Decreased employee engagement threatens economic recovery

A 17 percentage point decrease in employment engagement since 2006 threatens the UK's economic recovery, according to consultants Mercer.

A survey of 1,000 employees from 79 multinationals suggested that a "reward perception gap" has arisen in many workplaces as employers "misjudge drivers behind staff attraction, retention and motivation" and "underrate the importance of base pay, job security and work-life balance to employees while overrating bonuses and career development."

Mercer’s head of human capital in the UK, Chris Johnson, said: "There is a direct relationship between an engaged and motivated workforce and company productivity.

"At a time of economic uncertainty, we’d expect high employee engagement, especially with many staff appreciating their companies’ efforts to limit redundancies during the recent recession. The reverse seems to be true — primarily due to a mismatch in perceptions."

Most respondents believe their reward levels to be average or worse compared to rivals, despite employers believing the opposite.

Source: www.check4jobs.com

ALMOST 40% OF EMPLOYERS WILL INCREASE BUSINESS SUPPORT HEADCOUNT SAYS NEW REPORT

Over half of employers will keep their permanent hiring of business support professionals at the same level and 39% will increase headcount during 2011. That’s according to the 2010 market report and salary survey just released by secretarial and business support recruiter Crone Corkill.

Aditionally, while general market data is predicting a downturn in temporary hiring overall, the report says that evolving legislative changes around flexible working practices will continue to impact on hiring demand. “Maternity leave, for example, is often a big driver of temporary demand,” says Tracy Durrant, Managing Director of Crone Corkill. “And with maternity and paternity leave rights becoming more generous, we would expect this to be a continuing trend throughout 2010.”

Other key findings from the report which surveyed employers across the commerce, industry, financial services and not for profit sectors included:

- Languages in high demand as organisations become more internationally focused
- An emerging trend towards the Team PA driven by challenging market conditions
- A trend towards longer term temporary contracts
- Legal Secretaries now much more involved in client facing duties such as events and marketing
- Over 20% of employers reported a shortage of receptionists and top level Executive Assistants
- 15% of employers said that they had plans to increase recruitment from overseas during 2010

Tracey Dunn
BlueSky PR

Forget the front office: hot jobs behind the scenes in Singapore

Our pick of some of the most active jobs outside the front office in Singapore...
Product controllers with loads of qualifications
Increased demand in this function is due to a number of factors, in particular minimum replacement hiring last year, which meant that teams who lost staff were short handed for several months. Other reasons include the resumption of role migration from higher-cost locations into Singapore and an additional focus on up-skilling, says Craig Brewer, manager, banking and financial services, Hudson Sinagpore.
Between 2005 and 2007, banks were happy to hire candidates with generic back or middle-office expertise due to a local shortage of product controllers. Now, says Brewer, the benchmark for these positions is significantly higher. “Banks are seeking established product control experience, coupled with CPA qualifications as a minimum. Qualified chartered accountants can expect to be moved to the top of the list and will be paid accordingly.”
 
Regulatory reporting: overseas skills a plus
Why are there more vacancies? “This is mainly driven by the increasingly stringent regulatory requirements in foreign countries. With many banks now maintaining regional or global hubs in Singapore, they need candidates with a solid understanding of international regulatory requirements,” explains Sam Belcher, manager of banking and financial services, Ambition Singapore.
 
British banks, for example, want candidates with UK Financial Services Authority experience. “This is also because there are parallels with the basic requirements set out by MAS. There has also been a fair amount of turnover in local reporting functions, so there is a definite demand for more senior candidates in this area,” adds Belcher.
 
Change and project management
During the downturn, a lot of banks cancelled projects due to cost constraints, but so far in 2010, this sector is showing good signs of recovery, says Brewer. Singapore's global hub status has resulted in more projects being initiated across infrastructure areas, including finance, operations and IT. In addition, internal businesses increasingly have their own dedicated project teams.
Candidates with accounting and operations line experience, who are keen to move into change management, are in demand, says Belcher. “As the market picks up in 2011, we expect this to increase even further as banks try to gain market share.”
 
