Recruitment and jobs blog

Name: Michael Higgins Position: Senior Recruitment Consultant, Specialist Recruitment, Engineering Location:  Sydney CBD office Ignite Tenure: 16.5 years Michael Higgins has been a key pillar of our NSW Specialist Recruitment business for the best part of two decades. You could not meet a more passionate, dedicated and consistently high performing company man. Michael’s journey began in engineering, after completing a structural engineering diploma at TAFE. He worked at Sydney Water for 13+ years and was exposed to a wide range of engineering disciplines and characters along the way. He then moved into hospitality, where he was fortunate enough to own some successful restaurants and bars. For over a decade, he experienced firsthand the importance of recruiting the right people into the right roles to achieve sustainable business success. After a short career break, he recalls reading the local Sutherland Shire newspaper and seeing an advert in the classified section for a “recruitment consultant”. Excited by the potential of working close to home and being rewarded with an “uncapped commission”, he successfully applied and joined the Ignite business. Sixteen years later he is still here, combining his background in engineering and hospitality to be a very successful senior engineering recruitment consultant in our NSW Specialist Recruitment team. We sat down with Michael to find out more about his Ignite journey and remarkable success so far. Why did you choose to work for Ignite? Initially, I was excited by the convenience of working close to home and being rewarded with uncapped commission. I didn’t realise how valuable the experiences I had in engineering and hospitality would ultimately be in my Ignite career. I remember my first placement, and how genuinely excited the candidate was to be offered his dream role. It was very special and still is to this day. Another reason I chose Ignite was because of the great leaders and mentors I’ve had through the journey, who taught me the art and science of recruitment. How to identify opportunities, how to talk, how to listen, how to learn from disappointments and overcome obstacles. The opportunity to learn always excited me, and it is something that Ignite continues to provide me with today, which is one of the reasons why I continue to choose Ignite. What are some key market trends shaping engineering recruitment right now? I see the same trends across all businesses in all industries. Hard work is rewarded. Passion drives success. There are good and bad days, but tomorrow is always a new one. Talent is scarce. The smart operators hire the best people. The best people want to work for employers that empower them, provide opportunity and reward results. And finally, talent wants more work life balance and flexibility than ever before. The pandemic has created so much uncertainty in the job market, yet you are having one of your best years to date in terms of performance, what do you attribute this to? I am very selective with the clients I invest my time and expertise with. You need to work with clients who treat you as an equal. They take your calls, listen to your expert opinion and treat you with respect you’ve earned over time. These are the types of relationships that endure through hard times (like a pandemic) and are the type of relationships I’ve cultivated through my career. These relationships have allowed me to flourish even in challenging periods. But the pandemic has helped me in unexpected ways. It’s highlighted the importance of being adaptable and willing to work differently. For example, transitioning to remote work was initially a major challenge for me, but with support from the Ignite leadership team and exceptional tools put in place I was able to adopt this new way of work seamlessly. During this period, our team forged stronger connections despite forced separation and had uplifts in productivity as well.  Now, remote work has become second nature to me and this willingness to adapt has helped me thrive in a period where others may have struggled. Michael, you have a strong reputation for building and maintaining long-term relationships with your clients, how have you achieved this and what are your top tips to help clients in your market? Recruitment is all about relationships. When it comes to clients, the strength of your relationships is dependent on the quality of candidates that you can deliver consistently. At the end of the day, clients want to fill roles, and source talent they can’t find on their own. So, the challenge is delivering this consistently and at a high standard even when the market is not in your favour. Achieve this, you can create a mutually beneficial bond with people that lasts for decades. So, my tips for clients are to invest time and energy into people and build a great environment for them where they want to come and work for you every day. Secondly, invest even more time identifying, attracting and rewarding people who want to join and stay on your journey. The best advice I can give is to share in your successes, learn from your failures. Support talent in both their professional and personal endeavours. Prioritise family, have fun and enjoy what you do! What are your top tips to help aspiring engineering talent? Work with an employer that genuinely cares about YOU. Someone who is willing to invest time and energy into YOUR career. Someone who takes an interest in what YOU do in and away from work. Someone who follows through with what they say. Trust your instincts. Listen to the people you trust. Learn from your mistakes. Be open to new experiences. Prioritise family. Have fun. Enjoy what you do! (sounds familiar). What are the things you love most about working at Ignite? The best thing about working at Ignite is the people I get to work alongside every day. Our colleagues, our leaders, our clients and our candidates. Ignite has provided me an environment for many years where I feel genuinely supported both professionally and personally. They care about me, my family, my development, my success and my journey. I feel incredibly fortunate to be given the opportunities, the skills, the tools and the environment to follow my dreams and be successful. Additionally, no two days are ever the same in recruitment. I am constantly learning 16 years in. Furthermore, it gives me the opportunity to play a small but critical role in helping people successfully reach their dreams, both clients and candidates, which is hard to replicate. At Ignite you can have lots of fun, enjoy the wins and share it with some great people. What sets Michael apart as an employee is his unrivalled passion for his role, for the people around him and for the broader Ignite organisation. His experience, knowledge and consistency for almost two decades has made him a true leader in our business that all staff look up to and enjoy working with. If you want the opportunity to work alongside exceptional people like Michael Higgins, visit our website career page today and join the Ignite journey.

