If you are recruiting for desk based, computer based of phone based roles in 2022 I have good news for you – there are endless pools of candidates available and wanting to work for you! Wait, what?? That’s right, you can get thousands of applications per job each month! But we aren’t getting close to that many applications. How? Well read on and I’ll show you how… Three Customer Service Jobs with Dramatically Different Application Volumes Let’s compare the volume of responses from three near identical advertisements that we placed at SMAART Recruitment on the 16th May 2022, one month prior to ..read more

Howdy! I’m currently on day 7 of Dry July, and it feels like day 150. I didn’t realise how much I relied on alcohol to unwind and relax, or to cope with a stressful day until now. I literally didn’t know what to do with myself last Friday when I knocked off work … when I’d usually be having a Friday wind-down vino with Eric (my greyhound). Cheekily popping a link here if you feel like donating to a good cause (the Dry July Foundation), and to motivate me to stay off the plonk. Earlier this week I got sent an e-book that was all about how to navigate difficult conversations as a recruiter, and ..read more

Looking for a TA career change but not too sure how to get there? Our ‘So you wanna be a…‘ series takes a look at some of the more niche TA roles and digs deep into the who, how, and why behind them. We chat with some of your favourite TA leaders in that space to find out how they got started, what their role really looks like, and what tips and tricks they have for other TA superstars looking to get a foot in the door. In this issue, we sat down with Natalie Dunlop, Talent Analytics Manager @ Deloitte, to find out what really goes on in the life of  People Analytics Manager ..read more

Those of you that know me, know how much I want to see others thrive when it comes to their career. Recently I gave a talk that highlighted the importance of taking ownership of your career and the tools to be able to do this effectively. I discuss this with my coachees when they are to embark on a new career move too.  A question that comes up is – what is the difference between a career destination versus a career home Jo? A career destination is, for a set period of time and may not necessarily transpose to a new opportunity in the very business you choose to take a role with; sad but ..read more

Hi there, I’m back from my QLD holiday and back to work. It’s been really hard to settle back in, even though I was only away for a week. I fully switched off, left all my work stuff at home, and fled the state for a week of fun, sun, and pure relaxation. I can’t recommend it enough, particularly in this flippin’ crazy world we’re living in right now. I rocked up back at work this week with not a stress in the world, no fires to put out, no disasters that happened while I was away. A massive credit to my team who are amazing, but also it makes you realise that you CAN take time off and comple ..read more

In my last article, I touched on how the pandemic has brought into sharp focus the need for organisations to re-evaluate the experience they’re providing to employees and candidates. EVP is just one piece of that puzzle. To be clear though, I absolutely believe an organisation needs an EVP – a clear and memorable promise of the value you’ll provide to employees in return for their contribution. You can’t market or sell something when you don’t know the benefit it provides your audience. But at the end of the day, it is just a set of marketing messages. It isn’t solving anything. Whilst execs ..read more

As Pride Month comes to an end, thousands of rainbows will silently blink out of existence – rainbow flags are swapped out in store fronts, and corporate logos and LinkedIn profiles will revert to their original state. This does not mean we stop celebrating those who identify with the LGBTIQ+ community. Instead, we should welcome July with a fresh reminder of the importance to honour and recognise everything the LGBTIQ+ community has fought for and achieved to be able to celebrate who they are free of violence and discrimination. Pride month is also a great opportunity for organisations to re ..read more

The Most Valuable Network The most valuable network I could imagine would help me attract well-qualified potential candidates. It would ultimately lead me to people I could place with less energy and time. Anything else would be less useful and less valuable. Valuable, robust networks need to meet at least four criteria: (1) they need to be made up of people with similar interests and motivations, (2) they need an instigator, a rebel, a community manager who rouses passions and gets people engaged, (3) they need a large enough number of community managers so that someone is always “there” to r ..read more

Hello from the land of the sun (QLD). I write to you today from Noosa, where I am relaxing for a few days before I’m back in Melbourne next week. My partner and I went to Australia Zoo yesterday, where we were attacked by a wallaby. Yes … wallabies hate us, it would seem. We went in for a gentle pat, and it latched itself around my leg and started kicking me with it’s back legs. Then it went for my partner and scratched up his arms. Needless to say … LOLOLOL! There are photos and a video if you’d like to see them … shoot me a message. One happy addition to my work life this week is the “LOL ..read more

Looking for a TA career change but not too sure how to get there? Our ‘So you wanna be a…‘ series takes a look at some of the more niche TA roles and digs deep into the who, how, and why behind them. We chat with some of your favourite TA leaders in that space to find out how they got started, what their role really looks like, and what tips and tricks they have for other TA superstars looking to get a foot in the door. In this issue, we sat down with Antonia Jennings, freelance talent advisor and founder and director @ Avidity + Co, to find out what really goes on in the life of a ..read more