By Simon Mortlock

Re training in Ireland if you've recently lost your job

Why not view this time on your hands as an opportunity to retrain and obtain a new or different career?

MANY people are experiencing redundancy at the moment. Why not view this time on your hands as an opportunity to retrain and obtain a new or different career?

O'Fiaich Institute of Further Education, Dundalk has a wide range of Post Leaving Certificate or Further Education courses which could help you to achieve this. From next September there will be twenty two courses on offer covering a wide range of subject areas such as Eng inee r ing , Information Technology, Holistic Health Studies, Photography, Sport Health and Fitness Studies, Nursing Studies and Childcare.
These courses are practical in nature and provide students with valuable vocational skills which can help them to gain employment or to proceed to higher education. These courses are all of one or two years duration and are open to learners from 17 to 70 years old.

They are available to school leavers, but also to mature students and the latter do not necessarily need to have passed the Leaving Certificate since different criteria are used in selecting mature students.
Although many students use PLC courses to obtain employment immediately after their course, an increasing number of both school leavers and mature students are using these courses as an alternative route into third level education. This can be done using the Higher Education Links Scheme or the Pilot Scheme, both of which can be used to access third level courses by using the FETAC (Further Education and Training Awards Council) qualifications which all students have an opportunity to obtain on these courses.

More information can be obtained about these schemes on the FETAC website, http://www.fetac.ie/ by following the Higher Education Links where it says Quick Links - Select. More information about the courses available in O'Fiaich Institute of Further Education can be obtained from the website http://www.ofi.ie/.

Taken from Loadzajobs.ie

Employees want companies to start investing in them again

Today I speak on behalf of workers who are in the dumps about how things have turned out with their employers.

They used to be model workers of gung-ho-ness and company loyalty. They'd go to unthinkable ends to complete their duties, be away from home for weeks if that's what it took. They were quality- and client-obsessed.

Today, as one of them — who will go unnamed since he now obsesses on losing his job — says, "We put down our pencils at 5 o'clock."

I hear of this discontent from workers who fill me in on the latest corporate honcho decision at their companies that would kill the hard-working spirit of an ant. Such informants range in title from vocational teacher to vice president of operations.

It's not that things were perfect before. But at least worker and employer were in it together, they say. Their companies supported the people that worked there. They invested in them.

"Now the only focus is on revenue," one person says. "The company always made that a priority, but today — in the last six months to a year — there's no investment in employees. They won't spend a dime on helping us update our skills."

"In my annual review, my boss told me she wanted me to get more training in a particular area," one man told me. "I found a course and showed it to her. She said it looked good but that she can't get it through the budget. 'It's not a priority,' she said."

What exactly do these disenfranchised want?

"I have given so much to this company. I want more than a paycheck," one says. "I'd like to know I'm appreciated. Now it's all about a short-term view to cut costs by outsourcing jobs — no bonuses or raises, no backfilling staff that leaves — and now, no training.

"I know that any day my job could be outsourced. And since the company won't develop my skills to stay up to date, they're more likely to do that. So I'm less willing to take risks because I'm expendable."

"The thing is, this will ultimately impact the health of our company and affect revenue because when you're working for a paycheck alone, you work different(ly). You do the minimum required. I don't want to feel this way."

Fortunately, some industries and firms recognize that your people matter most.

A recent survey by the Association for Financial Professionals showed that "human capital factors such as education and training of key finance personnel have a significant impact on the efficiency of treasury operations."

It also showed that against a backdrop of changing regulations, new technology and significant financial upheaval, "the importance of ongoing training to keep knowledge and skills up-to-date. Benchmark performing treasury staffs spend on average four to six days in training and outperform companies that spend two days or less in training."

Marilyn Spearing, global head of trade finance and cash management corporates in the Global Transaction Banking division of Deutsche Bank, says her company "continues to invest in the strength of its talent and seeks employees who exemplify a 'passion to perform' " ... which contributes "to the overall success of clients as well as the bank."