After months of hard work, you’ve finally made an offer to the perfect person. But their current employer is digging in and they’re not ready to let them go without a fight. So, they counter. All of a sudden, you’re back in the trenches. How do you counter this counteroffer? In this blog, we share five top tips to help you win the battle for top talent. 1.Understand Unless they’re a strategic mastermind, if a candidate is contemplating an offer from a new company, there must be a reason why. After all when there’s smoke there’s fire. As the potential new suitor, you need to understand this reason.  Talent changes jobs for a myriad of reasons, with 40% expected to do so during the ‘great resignation’ in the coming months, so pinpointing this can be challenging. But ultimately, most candidates are contemplating a move because they want something better. With this in mind, you need to dig a little deeper to uncover the wants, needs and motivations driving this decision. Why do they want to leave? What are their goals? What value can you offer them? Your ability to answer these questions will give you more intel about a particular candidate, helping you come up with a better strategy to secure them. 2.Align With this newfound understanding, you need to capitalise by aligning it with your counteroffer.  Knowledge is power, and using it correctly gives you more firepower to suppress any enemy that approaches. Does the candidate want flexibility? Give them the option to work-from-home or choose their hours. Does the candidate want more money? Add some financial incentives for strong performance. Does the candidate want career progression? Share a clear pathway for their advancement. Be agile and adaptable in what you’re willing to offer, and make sure it aligns with what the individual is actually looking for. 3.Relationships Relationships underpin all recruitment activity. In a one-on-one battle with a current employer, building a strong relationship with a candidate is very beneficial. Obviously, time isn’t on your side, and you won’t have the same depth of history as your opponent. But this can work for or against you depending on the status of current relationships. Either way, a good rule of thumb is that you’ll probably need to work twice as hard. The building blocks of any relationship is honesty, trust, responsiveness and communication. Recruitment is no different, and successfully building strong relationships with people will make it significantly harder for prospective hires to turn you down. 4.Support Changing employers for many is a daunting task. When your current employer throws in their counteroffer, sticking with what you know is sometimes far more appealing than what you don’t know. People tend to be risk averse, so you naturally face an uphill battle trying to convince them to jump ship. In this situation, you need to do all you can to minimise any anxiety a candidate may feel. How do you do this? You support them end-to-end through the hiring process, making it as seamless as possible. Offer them the support and advice they need to guide them through uncertainty. What does resignation look like? What does transitioning jobs look like? Be as detailed as possible. The more comfortable a candidate feels with the idea of changing jobs, the more likely they may actually follow through with it. 5. Agility The old saying that a ‘quick game is a good game’ certainly rings true when it comes to recruitment. With talent so scarce and demand so high, it’s only a matter of time before more players enter the arena. So you need to move quickly. The best way to counter a counteroffer is to be so agile that current employers don’t have time to propose a counteroffer in the first place. This means from the moment you first contact a candidate; you need to have a plan in place from beginning to end to expedite the process. Companies who equivocate for weeks and months, will undoubtedly lose the talent they crave. The battle for talent has never been more hotly contested, with offers for good people coming from left, right and centre. To come out on top, and counter these offers, you need to provide talent with the best employment option. How? By understanding them, being strategic, building relationships, supporting them and being agile. At Ignite, we incorporate all these elements into our candidate experience to ensure our clients secure the best talent possible.

