Recruitment and jobs blog

Igniting Potential Through Adversity By Nicole Shepherd, General Manager at Ignite ACT Potential is essentially something intangible. We can’t feel it or touch it but we can sense it. Scientifically it’s energy, etymologically it’s a word from the Latin words for power, ability and potency. Humans have an infinite amount of the stuff so how come it seems so hard to tap into this mass of power or even identify it and use it? Ironically, the very thing that can ignite it is the one thing that suppresses it – our conscious minds. Societal expectations and conditioning, and perceptions of realities, form our opinions of ourselves and our circumstances and can either create opportunities or build boundaries. Apathy, self-doubt and conformity are thrown up as reasons for crushing human potential but it’s fear in its many forms that is the true culprit. Fear of the unknown, fear of humiliation, fear of change, fear of failure, fear of stepping out of the comfort zone. Fear of what happens when realise your potential and become a hero. It’s the admission of fear that Agape International Founder Michael Beckwith, believes is the first step of a process that chips away at the walls that block potential and passion. He believes that that the feeling of fear, the pain endured rejecting your inner power and calling eventually becomes so unbearable a way out will emerge. “The pain pushes until the vision pulls,” he says. That moment the vision arrives and a path appears is when your potential is ignited. And yes, it has to be a bit scary. He says, “You can start with nothing. And out of nothing, and out of no way, a way will be made.” That’s your potential igniting. Love your Problems So how do we listen to that calling? Philanthropist and motivational speaker, Tony Robbins believes we need to see pain and fear as important precursors to stepping up and igniting potential. “Problems call us to higher level. The problem is we think we’re not supposed to have problems” he says. On top of this, the modern version of the comfort zone is incredibly broad and comfy. Bad day at work? Watch a TV show, eat some sweet and salty take-out, have a drink and feel immediately better. We forget about our problems. Modern gratification comes online, on-demand and is tantalisingly timely. So while Friedrich Nietzsche said that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, a more modern, less extreme warning comes from musician and poet Janis Joplin, “We are what we settle for.” It’s chillingly mundane. Regrets We’ve All Had a Few The power of regret, the evil buddy of retrospect, plays a large part for people who have already ignited their potential. They understand the painful, long-lasting effects of regret, and will do anything to avoid it including facing up to massive obstacles and challenges. Tony Robbins says, “They know the real fear is living a life where they have settled or compromised on what they really wanted”. Leveraging fear of regret can be a powerful way to tap into your own potential. “Of the many regrets people describe, regrets of inaction outnumber those of action by nearly two to one. We feel safe in our comfort zones, where we can avoid the sting of regret yet, at the same time, we regret most those actions and risks we did not take,” he adds. Igniting Potential Ask yourself some honest, difficult questions, the ones that keep you up at night. Probe your problems. They’re not going anywhere, so you might as well acquaint yourself with them, find their limits and work out ways to break them down and move beyond them. It’s not going to be easy. Determine your goals by looking into your future. Will you be proud of your past or will you wish you had “done” something? Identify and understand your excuses that keep you nice and safe in the comfort zone. No time and no money are the usual ones. Think of the Japanese proverb; “The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.” Build an adaptable, resilient attitude. Setbacks, rejections and failures are painful. Know that failure and pain is inevitable. Be flexible, develop new strategies to get closer to your goals. Keep learning and growing. As Michael Beckwith says; “You can break yourself free from your hereditary patterns, cultural codes, social beliefs; and prove that the power within you is greater than the power that’s in the world.” Formidable but true.