Another informant, a manager for an international company, told me that his firm had asked his team to work over Thanksgiving weekend.

"I told them 'no,'" he says, adding, "With the way the company treats people, we can't expect more than the minimum. I don't feel right asking my team to take off their holiday for the company."

In other words, the workers are saying this: You get back what you put into us.

By Andrea Kay, Gannett

Ireland nears aid deal as contagion fears persist

(Reuters) - A financial aid plan to help Ireland cope with its battered banks will be unveiled next week, EU sources said on Friday, but experts warned a rescue may not be enough to prevent contagion to other euro zone members.

Europe's single currency fell back late in the day and the risk premium investors demand to buy Irish debt instead of benchmark German bonds remained high as optimism about an aid deal was tempered by a sense the crisis is far from over.

A poll of participants at a high-level banking congress in Frankfurt showed nearly three quarters believe the turmoil that has shaken Europe's currency bloc for much of the past year would rage on even after an Irish rescue, ensnaring other financially weak countries like Portugal.
"As long as the fundamentals don't improve, the pressure will continue on other countries too," said Daniel Gros, head of the Centre of European Policy Studies in Brussels. "Many believe the euro zone is just moving from one crisis to the next."
In Washington, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner disagreed. Asked in an interview on Bloomberg Television whether an aid package for Ireland from the EU and IMF could be the last bailout needed, he said: "I think that is absolutely possible."
"It is within the capacity of the Irish Government and the European authorities to achieve, and I believe they will achieve that because this government, Ireland, has demonstrated that they are willing to do some very, very difficult, very, very hard things to dig their way out of this mess," he said.

DEPENDENCY
Ireland's central bank chief has acknowledged the country needs a loan running into the tens of billions of euros to shore up a fragile banking sector that has grown dependent on ECB funds and seen an exodus of deposits over the past six months.
Allied Irish, once the country's largest listed lender, announced that customer accounts had plunged by 13 billion euros (11 billion pounds) so far this year and that mortgage book arrears had continued to rise in the third quarter.
AIB is relying on the Irish government to bail it out after years of loose lending to property developers left it with a gaping capital hole in excess of 10 billion euros.
"General funding market conditions in recent months have become increasingly challenging," the bank said in a statement.
Last week, larger rival Bank of Ireland signalled a 10 billion euro outflow of corporate deposits in the third quarter while bancassurer Irish Life & Permanent said it had suffered a 600 million outflow in the same period.
Unlike Bank of Ireland and Irish Life & Permanent, AIB did not indicate if the deposit withdrawal had tailed off.
The cost of supporting its ailing banks is forecast to push Ireland's deficit up to 32 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year, over ten times EU limits and by far the highest in the 16-nation currency zone.
Concerns about swelling bank liabilities and a German-led drive to create a system for restructuring stricken euro zone state debts has pushed Dublin's borrowing costs sharply higher since late October, forcing the government into rescue talks with European and IMF officials.

UNCLEAR ON AID AMOUNT
Irish community minister Pat Carey said the government would publish the details of a four-year fiscal plan to save 15 billion euros early next week. EU sources said the financial aid plan for Ireland would be presented at roughly the same time.
Sources have told Reuters Ireland may need assistance of between 45 billion and 90 billion euros, depending on whether it needs help only for its banks or for public debt as well.
The head of the euro zone's temporary fiscal safety net, from which funds could come, said aid could be raised in five to eight days if needed, notably from investors in Asia.
"We are confident that we can raise the necessary funds from institutional investors, central banks and sovereign funds, in Asia in particular," Klaus Regling, head of the European Financial Stability Facility, told French daily Le Monde.
Carey said it was impossible to say how much aid Ireland would need until a joint mission of the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund, which arrived in Dublin on Thursday, had a good look at the banks.
Banks in Ireland have been largely shut out of market lending due to concerns about their solvency. They are almost entirely reliant on funding from the ECB, which reached 130 billion euros by end-October.
Markets calmed in recent days after it became clear Ireland was on track to receive aid, but remained jittery on Friday.
The euro briefly pushed up above $1.3720, only to fall back to $1.3660 in late European trading. The spreads of Irish 10-year bonds above German benchmarks drifted down towards 5.4 percentage points before pushing back up to 5.6 points, dragging Greek, Portuguese and Spanish debt alongside.
Jonathan Loynes, chief European economist at Capital Economics, spoke of a "creeping concern" that problems on the European periphery would spread, possibly engulfing big economies like that of Spain.