Name: Surabhi Mishra Position: Account Manager, IT & Digital, Specialist Recruitment Location: Canberra, ACT Ignite Tenure: 7+ years Surabhi has been working in recruitment for well over a decade, specialising in IT recruitment and account management with both Technology and Federal Government clients. After completing an engineering degree in Mechanical and Automation, she began her career as an IT professional working with major tech companies like Infosys and IBM for over five years. In 2008, Surabhi moved to Australia. While on the hunt for local IT roles she came across our current ACT General Manager Laila Billberg, who introduced her to the world of recruitment. Since then, she has been applying her trade as an IT Account Manager at Ignite. We recently sat down with Surabhi and asked her some questions about her Ignite journey so far and picked her brains about the local Canberra recruitment market. Why did you choose to work at Ignite? I was attracted to Ignite because of their strong reputation in the local Canberra market. They are an ASX-listed leader in specialist recruitment and have long-established relationships with a broad range of federal government clients. They also have other specialisations in Canberra including Business Corporate and Talent Solutions which all complement each other really well.  I was also impressed by the leadership team, particularly my direct manager who has been extremely supportive since the beginning. Ignite also offered me an environment where I was able to learn and grow in my role. What are some key market trends shaping IT recruitment? In Canberra, there is currently a significant shortage of technology talent. Federal Government clients want security cleared candidates with increasingly hard-to-find skillsets. This rise in demand has seen contract rates for some talent rise exponentially, which I don’t believe is sustainable long term. Fortunately we have well-established talent pools built over decades to support our clients in finding the talent they need. What tips do you have for clients in your market? In the current candidate-driven market, clients need to be agile and make offers quickly to secure the best talent. End-to-end procurement timelines needs to be faster to keep pace with talent movements. More and more candidates want flexibility in their working environment, which is something clients now must consider or risk missing out. Finally, clients need to explore more ways to relieve talent shortages in the market, for example by sponsoring more security clearances. What tips do you have for candidates in your market? Now is a great time to be a candidate, but it’s important to be organised in your job search and consider long term prospects when interacting with recruiters and employers. Candidates need to ensure they communicate well with recruiters about other interviews they have in hand so we can provide the assistance they actually need. Also, commitment is another tip that candidates should be aware of to maximise their long-term prospects. What do you love most about recruitment? I love building relationships with people, having the opportunity to coach and mentor them to optimise their career. I like to build trust with my clients so that they know I can be relied upon to find them the best possible talent. Everyday in recruitment is different which keeps things interesting and enjoyable. What do you love most about working at Ignite? Ignite has a unique culture that I love being a part of. The teams’ spirits are always high, and everyone is working towards a common goal. We celebrate people within the team and support them when they need it. I also have lots of independence to do my job without any micromanagement, and I am given the flexibility I need to accommodate my lifestyle. At Ignite, we have some amazing people who have been working with us for up to 35 years. If you would like the chance to work with someone as passionate and dedicated as Surabhi, visit our career page today and check out some of our exciting internal opportunities.

