Recruitment and jobs blog

We are delighted to announce the board appointment of Cameron Judson as Independent Non-Executive Director of Ignite. Cameron is a highly respected senior executive with extensive experience in senior executive roles inside and outside of the recruitment industry. Between 2005-15, Cameron held a variety of executive roles including CEO and Managing Director at previously publicly listed recruitment agency. In addition to this, he has also held a number of senior executive roles outside of the recruitment industry within the employment services, education, community services and real estate sectors. Cameron’s commercial and recruitment expertise will be a key addition to the Ignite board. He holds an MBA, a bachelor of Arts  and is a member of the Australia Institute of Company Directors. He will greatly complement the existing leadership team at Ignite in the midst of our growth journey. Ignite Non-Executive Chairman Garry Sladden said, “Cameron is a highly respected and proven leader who brings a significant skillset to the Board and Ignite, and will no doubt add significant value to the Ignite business as it continues its progress under the leadership of Tim Moran and his executive team.” Cameron said, “Having closely watched the significant restructuring and cost reduction that has been undertaken at Ignite over recent years, I’m excited to be joining the Ignite Board at a time when the focus will now be on solid growth and the creation and implementation of strategic initiatives to position Ignite as a serious player in the Australian recruitment sector.” We are delighted to welcome Cameron to the Ignite family and are excited for what lies ahead.

If there’s one thing all jobseekers share, it’s the desire to find their perfect employer. However, a sprinkle of clever marketing can make almost any company appear irresistible on the surface. Unfortunately, this is seldom the case. Many professionals go their entire career without finding their perfect match. So, how do you find the perfect employer for you? In this blog, we share 8 ways to help you do just that. What is perfection to you? What makes an employer perfect? Is it the salary, the benefits, the people, the work or something else entirely? Truthfully it all depends on who is answering this question. Perfection is subjective, and what appeals to you will likely not have the same draw for another. The first step in finding your perfect employer is identifying and understanding what’s most important. Assess the benefits on offer and align these to what you actually want and need. This could be as simple as more money, or as complex as self-actualisation. Whatever it may be, knowing what’s perfect to you, and then using this knowledge to guide your job search, is a great way to start the search for your perfect employer. Check their Website Now that you know what perfection means to you, let the research begin! A good place to start is the company website. Here you can learn a lot of basic information about a prospective employer. Who are they? What do they do? Where are they based? What jobs are available? What benefits are they offering? Then you can dig a little deeper. What is their purpose (mission and vision)? What are they passionate about (diversity, equality, sustainability, etc.)? Is the website well designed and does it provide a strong user experience? Is their content informative and engaging? Do they have any financial documents available (e.g., an investor page)? Successfully answering these questions are great indicators of what an employer could look like. Just be aware that all company websites will highlight only how ‘perfect’ they think they are, armed with a decorative career page selling you the dream. But, beware of bias, and ensure you don't solely rely on this source to guide your decision making. Expand your search and leverage other more 'neutral' resources. Check their social media Social media (e.g., LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, etc.) is a great compromise because you get to witness how an employer interacts with their key stakeholders – customers, employees and the broader market. Sure, these platforms are still company controlled, but you get to see how they engage with their target audiences and how they respond. There is also other information you can find by analysing employers’ social media platforms. Photos showcase internal culture. Posts highlight corporate strategy. Followers reveal caliber of customers. Comments demonstrate customer sentiment. These insights all add to your picture, helping you work towards a more informed employment decision where the chances of a perfect match are heightened. Read their Reviews However, you may want a source with even more neutrality. Review platforms are an excellent way to source these insights from typically less biased perspectives. Employee and customer