrity of the functioning team managers need staff who respect each other and respect the contribution that each can make.

So, is turnover an issue? Employees generally don't want to leave for more money or better benefits. However the other reasons that may make them consider their options are within the control of the organisation. It is not always possible to cater for every individual request, however with frequent and open communication employees are more likely to understand and appreciate the constraints.

Taken from an article by Glenn Carter

National Recruitment and Retention Summit 2010

Be the employer of choice with your recruitment and retention processes.

In today’s market, recruiting and retaining employees is more critical to business success than ever before. By being more strategic about recruiting and retention, you can work more effectively to save time and money by recruiting the right person the first time.

Hiring new staff can be a painful experience for many managers. Ideally, it’s best to have a good network of people you have identified as potential employees to approach, as and when you need them. There are techniques that can help to maximise your chances of snaring the right person for the job.

Judith Pettitt from VicRoads will explain how to create a successful talent pipeline for future recruitment at the National Recruitment and Retention Summit 2010, which is going to be held in Sydney on the 28th – 29th of September 2010.

A good manager knows their staff by monitoring and observing job performance on an ongoing basis. The best managers understand the skills and capabilities of each employee to delegate the right work to the right employee at the right time. They can also recognise when an employee is ready for new tasks or assignments that require new skills.

At the National Recruitment and Retention Summit 2010, Anastasia Ioannou from Westpac will address the importance of employee engagement surveys to drive an organisation to become an employer of choice. Also, Cassie Fleming from Luxottica is presenting on how Luxottica has build a strong employer brand to improve their recruitment and retention processes.

Download the full agenda here and Retention Summit 2010 please visit www.recruitandretain.com.au

HR Shared Services

Understand the Challenges and all of the benefits of having HR as a shared service

Shared service centres have been a growing global trend over the past 20 years, designed to help manage the policies and processes involved with delivering services across all departments within an organisation. In an ideal environment, once it has been implemented a shared service will drive down costs, increase the level of service to clients and improve data accuracy and integrity.

One of the greatest limitations in running the model or trouble shooting while maintaining the normal operations of the business is the time available to face the increasing pressures to deliver value, control expenditure and manage business culture through various structure changes.

HR Shared Services 2010 brings together HR professionals across a range of organisations and industries. This is an event which has been specifically developed from the annual Australasian Shared Services and Outsourcing Week. If you would like to know how to:
• Improve the accuracy of your data and monitor your helpdesk performance
• Achieve greater standards of client service delivery while reducing costs
• Create practical solutions to manage your HR and culture as a crucial part of your organisation
See the full agenda here

This is an excellent opportunity to learn from industry leaders focusing on the latest issues and strategies that will enable you to keep pace with operations innovation in the HR shared services arena.
If you would like further information, including free access to exclusive podcasts with members of the speaker panel visit www.hrsharedservices.com.au

Quiz Night

Continuing our support for SISTER2sister we are holding our annual quiz and auction night on the 22nd September.

SISTER2Sister is a 12 month mentoring program for teenage girls in Sydney who are at risk of abuse and/or neglect. The program provides the girls with professional positive female role models to inspire and motivate them through a goal setting and achieving program to make a difference to their lives.

You will know from previous newsletters that two of our staff within Beaumont Consulting have already become Big Sisters to girls on the program this year. On the night you will have the opportunity to get to know the charity as they share in one of their success stories.

This year the night will be held:

Date: Wednesday 22nd September

Location: Martin Place, Sydney CBD

Time: Doors open at 5.30pm
Quiz starts at 7.00pm

Tickets include food and every cent of profit will be going to the SISTER2sister charity.

Prices:
A table of 10 People receives a 10% discount - $315
Single tickets - $35

All tickets need to be purchased prior to the event. If you are interested in attending please contact Patricia Leech at patricia.leech@beaumontconsulting.com.au.

TEMP OF THE MONTH

This month our $100 Temp of the Month prize goes to ….. Victoria Innell!

We have had the pleasure of working with Victoria since 2007. Victoria has always shown such flexibility during this time, being ready at a moments notice to help us and our clients out with short term temporary needs.

Since 2007, Victoria has completed a record 20 assignments with Beaumont Consulting and on no occasion has we received anything but positive feedback. What an amazing result!

Well done Victoria from everyone at Beaumont Consulting!

COLD & FLU REMEDIES

If your office is anything like ours the dreaded lurgy is doing the rounds again…and again…and again! We’ve found some good remedies that work:

A hot toddy's mixture of piping hot water, whiskey, and lemon can provide a lot of relief. Alcohol has an anti-inflammatory effect on mucous membranes and can help reduce fever. And according to Ron Eccles, director of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University, "Hot fluid has a demulcent and soothing action . . . those containing slightly bitter flavours such as lemon and citric acid are particularly beneficial."

Chicken soup. Research published in the journal Chest revealed that this traditional cure-all is the most effective remedy to help you recover from a cold. Heat is the key, so any soup will work to a degree, as it promotes airway secretions and has a calming action on inflamed throats. But chicken soup's combination of fats, spices, and water seems to work best when it comes to breaking up mucus.

Open a window. Stale, stuffy, recirculated air tends to make people feel sick for a couple reasons. One reason could be because the hot, stuffy air that you and everyone in the office keeps breathing is laden with germs. You can’t escape the germs unless you let the germs escape. Open the window and bring in the fresh, germ-free air.
The other reason you want fresh air from the outdoors is because it has some moisture in it. Your heated air is dry and that dry air is wrecking havoc on your nasal passages and sinuses. When your nasal passages and sinuses get dry your nose plugs up. If your poor nasal passages can’t drain, your head plugs up and you suffer. Moisture is key to keeping your nose running clean. Yucky, but true.

Eat a big breakfast. There is a Dutch study out that found eating a hearty breakfast increased blood levels of a virus fighting protein called gamma interferon. An interferon is a protein produced by cells that have been invaded by a virus, like the cold virus. This protein inhibits the replication of viruses. Your body needs fuel and a lot of it to keep from letting those little bugs get you run down.

…and if all that fails take the advice of our Accounts Assistant Rachel Hannah and rub Vicks Vapour Rub on the soles of your feet and cover with socks just before going to sleep at night.