Do you buy your vegetables from the supermarket? Or do you grow them at home? Sure, growing it takes more effort, it’s laborious, it’s probably less convenient and slower than visiting your local store. But on the other hand, you control what you grow, how much of it you grow, have more say in the produce that comes out at the end and you then have exclusive access to it. So, with this in mind, when it comes to our long-term workforce plan, do we buy for today (go to the supermarket) or build for tomorrow (grow it ourselves)? In this blog, we share five reasons why you should build for tomorrow by reskilling and upskilling your current staff. 1.Business Agility In recent times, the importance of business agility has never been clearer. The COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses to pivot how they operate quickly, reshaping demand for particular skillsets to survive unprecedented disruption. Add in more common fluctuations in sociological, economic, political, legal, environmental and technological trends, businesses need to be agile. Traditionally companies have simply bought the talent they need, but in an environment of rising skill shortages and recruitment difficulty, building your own talent is a far more steadfast solution. Why? Because you can cover skill gaps by retraining existing staff and redeploying them elsewhere (reskilling), or you can simply equip them with new skills to take on more senior roles (upskilling). Having these options at your disposal makes your business far more agile in a volatile macroenvironment. Furthermore, building your talent lets you mould people into ideal employees and reduces your dependence on who is available in the local talent market. 2.Talent Shortages How do you make a great bolognaise sauce if there are no tomatoes left in the store? The answer is simple, harvest the bountiful crop of tomatoes you’ve grown over time in your backyard that you’ve carefully cultivated to perfection. Bon Appetit! Talent shortages are rife in most key sectors: technology, engineering, hospitality and construction just to name a few. The current jobs market has been described as a ‘war for talent’ with companies battling to secure increasingly finite resources. For example, specific roles in data, IT security and software development are attracting price tags 30% above where they were one year ago. Consequently, for companies with budget constraints (most of them), solely buying talent in this candidate-led environment is expensive, challenging and more than likely unsustainable long-term. Fortunately, there is another option. If you build your own talent by training them with the hard-to-find technical and soft skills you crave, your resiliency to talent shortages is enhanced. Training your own staff to accommodate future is a far more sustainable approach than buying a future-ready workforce in this talent market. 3.Engagement and Retention Not only does upskilling and reskilling help you create the talent you need, but it also helps you engage and retain them. A core motivator for many professionals is learning and development. People want to work for companies that are willing to invest in them. According to research by LinkedIn, 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if they invested in their careers. Put simply, upskilling and reskilling should be a fundamental part of your L&D program, which in turn bolsters your employee value proposition making talent want to stay in your company. Some industry experts predict that Australia is on the verge of the ‘great resignation’, where a large proportion of talent plan to leave their company in the near future. According to PwC, the cost of annual turnover in Australia is already at $3.8 billion. This figure will only increase as attrition rises and talent shortages intensify, meaning retention is paramount. Therefore, your willingness to invest in your own talent (i.e., by reskilling and upskilling) could be what keeps talent engaged and loyal to your business through this tricky period. 4.Buying has risks There’s no doubt that buying talent has its place. However, it does have associated risks. Firstly, there’s no guarantee you’ll find the skills you need. Secondly, you may waste significant time and energy only to come up with a mediocre shortlist of candidates. Finally, there is always the chance you make a poor hiring decision which negatively impacts your broader business. Furthermore, Another advantage of building over buying is that half of your work is already done for you, since theoretically you already have employees in your company that have capability, cultural fit and value alignment. They just need reskilling or upskilling to be redeployed or promoted. Remember, supermarket vegetables aren’t always handled with care, they can come with imperfections, and they’re often grown using harmful chemicals that detract from the overall flavour. Ask any person who grows their own vegetables, they will likely tell you theirs taste better. 5. Be future-ready One thing that’s for sure is that demand for particular skillsets is constantly evolving, and what’s in demand today may be superfluous tomorrow. It wasn’t so long ago that manufacturers had people running their factories, or banks used administrators to complete all there mundane tasks. Building your own pipeline of talent enables you to keep one eye on the future, and build towards skills that perhaps you don’t need now, but will need in 10-20 years-time. Technology is moving at such a rapid rate that you need to be future-ready, and building your talent pipeline can be a better method to prepare for future talent needs. Therefore, should we buy our vegetables or grow them at home? Honestly, there are merits of doing both. Reskilling and upskilling should be a key ingredient in your long-term workforce plan because it improves your adaptability, increases your control, reduces your risk, boosts your engagement and retention and helps you be more future-ready. At Ignite, our Talent Solutions division provides training solutions customised to your business needs to ensure your workforce strategy flourishes now and into the future.