reviews reveal the good and bad of organisations which can often lack in other channels. However, just remember that typically only people with fantastic or terrible experiences leave reviews for companies, which can sometime skew perceptions in polar opposite ways. Nonetheless, Glassdoor and Google Reviews are two useful review platforms you can use in your search. In these forums, employers have no control over what is published and are forced to retain both negative and positive reviews about them. This results in a more accurate reflection of what it’s actually like to work for a supposed ‘perfect employer’. In particular, Glassdoor showcases reviews from employees that considers everything from the hiring process and salary to internal culture and senior leadership. As such, these are helpful resources to leverage when contemplating joining a perfect company for you. Analyse their job ads Job ads are a window into any given company, and include role-specific details that are highly relevant and otherwise difficult to find. Great job ads should contain granular details about what your responsibilities, expectations and employment will look like if your application is successful. Does the job description seem vague? Do the benefits look a bit disappointing? Are the expectations unreasonable? These could all be red flags in your employer research. It's always a good idea to benchmark a job with market standards and your own expectations and desires. Furthermore, when looking at job ads holistically, they reveal other subtle clues about an employer and their hiring strategy. Are there lots of job ads for a particular role adjacent to yours? Perhaps their growth focus is somewhere else. Do they have lots of job ads currently active across the business? Perhaps they have a turnover problem. What does their hiring process look like? Are you required to undertake skills assessment, competency-based interviewing or simply dazzle with your CV? You’ll most likely find job ads on top job boards (e.g., Seek, LinkedIn, Indeed) or on their company career page. Either way, job ads are another strong tool in you're arsenal to evaluate a company. Word of Mouth/Referrals Some industries (e.g., technology, engineering) rely more heavily on word-of-mouth and referrals for talent mobilisation than others. The old saying “it’s who you know…” rings true across these sectors. A great way to learn about a company, is simply by asking someone with knowledge about it. This is a great option for larger companies where someone in your network may know something or someone to assist you, but may not always be possible for smaller companies. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a current or former employee, they can provide you with the lay of the land and all the insights you need to help determine if a particular employer is the perfect match for you. Utilise Resources at your disposal Talent in todays’ employment market is more informed than ever before. They can find and access an abundance of information on most companies. This includes a company’s performance, financial position, strategy, commitment to sustainability, headcount trends and more. This information is gold in your research. Where can you find this? Publicly listed companies publish regular financial reports on the ASX. Market research companies publish company and industry reports that detail every nook and cranny. You can also use industry-specific websites, news publications and other resources that each provide valuable knowledge in your job search. Talent willing to go to the next level in their research, are far more likely to have the complete picture of any organisation they join subsequently. Ask Questions all the way Finally, if you’ve already entered the hiring process, another helpful tip is to ask questions at all stages. Seek out answers that resolve your unanswered questions from your search. Most companies now encourage talent to ask question in interviews, and this is a great opportunity for you to uncover the final pieces of the puzzle. How an employer responds to these questions, could be what confirms whether you’re on the right track for the perfect career move. Finding your perfect employer is an arduous task. Perfection is subjective and hard to reach for everyone. However, there are plenty of ways to help you get there. Understand what perfection is to you, do the research and leverage the resources and tools at your disposal. Doing these things effectively will give you the strongest chance of attaining the best employment outcomes. At Ignite, we strive to provide talent with the best employment experiences possible. We are currently looking for exceptional talent to join our business in an exciting growth phase. For more information, visit our website career page, check our reviews, ask a friend or visit the ASX and see if what’s perfect for you can be satisfied by us.