The Cost of the Wrong Job by Marc Lander, Business Leader focused on Business Support, HR & Legal, and Sales and Marketing So often we hear about how much a bad hire can cost a company, especially in monetary terms. However, we very rarely hear about how actually being in the wrong job can affect an employee. According to recent studies from Dale Carnegie Training*, a staggering number of employees are disengaged or in other words, at the worst end of the spectrum - hate their jobs. A survey of 1,500 employees found that nearly half of us are “partially engaged.” So what does being in the wrong job mean to the average employee?  Here’s a simple infographic that sums it up. The cost of being in the wrong job is high. Energy. Your energy is drained. Working at something you hate takes twice as long. It’s not just in the office, lacking in energy drains your private life of the good times and new opportunity. As the saying goes, you can’t give what you don’t have. Confidence. Confidence ebbs and flows and is connected to your ego. It needs nurturing and bolstering from management, friends and loved ones. Losing confidence means you can’t trust your own instincts, decision making is difficult and once confidence is eroded it’s hard to get back. Money. Clearly you’re in no position to ask for a pay rise and with energy levels and confidence at an all-time low, that promotion seems unrealistic to you and management. Going the extra mile is near on impossible. Relationships. Ever snapped at a loved one because of something that happened at work? Stay in the wrong job and multiply this by 10. Feelings of guilt as family and loved ones are neglected for the wrong job can fester and sours even the strongest relationships. Health.  Ever heard of karoshi? When otherwise healthy Japanese business people suddenly keel over from exhaustion? That’s the extreme. For most of us it’s headaches, chronic illness, weight loss or gain and hours of precious time lost to extra sick days. *Engaging Employees: What Drives Employee Engagement and Why It Matters. (MSW Research)    

Workers have new expectations and employers are embracing "on demand" talent. Ignite CEO Peter Wilson discusses the trends in talent services with HRD.

Working in the gig economy conjures up images of both ultimate work-flexibility and risk. Is there a way to get the best of both worlds? Read on. Gig Economy – Get the Best of Both Worlds Working in the gig economy conjures up images of both ultimate work-flexibility but at the same time financial risk, instability and at worst, exploitation. The joys of working in the gig economy seem obvious – from working where you choose; your home, a car, your favourite coffee shop or even on a hammock on a tropical beach, to working when you want; day or night, while looking after kids or caring for your family. However, the flip side to this freedom can be inconsistent work, patchy cash-flow, working for and with people you don’t know, and lack of perks and protections that a permanent gig can bring such as paid holiday, super annuation or worker’s insurance, which can be non-existent. So what is the gig economy? It’s essentially where incomes are earnt or supplemented by trading individual goods and services online. For example, you could be renting out a room via Airbnb, outsourcing graphic design with Freelancer, driving for Uber, delivering for Foodora or sharing your car with Car Next Door. It’s a tech-enabled, flourishing part of the economy and it’s growing rapidly. Some studies have revealed that over 30% of the Australian workforce are now engaged in freelance work which contributes $51 billion to the national economy and both figures are rising.* Ian Matthews, National Account Manager at Ignite Services, has been working in the IT and recruitment industries for 30 years and has watched the market evolve. With particular emphasis on outcome-based results for clients he believes the gig economy is becoming more important for both candidates and employers. “There’s been a major shift, thanks to technology, in we can achieve in a short amount of time so it makes sense to adopt short-term strategies and contracts to achieve your goals,” he said. “My position at Ignite has enabled me to watch the incredible development of global working trends and I can safely say that the gig economy offers a great opportunity for those ready for the life change and challenge,” he added. He’s noticed many candidates thriving in this fast paced higher-risk working environment including Baby Boomers and millennials who currently are more comfortable with multiple jobs, combining them with on-going education and upskilling. However, not all people are cut out for this environment. This is because the burden of sick leave, carer’s leave capital expenditure and insurance is often carried by the worker, not the platform or employers. For example, Uber drivers are expected to own their own cars and cover all maintenance costs, delivery drivers have to cover themselves for insurance and tech workers often have only email correspondence with an unknown entity who is essentially their boss.   How Ignite Protects You Ian believes the way to truly take advantage of the gig economy is to be part of Ignite’s new On-Demand service which offers workers the protection of super annuation and workers’ insurance but at the same time lets a worker enjoy the freedoms and opportunities offered by the gig economy. Ignite’s On-Demand service meets the growing need for flexible and immediate skills by connecting pre-qualified, talented workers with IT tasks, allowing clients access to services on a shared digital marketplace. It gives IT workers the ability to be free agents whilst helping organisations manage short terms spikes in personnel without the overhead that comes with managing full time employees. “Essentially it’s the best of both worlds for both parties. Freedom for the workers and consistent results without increased spend for clients,” said Ian. *Freelancing in Australia: A National Survey of the New Workforce. Data collected July 19-July31 2014 by independent research firm Edelman Berland.