Interested in a career in Federal Government? For many roles, to even be considered, you will need to hold a security clearance. Why? Because government agencies deal with varying levels of sensitive and confidential information that can only be accessed by security-cleared workers. In this blog, we provide a guide to help you understand what security clearances are and how to acquire and maintain them. The four levels of security clearance: The level of security clearance you need for a government role is determined by the amount of access you’ll need to sensitive information. The higher the sensitivity, the higher clearance you will need. There are four security clearance levels in the Australian Government: Baseline Clearance – Access to protected information Negative Vetting Level 1 (NV1) – Access to secret information Negative Vetting Level 2 (NV2) – Access to top-secret information Positive Vetting (PV) – Access to top-secret information when NV2 clearance isn’t sufficient According to Government data, over 49,000 new security clearances were completed in 2019-20, and over 400,000 active clearances were maintained in the same year. So, the key question is, how do you join this exclusive talent pool? How to apply for security clearance? The Federal Government, like any business, wants the best talent. But, unlike commercial businesses, they demand additional levels of certainty pertaining to your eligibility and suitability to safeguard classified government data. To be eligible, you need to be an Australian citizen. You also need to be sponsored by an Australian Government department or agency in order to apply for a security clearance, which happens if you win a role that requires a security clearance and if the agency offers to sponsor you. It is not possible to obtain a security clearance without a sponsoring entity. Once you’ve ticked these boxes, you’ll then need to be vetted by the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA). This vetting assessment is extensive and probes most aspects of your life. This includes your identity, citizenship, background (between 5-10 years), digital footprint, referees, qualifications, education history, criminal history, and financial history. Furthermore, you may also have to undergo additional security interviews and psychological assessments to prove your fit for clearance in the eyes of the government. The higher the clearance, the more hoops you’ll have to jump through. Another important consideration is that obtaining a security clearance can take time. This isn’t due to the length of the vetting process, but often a large backlog of applications to the AGSVA. This means a baseline clearance can take 3 months, and an NV1 clearance can take up to six months. How to maintain your clearance? Security clearances aren’t forever. Irrespective of your clearance level, like a driver's license or a passport, at some point, it’ll need to be renewed. Revalidation ranges from 7-15 years depending on your level of clearance. Additionally, you must be in a job that requires clearance at your renewal date and be working at an entity willing to sponsor the renewal. If this isn’t the case, the clearance will be canceled. Such measures ensure that only the most relevant talent maintains security clearance to work in sensitive public sector roles. This means If you want a career within the Federal Government, chances are you’ll need to obtain a security clearance. If you meet the criteria and are deemed suitable in the eyes of the government, such clearance will give you access to a wide range of job opportunities across the government sector. At Ignite, we are specialists in recruitment at all levels of Government and have extensive experience connecting security-cleared candidates with our large network of Federal and State Government clients.  For more information, visit our website and contact us today. Australian Security Clearance for Government Jobs: FAQs Answered Get answers to frequently asked questions about Australian security clearance for government jobs. Learn about the duration of the clearance process, eligibility for non-citizens, the necessity of clearances for different roles, implications of failing to obtain clearance, transferability of clearances, renewal procedures, and the impact of criminal records on eligibility. How long does it take to obtain an Australian security clearance? The duration of the security clearance process can vary depending on several factors, including the level of clearance sought and the complexity of the individual's background. Generally, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to complete the process. Can non-citizens obtain an Australian security clearance? No, security clearances in Australia are only granted to Australian citizens. This requirement ensures loyalty, allegiance, and a commitment to the country's interests. Do I need a security clearance for all government jobs in Australia? Not all government jobs require a security clearance. The need for a security clearance depends on the nature of the role and the level of access to classified information or sensitive assets involved. Positions with higher levels of sensitivity are more likely to require a security clearance. What happens if I fail to obtain a security clearance? If an individual fails to obtain a security clearance, they may not be eligible for certain government positions that require access to classified information. However, there are often alternative roles within the government that do not require a clearance and may still be available for consideration. Are security clearances renewable? Yes, security clearances in Australia are subject to periodic reviews and renewals. The frequency of these reviews depends on the level of clearance granted. Regular reviews ensure that individuals continue to meet the necessary standards of integrity and trustworthiness. Can having a criminal record disqualify me from obtaining a security clearance? Not all criminal records automatically disqualify an individual