Name: Judith Bailey Position: National Contracts and Compliance Manager Location: Sydney, NSW Ignite Tenure: 12.5 years Nobody personifies Ignite’s core values of connection, courage, ingenuity and understanding more than Judith Bailey. For 12+ years, she has gone over and above to support her colleagues, contractors and clients with all their problems, queries and requirements. From a part-time data entry role to a full-time National Contracts and Compliance Manager role, Jude’s Ignite journey is truly remarkable. We recently interviewed Judith to find out more about her Ignite journey. Jude, How did you get started in recruitment and why did you choose to join Ignite? My career began in the UK on a graduate scheme for an Australian computer manufacturer. I did everything from building to selling computers. This was a great experience and useful starting point into the world of IT recruitment. In 1995, I moved to Australia and joined a leading agency in the IT recruitment market. I had a variety of roles in this business including resourcing, account management, team leadership, contractor care and operations management. This gave me a strong breadth of experience. In 2009, I made the decision to join Ignite (previously Candle) in a part-time data entry role. Ignite was a major competitor of my previous business with a very strong reputation in the IT recruitment market. They held a large number of preferred services agreements with companies I’d worked with before, so I knew it would be a good fit. During my interview process, I met some fantastic people who demonstrated a strong internal culture that I wanted to be a part of. To this day, the people and culture remain one of Ignite’s key strengths. What do you love the most about your job at Ignite? I get immense satisfaction working with people from all walks of life on a daily basis - my colleagues, contractors and clients. My job is to provide solutions for all their problems, queries and requirements and contribute to their professional success. I love being a part of a national team underpinned by strong internal relationships and an overarching desire to collaborate and support each other. This has been achieved under the guidance of an exceptional leadership team who are supportive, encouraging and passionate about Ignite’s people and culture. Our team works hard and plays hard, and they have become like a second family to me over the years. My role at Ignite strikes a perfect balance of support and autonomy. I know my team is there when I need it, but I also know they trust me to perform at a high level. They also understand my family commitments, and allow me to balance my professional and personal life accordingly through flexible working conditions. Finally, I’m very appreciative of the opportunities that have been provided to me during my tenure. I began in a part-time data entry role after returning from maternity leave. I then moved into a contractor care role and now I have recently been promoted to National Contracts and Compliance Manager. I am so excited by this challenging opportunity. What Ignite values resonate with you and how do they guide you in your role? My key values are honesty, openness, trust, respect, teamwork, loyalty and accountability. Which has a strong overlap with Ignite’s core values of connection, understanding, ingenuity and courage. This alignment enables me to focus on my key deliverables, safe in the knowledge I’m working in a respectful environment where everyone shares similar values. These values guide and empower me to consistently deliver high customer satisfaction and excellent service delivery in my role. What is your advice for someone in a junior role looking to progress to a more senior position? I think career progression is all about attitude and willingness to learn. You need to have a good work ethic, commitment and focus on your role. In my case that was maintaining a customer focus in everything I do and working hard through the ups and downs of recruitment. You need to be able to accept constructive criticism and learn from the mistakes you’ll inevitably make. I also highly recommend finding a strong mentor and shadowing what they do, as it has greatly helped me through my career so far. Just remember that success and progression doesn’t come overnight. It took me over a decade to get where I am, but perseverance does pay off. The best advice I can offer is work hard, have fun and enjoy what you do, then the rewards will eventually come. From a compliance perspective, what are some of the key trends you are seeing in the current market? The regulatory environment across all sectors is undoubtedly tightening. As an ASX-listed business, compliance is an essential part of our business and something we put major focus on internally with our national contracts and compliance team. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly influenced the compliance landscape in recruitment. We now have policies and processes in place to validate candidates’ vaccination status for our clients that have mandated such policies. We’ve also had to develop processes for work-health safety for contractors working remotely to ensure they have had a safe and comfortable workspace. In today's recruitment world, maintaining compliance whilst simultaneously providing an outstanding customer experience is crucial to success. How do you work with your colleagues to ensure all compliance is met? We explain the rationale behind each compliance requirement and the implications of what happens when they are not adhered to. We listen to feedback from our teams and provide alternative solutions where viable to support them. The secret is being available, listening, being flexible where possible, regular communication and training. This keeps standards high and compliance at the forefront of everyone’s thinking. What advice would you give to clients and candidates from a compliance perspective to flourish in this market? Honesty and transparency is extremely important from both parties. Candidates need to be honest with recruiters about what roles they’re applying for so clients can be kept informed. Conversely, clients need to stay connected and engaged with their contractors to remain competitive in a talent-driven market. Furthermore, clients need to be agile in their end-to-end recruitment or will miss out on the best people. They also need to be on top of all compliance-related matters in an increasingly complex regulatory environment to avoid any future scrutiny. Jude’s Ignite journey is a testament to the notion that hard work pays off. She has risen the corporate ranks to now be in a national managerial role at Ignite. She is passionate about helping her colleagues, candidates and clients, making her they type of person that anyone would want to work with every day. Fortunately, you can, because we are currently looking for exceptional people like Jude to join the Ignite team. Visit our career page now and ignite your potential.