BONE OF CONTENTION
There still remains a risk that aid talks could drag out if Dublin and the EU are unable to agree on the conditions attached to financial assistance.
Ireland's rock-bottom 12.5 percent corporation tax is shaping up as a major bone of contention, with euro zone neighbours pressing Ireland to raise it as part of any deal and Dublin resisting, arguing it is crucial for foreign investment.
The government, under severe pressure from the media and an emboldened opposition, faces a by-election next week which threatens to cut its razor-thin parliamentary majority.
Speaking at the opening of a new airport terminal on Friday, embattled Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen vowed to get the "best possible outcome" for the Irish people in the talks.

(Reporting by Carmel Crimmins in Dublin, Paul Carrel, Eva Kuehnen and Josephine Cox in Frankfurt, Tim Ahmann in Washington)
(Writing by Noah Barkin; Editing by Mike Peacock)

UK Manager have to work on their Management skills!

The survey undertaken among 29,000 employees in 21 countries by HR software provider Kenexa's Research Institute revealed that the UK ranked 17^th for managerial effectiveness, scoring only 47%, a huge 25% behind India, which topped the poll at 72%, and well below the average score of 55%.

 

Jack Wiley, executive director of the Research Institute, said: "For their own effectiveness – and for the sake of their organisations and the economy – UK leaders should look in the mirror, evaluate their own practices and commit to personal improvement. At the same time, UK organisations should review the approaches they use to recruit and develop their leaders."

 

The country's most effective bosses tended to be found in the manufacturing, healthcare and retail sectors, while the least effective were likely to work in government and financial services.

 

But the report entitled 'Exploring Leadership and Managerial Effectiveness' also indicated that, according to employees, the most effective managers were fair, communicative and involved staff. They also acted as problem solvers, recognised a job well done, supported personnel development and were employee-oriented.

 

This meant that the key priorities for leadership development were in building up leadership trust and the ability to engage in open, honest two-way communication, the study said.

 

But it also showed that effective management had a positive and significant impact on staff engagement. If employees rated their leaders as effective, engagement levels were at about 91%, while if they viewed their bosses as either neutral or ineffective, the score was more like 17%, as much as five times lower.

 

The findings were also backed up by a similar study undertaken by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Its 'Economic Outlook' research indicated that morale had fallen over the last six months among 93% of workers. Some 62% were pessimistic about the future, while 53% were worried about the impact of skills shortages on managers’ ability to deliver.

 

A further 47% said they had left a job due to a bad manager, with 21% complaining that they were authoritarian, 16% bureaucratic and 13% secretive.

 

But the data also revealed that 68% of bosses had fallen into their role 'by accident', with 63% having received no management training. A further three out of 10 also admitted that they were scared of looking incompetent if they asked for help.

 

As a result, the CMI has developed a number of qualifications ranging from Level 3, the equivalent of A level, to Level 7, the equivalent of a post-graduate degree, focusing on project management, public service leadership and neighbourhood management.

What kind of a Sales Closer are you?

Whether you are actually working in sales or trying to close an interview to get a job. A Sales Close is necessary. Which of the below is you?

Closing a sale is converting commitment into a decision

·     How do you achieve a decision?
·     What is a pre-closed decision?

For example, “if I present you with a candidate that meets or exceeds your expectations next Thursday morning, are you prepared to make a decision by Thursday afternoon?”

