November 23 2016 Goodbye burnout, hello beach: this Sydney agency has quit traditional office hours

A PR agency in Sydney’s inner west has waved goodbye to traditional office hours – and even introduced a regular ‘Work from the Beach Day’ – to improve staff work/life balance and eliminate the risk of burnout. Renae Smith, Director of The Atticism, has placed a limit on the ‘in office’ hours staff can work. Read More…

November 16 2016 Hire for the role – and diversity in the workforce is assured

How do you generate a chorus of support from business owners? Simple. When we all agree that business success is predicated on finding the right people with the right skills who are the right fit for our individual business culture. We know that the process of recruitment is the single most important function for business Read More…

November 7 2016 New youth unemployment program will benefit SMEs hungry for ‘fresh talent’

The Victorian Government has contributed more than a million in funding towards a program that will help unemployed youth into jobs in the technology sector. According to Roger Antochi of Talent RISE, one of two organisations delivering the program, it will also benefit SMEs hungry for ‘fresh talent’ and innovative muscle. The $1.2 million Jobs Read More…

November 7 2016 On board, raring to go and driven to succeed: the value of creating a culture of team-ship

A managing director arrives at her desk to a bottle of wine and a ‘thank you’ note from her team. They’re expressing gratitude for a fun afternoon away from the office celebrating the Melbourne Cup as a team. No leave time was recorded –  the out-of-office activity was a gesture of goodwill.  The managing director understands the importance of developing a culture of Read More…

October 31 2016 The need to be flexible in the war for talent

As the war for talent intensifies, small businesses may find themselves on the losing end if they insist on rigid recruitment standards, according to Paul Wolfe, senior vice president of HR at employment-related search engine Indeed. Wolfe, who has served as a VP and SVP at a number of well-known companies including Match.com, Orbitz, Conde Nast and Ticketmaster, Read More…

October 26 2016 Three strategies for recruiting and retaining the best talent in the digital technology age

Australian businesses are facing an uphill battle when it comes to recruitment and retaining the best talent. A recent Robert Half report revealed a key challenge, with the majority (57%) of HR managers missing out on qualified candidates because of lengthy hiring processes. While recruiting the right talent is difficult, retaining talent is the next battle. Read More…

October 21 2016 The hiring mistakes that fuel staff turnover

The ability to hire the right staff can make or break an entire operation. Consider this: the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) estimates staff turnover costs businesses up to $20 billion a year in Australia and it has also been predicted that as much as 80% of staff turnover is due to bad hiring decisions. Here are some of Read More…

October 7 2016 Workforce diversity isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s necessary for innovation, businesses warned

Businesses will fall behind in the innovation stakes unless they buck the status quo and strive for greater gender equality, attendees at a recent forum were warned.  Last month, the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce hosted a media briefing at Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel. The event saw Lynn Kraus, Managing Partner, Sydney & Oceania Markets, EY moderate a panel discussion on diversity. The Read More…

October 6 2016 Bright minds: draw them in or risk losing them

Succeeding in business today doesn’t just require good talent – it requires great talent.  It also requires great products, a smart strategy and an internal desire to innovate and thus stay ahead of the competition. But let’s focus our attention back on talent. After all, it’s one of the most important components of business today and all around us we Read More…

September 26 2016 Win the war for talent with future-focused remote and flexible working environments

In 2015, millennials became the biggest cohort in the Australian workforce [i], signalling a major shift in the way small businesses engage staff. This highly connected, constantly switched-on generation expect instant access to technology which is forcing businesses to rethink the way they work. Offering more flexible work environments will be key to attracting and retaining the best Read More…

September 23 2016 How to build a team of intrapreneurs 

The fastest way to build a team of intrapreneurs – i.e. entrepreneurial types who operate within an organisation they don’t own – is through a recruitment process that doesn’t involve phoning referees listed on CVs. When you’re recruiting, calling a listed referee on a CV will be a waste of time as they will always give a glowing reference. Employers Read More…

September 12 2016 What roles are suitable for start-ups and small businesses to send offshore?

Hiring skilled staff who are based offshore can transform your small business and position it for growth, but it’s a decision where you must look before they leap. A business with problematic management and poor retention, for example, will not suddenly rid itself of these issues by moving its accounts payable section offshore. Businesses are Read More…

September 8 2016 A creative freelancer can be your ‘secret weapon’ if you master the engagement process

The benefits of outsourcing a creative project to a specialist freelancer are endless for business owners. Firstly, you don’t have to delegate the task to a staff member who might not be the most skilled person for the job. You’re also freeing up internal resources to focus on their own role. And outsourcing to a creative freelancer Read More…

September 7 2016 Zero week’s notice: how to make a quick hire after an abrupt resignation

It’s the scenario no manager wants to face but it happens all too often: an employee quits on the spot and the position left vacant needs to be filled ASAP. Usual recruitment cycles can take up to two months with job ads to create, interviewing, hiring and offering and all the recruitment admin that’s part of Read More…

September 5 2016 Offshoring can reduce operational costs – but the process must be properly managed

In order to reap the benefits of offshoring non-core competencies, SMBs must effectively communicate the process to onshore staff while ensuring there is cultural transference, according to Scott Stavretis, the CEO of Acquire BPO, Australia’s largest outsourcer to the Philippines. Stavretis recently spoke to Dynamic Business about offshoring including the advantages for businesses, his predictions for the Read More…