To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be. To the engineer employer, the glass is hard-to-find. Australia’s engineering sector is in the midst of a critical talent shortage. Demand far outstrips supply rendering the search for relevant talent far more challenging for employers. In this blog, we share some top tips to help companies attract and retain top engineering talent. 1.Meaningful Projects Engineers are responsible for the development of products and services across all industries. From mechanical to civil, aerospace to chemical, data to systems, most engineers share the following value. They want to work on meaningful projects that challenge, stimulate and make a difference in the community. Australia has a huge pipeline of engineering-related projects in technology, government, engineering, construction, transport, energy, mining and the list goes on. But what makes a project meaningful is one that solves a key problem affecting the community, and one that helps advance the career of any engineer who happens to work on it. For example, projects facilitating the transition to renewable energy, development of innovative technology in healthcare or transport infrastructure that connects regions across impassable terrain. Meaningful projects drive engineers and give them purpose. So, when advertising your engineering roles, highlight your most meaningful projects to top engineering talent that’ll attract them to your business. 2.Reputation Reputation is the beacon that brings top engineers and top companies together. So much of Australia’s engineering sector relies on word-of-mouth and referrals, boosted by the state of your reputation. Highly reputable companies tend to work on the best projects and have the best people making them far more attractive to talent. So, how do you build a strong reputation? Reputation is built by public perception of all your front-facing activities. Your delivery track record, your people, your service deliver, your customer care, your impact on the community, etc. All these elements to varying degrees are crucial to your reputation in the jobs market. It takes years to build and seconds to break. However, if you can combine your strong reputation with compelling marketing, your ability to attract and retain top engineering talent in your business will be enhanced. 3.Perks & Benefits Perks and benefits are the icing on the cake when it comes to the employee value proposition. These are the additional perks, financial or non-financial, that add superior perceived value for talent when contemplating joining or staying with a company. In a candidate driven market, you need to recognise what benefits are core, what are expected and what will give you a competitive edge over your rivals from a talent perspective. According to LinkedIn Talent Insights, the top benefits that engineers are looking for is additional compensation, good work-life balance, job security, flexible work arrangements, training and career progressions. If you’re able to cater to these needs via the right combination of perks and benefits, top talent will place greater consideration on your business when making a career change. So, consider what top engineers are looking for, and try to differentiate yourself from competitors in the combination of perks and benefits you offer. These additions to your EVP could be what attracts top talent into your business versus your competitors. 4. Learning All engineering disciplines are very technical, where required skillsets are always rapidly advancing. As such, top engineers need (and want) to continuously upskill, and they expect their employers to contribute to this need by giving them access to high quality training and development. This might consist of on-the-job training, online courses, outsourced training providers or something more creative. According to LinkedIn, the fastest growing skills for engineers are Analytical skills, coding languages, mechanics, project management, lab skills and quality control. Training in these areas might be great additions to your learning programs. Remember, top talent only stays that way via continuous upskilling. So, by making learning & development a key component of your EVP, you will go a long way in attracting top talent to your business. If talent sees a company willing to invest in their future, they are far more likely to join or stay with that business. Top engineers in this market are very hard to find, but it’s not impossible. Like all workers, there are ways to attract and retain their critical skills into to your business. Give them purpose and sell them your most meaningful projects. Focus on your market reputation to organically attract top talent. Offer them suitable benefits that outshine your rivals and provide them with access to learning and career progression. These actions in tandem will make your business far more attractive to top engineering talent, enabling you to thrive through a period of rising talent shortages. At Ignite, we specialise in engineering recruitment. We have large talent pools of top engineering talent open to new and exciting career opportunities.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of John Murphy into the role of NSW IT & Digital Recruitment Manager. John will manage our NSW IT & Digital recruitment team within our Specialist Recruitment business. John brings over 16 years domestic and international experience in IT recruitment. He has worked with some of Australia’s top recruitment agencies and brings significant experience across technology, finance, fintech, defence, MSP and project services industries. These capabilities align particularly well with our core technology specialisations. John also has a proven track record in building and managing high performance IT recruitment teams, and is very excited by the prospect of joining Ignite. John said “Ignite is one of the true original pioneers in the Australian recruitment market. It is currently going through an exciting growth phase in its long and rich history. I am excited to play a key role from an early stage in this growth and make an impactful contribution to the business.  You can see the business has made strong statements over the past 6-12 months with multiple senior level appointments. These individuals are all respected, trusted and proven leaders in the recruitment industry, and I am excited and motivated to work alongside them. I am delighted for this opportunity to grow Ignite’s reputation and performance in the NSW IT & Digital recruitment space” These words were echoed by our NSW General Manager Bernt Schindler, who said “We’re so excited to have John on board. His dedication and wealth of experience in our core markets, combined with his genuine care and leadership ability to grow high performing teams is exactly what we’re looking for at Ignite. I personally look forward to working with and learning from him in our journey together”. From all of us at Ignite, we would like to welcome John to the Ignite family, and we are excited for what lies ahead as we continue to ignite our potential together.