from obtaining a security clearance. Each case is evaluated on its merits, considering factors such as the nature of the offense, the time elapsed since the incident, and evidence of rehabilitation. Transparency and honesty about one's criminal history are crucial during the clearance process. What factors can lead to a security clearance being denied? Security clearances may be denied due to factors such as significant criminal history, associations with individuals involved in criminal or extremist activities, foreign connections that raise concerns about loyalty, or a pattern of dishonesty or untrustworthiness. Can having a bad credit history affect my chances of obtaining a security clearance? A: While having a bad credit history alone may not automatically disqualify you, it can raise concerns regarding financial vulnerability and susceptibility to bribery or coercion. The extent to which it affects your clearance application will depend on the overall assessment of your character, trustworthiness, and ability to manage financial responsibilities. Are there any specific educational or professional qualifications required for security clearances? Educational or professional qualifications are not direct requirements for security clearances. However, certain government roles that require clearances may have specific educational or professional prerequisites. The clearance process primarily focuses on an individual's character, integrity, and suitability for handling classified information. Can personal relationships or associations impact the security clearance process? Personal relationships and associations can be considered during the security clearance process. The purpose is to identify any potential risks associated with an individual's close connections, such as family members or partners, who may have conflicting loyalties or associations with individuals or organizations that pose a security risk. Can past drug use affect the security clearance process? Past drug use can be a concern during the security clearance process, as it raises questions about an individual's judgment, reliability, and susceptibility to compromise. However, each case is evaluated on its merits, considering factors such as the frequency, recency, and circumstances surrounding the drug use, as well as evidence of rehabilitation.

We all love a great success story filled with dogged determinism. The actor who lives in her car and works odd jobs so she can become a blockbuster sensation. The high school dropout who puts in 20-hour days to launch the next game-changing internet company. The immigrant who moonlights as a janitor while working his way up to become CEO of the world’s largest bank. Most people will never become famous enough to garner widespread interest in the sacrifices they make to meet work goals – the sleep deprived IT professional who perpetually works 32 hours straight to keep systems running smoothly, a public servant who misses his child’s school events to keep up with paperwork or an executive assistant who answers the beck and call of an executive 24/7… It’s easy to admire the single-minded focus to achieving goals, after all, you’ve been pumped full of motivational quotes, memes and inspirational speeches most of your life. As a society, we tend to celebrate commitment at all costs and equate giving up as failure. But, in the professional world, this belief is gradually changing. The key questions you need to ask yourself is when does the healthy professional strive turn into the useless struggle? When does going over and above in our jobs begin to affect our health and wellbeing? When should we throw in the towel? The answer is surprisingly simple. When we associate a job with more pain than pleasure, it's time to re-evaluate. After all, the only reason we strive for success is the underlying belief it will make us happier in some way on another. If this is clearly no longer the case, then  it's time to move on. The key here is finding balance in both our professional and personal lives. If your job is affecting your physical health and mental wellbeing, its a clear sign your strive might not be worth it. Sure working a long shift to complete a major project might be part of the job, and something you're willing to do to get ahead. But if one late night turns into an expectation of working late every night, at some point, somethings got to give, and most likely it won't be in your favour. Many people spend years finding the right balance between professional and personal. An added complication is often that many people are willing to self-sacrifice in the pursuit for success. A junior lawyer knows the hours will be long to ascend the ranks. But, they do it anyway to become a senior partner quicker. The problem is though, when this imbalance becomes too unsustainable, the result is often burnout, exhaustion, stress, mental illness or something even worse. In the modern working world, the concept of work-life balance has become far more accepted among employers. Good companies understand that there is no trade-off between living a well-rounded life and high performance. In fact, they know that when they provide talent with a healthy work-life balance, their performance and productivity often improves. As a result, work-life balance has become much more commonplace and is highly sought after by all walks of talent. If your company doesn't understand this, then it's probably time to move on. Yes, it's important to strive for success and reach your professional goals, but this can be achieved without impacting you health and wellbeing. There is a tipping point in all jobs where your healthy strive can become a useless struggle, and your ability to recognise and address this will influence your overall happiness. At Ignite, we value work-life balance and ensure we support people in both their professional and personal endeavors as  much as possible. We connect great talent to like-minded organisations who understand the importance of work life balance for their employees.