The annual BRW 50 Best Places to Work has just been released, and five recruitment companies are among those recognized.

No matter how sceptical one may be of awards of this nature, the data shows that the recruitment sector has the second-highest representation in these awards, second only to the IT sector, with Google taking out the number 1 position.

Recruitment companies in the Top 50:

Davidson Recruitment   #6

Bluefin Resources   #23

Employment Office   #27

Wavelength International   #30

Finite Recruitment   #47

The awards are based on surveys from the Great Place to Work Institute, which works with 5500 organisations across the world, and surveys more than 3 million employees on a yearly basis. The metrics they measure include:

Credibility – The trustworthiness and competence of management.

Respect – Recognition of personal and professional worth and contribution.

Fairness – Sharing of opportunities and rewards.

Pride – Value attached to one’s job and association with the company.

Camraderie – Friendliness and sense of community.

It would be fair to say that on the the criteria mentioned above, the recruitment industry has rated poorly over the years.

However it is clear that there are now many agencies who have distinguished themselves as great places to work by employing new strategies and investing in the development of their people.

At the best recruitment companies, gone are the days of hiring recklessly and adopting a ‘sink-or-swim’ mentality. The most successful hiring practices take a balanced approach which includes specific criteria on the type of consultants they want; and an opportunistic strategy whereby they are capable of moving quickly to hire a quality person.

According to BRW, 90% of the companies in the top 50 places to work are currently hiring. The challenge here is that whilst they are experiencing high growth, they are now finding that there is insufficient talent in the market to support their hiring plans, with unemployment at 4.9%. Therefore the constant challenge remains for recruitment companies: To grow successfully you need high-performing people; and high-performing people are hard to find.

Here are some tips for candidates on what the top companies in the country are looking for:

- It helps to know someone – employee referrals or via an introduction

- Be visible online and within your industry

- Appeal to their values. Have a story to tell which demonstrate how your values align to those of the company at which you want to work.

Recruitment agencies looking to grow would be well-advised to pick up a copy of the BRW 50 Best Places to Work and research what these companies are doing to attract and retain the best people.

By Francis McCarthy

In light of the recent hiring spree, the demand for quality recruiters is as high as ever. Companies are fiercely competing for talent, with some agencies fast-tracking their hiring process and offering a candidate the role within 2 days.

Over the past 2 months we have seen a spike in demand not only for experienced recruiters but also for top-calibre graduates and trainees.

Directors and Managers are under pressure to grow their teams, with head count requirements increasing. At the same time, because this trend is occurring across the board, we have a larger amount of agencies competing for a smaller pool of candidates.

Under these dynamics, companies need to increase their own recruiting efforts and ask the hard questions:

• How do you continue to hire quality people when there are less of them available?
• Have you thought about how your opportunity stacks up against your competitors?
• Can you offer something unique, not just the standard, “Adult environment, no/low KPI’s, great culture, uncapped commissions”?
• Are you open to hiring graduates and training them from scratch?
• Are you willing to streamline your hiring process in order to stay in the game?

This also begs the question, do you see value in building quality relationships with recruitment-to-recruitment agencies, or do you see them as being there only if you’re desperate and absolutely in need of help?

We will have more on this topic in future posts as it is an area of contention amongst our clients at present.

You can view the article via the link below.

Financial Review Article

Do you know a great recruiter who is looking for a new role? Or someone with talent and ambition who wants to break into the recruitment industry?

If so, introduce them to us at Ashworth and we will reward you with a shiny new iPad 2!

Referral gifts will be awarded once the candidate has been successfully placed and completes their probation period.

If you prefer a different referral gift we are happy to discuss alternative arrangements to the same value, just give us a call.

When it comes to making sound choices with your career, it’s essential to know how to approach the interview with your prospective employer.

At Ashworth we take pride in the knowledge we have of our clients and this allows us to prepare our candidates for each interview on an individual basis.

With the launch of our new website you can expect regular articles which will help recruitment professionals take their career forward.

You can expect to see:

• The latest trends in the recruitment industry
• Specific information on the Sydney and Melbourne markets
• Advice for international candidates looking to re-locate to Australia
• Interview tips
• Current salary bands and examples of various commission structures

We welcome your input and feedback, so if you have any specific topic you would like us to cover, please contact us via our office line in Sydney or Melbourne or e-mail careers@ashworth.com.au and we will take your feedback on board.