How do you reach a decision?
·     Have all information available
·     Importance placed on the information
·     Pressure of circumstance
·     Emotional state

Note: decisions are easy to make when every factor points to positive benefits

Question: what is a pre-closed decision?
Answer; a series of small decisions. If both parties are unable to agree it is best to take no further action unless/until the circumstances change and agreement to proceed can be achieved

The basic principles of closing
·     Plan the close: – role-play the close as it builds confidence. Be sincere, enthusiastic and positive
·     Close early and often: – you will never lose a placement closing too soon, but can by closing too late
·     Be assumptive: – assume a positive decision can be made
·     Close and wait: – you can only take action when you have information
·     Listen:– often client and candidate want to say yes. Listen out for the “buying signal” and ask a closing question.

‘The Winston Churchill’
Also known as the ‘Ben Franklin’ or the ‘t bar’ close.
Excellent technique for helping someone see the positive logic of moving in your direction.
It is a decision-making aid for ‘non-sales personalities’ who don’t buy the feel-good factor or vision alone.
It is a list of positives and negatives that help reassure that a “yes” is good for them.
It shows that you have empathy with them and allows you to remove the fear of making a wrong decision.

‘Feel, felt, found’
Also known as the ‘similar situation close’.
Relate a story or an example to the client or candidate.
People often substitute themselves with the ‘main character’ in the story.
Needs to be practised and role played to become fluent and natural but worth the input as is very powerful on HR, procurement and CFO due to logical agreement and the ‘real nature’ of a mini three-line case study.
For example:
“…Mr client, it’s interesting you should say that, I know exactly how you feel. My current clients tell me they felt exactly that same way. What they have found however is really interesting…”

‘The alternative choice’
Perhaps the most common technique in ‘small sales’.
The secret is that the buyer has more choices than the choice “yes” or “no”.
For example: “Would you like to see my candidate?”Is a closing question true, but only gives one choice — yes or no.
“Would you like find out more about my candidate by having a conversation with them over the phone or face to face?” Is three choices — yes or no or phone or face-to-face.

‘The Sharp Angle’
This is simple technique to pick up.
It’s about testing the question you are being asked and flipping it back in the form of an advancing question.
For example:
Client – “Would he accept a lower basic if we increased the annual bonus?”
Consultant – “Would you offer him today if he would?”
Or
Candidate – “Does the company offer a relocation package?”
Consultant – “If they did, would you be interested?”
‘The Take Away’
The principle is based upon ‘time kills all deals’ being a mantra for all salespeople who live by the principle of ‘kill it now/kill it soonest’.
NB: this technique will not, repeat not kill a deal. What it will do is accelerate the death of a deal that was already dying.
For example: “Mr client, I do understand the problems you have internally in organising diaries, however I have been withholding this candidate from another of my clients who expressed an interest … So as not to muddy the waters with you as it were.  To be fair on the candidate, should I go ahead and introduce it to them or wait?”

‘The Reduce to the Ridiculous’
The perfect close for both client and candidates who are arguing on fee or salary details.
You need to do your homework first or at least have a calculator on your desk. (Don’t panic, remain calm, don’t rush this technique.)
Whether client or candidate, concentrate on ‘the difference’ – the amount in dispute.
Reduce it to its lowest denominator by spreading over a 12-month period – or over 52 weeks, and then reduce this again by days, as you need to.

‘The Cherry Tree’
Used on closing a person who is an emotional and quick decision-maker.
Based on the principle that people buy with both logic and emotional triggers, it latches onto the ‘hot button’ of the buyer.
For example: the candidate comments on the amount of R&D funding being spent on new design adaptations of a particular product and how that when they complete the new design it will be “light years ahead of his current company…”
To the trained recruiter this is the candidate’s ‘hot button’ and is a buying signal – this is the candidate’s ‘cherry tree’.
Our role is to close the candidate – not on money or company name, or on promotional prospects alone (these are ‘logic’) but to keep reminding him of how good it will be when he gets to work on ‘the new design project’.

