Welcome

Welcome to the winter edition of The Johnson Group newsletter.

Welcome also to our new talent resourcer, Pete Meadows. Pete, from Calgary in Canada , has previously worked in marketing consulting and multimedia design. Pete and his fiancée came to New Zealand six months ago for a change of scene.

At The Johnson Group, Pete works with candidates in communications and marketing. He’s also looking at our engagement with candidates, particularly in interactive spaces such as social networking sites.

Leigh

Reports on Public Sector Pay Misleading

Media reports claiming public sector salaries are outstripping private sector salaries should be treated with scepticism, according to Peter Cornish, Director Executive Reward for The Hay Group.

For fixed remuneration, he says, the public and private sectors pay about the same up to the level of supervisory or team leader roles – after that, the private sector pays more. And for total remuneration, the private sector begins to pay more at an even earlier stage.

“There is some really bad misinformation out there about public sector remuneration,” says Peter Cornish. “The reality is that the gap between senior public and private sector remuneration is growing. The private sector will pay on average one-third more, excluding bonuses, than equivalent roles in government departments.”

Tapping into the Global Labour Market

We’re delighted that our work with Victoria University’s Skilled Migrant Programme is helping New Zealand workplaces tap into the global labour market.

The 12-week course aims to help migrants find jobs at an appropriate level for their skills and experience. The Johnson Group is responsible for placing candidates with local employers for a six-week internship – a vital part of the programme, and one reason why it has been such a success.

Migrants taking part in the current course will be starting their internships on 25th August, but we’d love to hear from clients who would be interested in taking an intern from future courses.

IPANZ Conference a Success

The IPANZ New Professionals 2008 Conference in Wellington in June gave about 140 public sector professionals in early to mid career the chance to listen to inspiring speakers, engage in dynamic discussions, forge new networks and develop their professional skills through various workshops.

Outgoing State Services Commissioner Mark Prebble and Olympic gold medallist Danyon Loader were among the speakers at the organisation’s second bi-annual conference, which had the theme: Next Generation Government – Preparing for the Future.

Co-convenor Nedra Fu says the conference was a great success, and thanked The Johnson Group for its sponsorship of the event.

• The Johnson Group is also sponsoring IPANZ’s monthly series of lunchtime seminars. The seminars are usually held on the third Wednesday of the month, and cover general interest subjects. Future speakers include State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie, and winners of the IPANZ Gen-i Public Sector Awards. For more details, go to: www.ipanz.org.nz

Employment Confidence Down

An employment confidence survey has recorded the lowest figures in the four years it has been running.

The Westpac McDermott Miller employment confidence index shows the number of people who think jobs are easy to come by almost halved in the June quarter. However, almost half of those surveyed believed their salaries would be higher in a year’s time.

For more details, go to:  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10519394

Aussie Job Ads Fall

Australians are facing a tougher labour market as the number of jobs advertised online continues to fall.

The Seek Employment Index, which measures the ratio of new job ads to job applications posted on the Seek job search website, has recorded its sixth straight monthly fall. Seek sales director Joe Powell says candidates have enjoyed a very strong bargaining position for a long time, but increased competition for skilled work suggests this may be coming to an end.

Leigh Johnson says The Johnson Group is seeing more high-quality candidates, mainly because it targets its recruitment. “Another factor is that word-of-mouth referrals are a big part of our business, so that also improves the quality of our candidates.”

For more details, go to: http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1828600

Emotive Ads Attract Generation Y

Job ads that focus on money and promotion are less likely to appeal to young New Zealanders than to young people from the US or Britain , according to new research.

An M&C Saatchi study on the role of emotion in advertising found that Kiwis aged 18-24 are most likely to react positively to job ads that make them feel they belong and are contributing to society.

The research results come as no surprise to Leigh Johnson, who says clients need to market their jobs in a way that appeals to potential candidates’ personal motivation. “If candidates feel motivated, they’ll be happier in their work and they’ll stay longer.”

For more details, go to: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/11/story.cfm?c_id=11&objectid=10518695

Recruitment Coach

I’m considering hiring a contractor to handle some work that no-one in my team has time to take on, but would I be better off waiting till after the election?

Don, Wellington

“There’s a perception that taking on a contractor rather than building internal capabilities is almost naughty, but contractors are ideal for delivering specific pieces of work,” says Kirsty Bidwell.

“It makes sense to get another person in for a specific project if your own staff don’t have the time or the relevant skill set. If you hire a contractor now, rather than waiting, you’ll take the pressure off your team and you’ll ensure your project is delivered on time.”

The Johnson Group’s contracting section has many high-quality senior contractors. If you’d like to discuss whether a particular piece of work would be suitable for a contractor to take on, give Kirsty a call.

And finally...

The Johnson Group is looking for a new recruitment consultant to join the team. If you already have experience in the industry, or if you’re a public sector professional with enthusiasm and excellent relationship management skills - and, ideally, expertise in economic or commercial areas - we’d love to hear from you.