According to research by Microsoft, 40% of the global workforce are planning to leave their job this year in what has been termed ‘the Great Resignation’. Talent is fatigued, they’re re-assessing their values, and many are ready for a change. So, as an employer, how can you survive (and thrive) the great resignation? Let’s find out. 1.Focus on your EVP The best way to hold on to your employees, or attract new talent, is to provide them with a compelling employee value proposition (EVP) that makes them want to join or stay. After all, good people want to work for good companies that align with their values and satisfy their needs. Communicating and delivering a strong EVP is essential particularly when almost half of workers might be contemplating a new job this year. Ask yourself, what value are you offering relative to your competitors? Is it money, work-life balance, flexibility, career progression, sustainability, learning, meaningful work, company reputation or something else? Whatever it is, your ability to communicate and deliver this value to employees could be a crucial factor in their decision to stay or go. 2.Identify your top players Competition for talent is fierce, and companies want the best talent irrespective of their availability. Rest assured competitors are eyeing your top players, those that have the biggest impact on your business. In a period where 40% of employees might be considering a career change, headhunting has a much higher probability of success. You need to counter this by identifying who your top players are, and then do everything you can to retain their services. Who are your top players? These are the employees who go over and above in their role. They motivate the people around them. They drive internal standards, productivity and performance. They positively shape your culture and act as ambassadors for your brand. Top players are the glue that hold teams and organisations together. Lose them, watch the dominos around them fall. Keep them, and safeguard the pillars of your business that allow you to thrive today and tomorrow. 3.Listen and adapt Adaptability is not a new concept for employers. After all, it’s kept many businesses afloat in recent years. Yet, with the prospect of high attrition, listening to your staff and being willing to adapt your offer to retain them are two crucial skills businesses must exemplify when navigating the great resignation. People leave businesses for two primary reasons. To go somewhere better or to escape something worse. As competitors inevitably dangle enticing offers with superior value, basic probability suggests one or more of your employees will bite the hook this year. How can you counter this? By listening to your people, your competitors and the broader marketplace, and then using this intelligence to inform your retention strategy. If an employee feels valued, and they see their company go out of their way to keep them, it’s a clear indicator that it might be worth sticking around a bit longer. 4.Capitalise on hiring opportunities An often-overlooked part of the great resignation is the fact that if 40% of workers do indeed resign, then suddenly, the local pools of talent might once again become bountiful. Australia is in the midst of critical talent shortages, where particular skills in areas like technology and engineering are very hard to find. According to research by NAB, four in ten businesses were impacted by talent shortages in 2021. With no signs of these shortages abating, employers from all sectors are desperate for talent. If resignations do rise sharply in 2022, then you need to be prepared and ready to capitalise on thi unique hiring opportunities that present themselves. Be targeted, be agile and be consistent in your recruitment approach, and the Great Resignation may in fact be a blessing for your business to thrive moving forward. Research suggests the Great Resignation is upon us in 2022 with 40% of global workers touted to resign this year. However, remember that good people want to work for good organisations. Good organisations are those that communicate and deliver a strong EVP, listen to their people and adapt as necessary. Businesses that accomplish this, will not only retain their most important players, but will also be presented with unique hiring opportunities to attract top talent that enters the jobs market this year. At Ignite, our Talent Solutions team can support your evolving talent acquisition strategy with bespoke or training solutions to ensure you survive (and thrive) the Great Resignation.