‘The Impending Doom’
Not dissimilar to the ‘take away’ in sales psychology, but subtly different as here there may well be real issues of timing, location, re-location to deal with.
Is often used to confidently encourage a client to interview your candidate ‘for fear of losing them’ through another offer – of promotion etc.
Also effective when a candidate is ‘hedging’ or not returning calls on time etc.
For example: “Mr candidate, my client has suggested that you are in serious contention for this role following your last meeting and our subsequent conversations. That said, the project as you know is larger than any one man and can’t be postponed so please come back to me within 24 hours.”

The ‘One Deal won’t Make or Break me’
This technique is very consultative and empathetic. It is in fact a ‘pre-close’ or a ‘tee up’ for a close as you are reassuring both the client or candidate that this decision is not about the ‘deal’ or the money from the deal.
It does open up the conversation to the ‘feel, felt, found’ and ‘sharp angle’ techniques.
Also, it positions you as an advisor (as indeed you are) to help your client get the most appropriate individual and the candidate to get the most appropriate career move.
Or you both agree that it is not right as it is in this moment in time and close so that you both can move on.

‘The Assumptive’
If there could be an all-round classic close – this must be it.
Confused buyers never buy; nervous buyers never follow through on the initial ‘yes’. People suffer from a state of mind called ‘buyer’s remorse’, where they regret saying ‘yes’. This conditions people to say no even when they are interested.
They certainly won’t buy if they think the person selling does not believe in their product or solution.
You must assume that your client will benefit from your candidate and you must assume that your candidate will benefit from your client. Then make the closing statement.

By Tony Seager, Co-founder of Seal Recruitment Training Solutions.

Big Accounting Firms Aiming High in Recruitment - Hong Kong

Two of the Big Four firms have recently announced some rather lofty recruitment and training goals for the coming years.  According to Accenture’s own website, the firm expects that “by 2015, Accenture it will equip 250,000 people around the world with the skills to get a job or build a business”. 


And as to Deloitte, they have claimed that  they are going to hire an average of 50,000 people per year over the next five years.  Those are huge numbers, and a lot of that speculation is based on optimism about growth in emerging Asian markets.  However, there is plenty of skepticism over at the Big Four


“While we cannot really say whether Accenture will succeed in its goal of 250,000 jobs by 2015 (and how exactly this will be measured and tracked), the foundation of such an ambitious endeavor seems to be well thought out and in place. The three pillars outlined above should provide the impetus for Accenture, its people and its partners to realize their lofty vision – the commitment, progress and money certainly seem to be there.


Next, let’s analyze Deloitte. :Let’s start by saying that the details on the “50,000 by 2015” are quite sketchy. The Financial Times makes a brief mention about a statement that Deloitte made on Monday September 13, 2010 when it released its 2010 financial results that, “Deloitte… would hire an average of 50,000 workers a year during the next five years…”
There’s slightly more from the Guardian of the UK’s website, “The firm s existing workforce numbers 170,000, including 12,000 in Britain. Its planned hiring rate will raise this to 225,000 by 2015.”
There’s nothing we could find in the official Deloitte press release or from a special Deloitte statement or from the US papers or website on this. But be that as it may.


Doing the simple math leads to an incorrect conclusion in our opinion. If you simply multiply 50,000 by 5 to get 250,000 and then add that to Deloitte’s current employee level of 170,000, you end up with 420,000 employees in 2015. That’s an enormous number by any standards and even when you compare it to the almost 600,000 that work in all the Big Four accounting firms today.”


Probably an accurate assessment of the situation, but tone down the expectations by even a third and the outlook for new jobs with Accenture et. al.  look very good in the coming years.

Thinking outside the box! - 4 other ways to find a new job

The Web is usually the first place people go to find a job, and many fill their days blasting resumes in response to online job postings. That's a classic mistake, says Donald Asher, author of Cracking the Hidden Job Market: How to Find Opportunity in Any Economy, which will be released in December. In this job market, "people have to do something different to find a job," says Asher. "If they're simply applying to posted openings, there will always be someone who's a little more center-of-the-bulls-eye."

Frustrating as it may be, about half of all new jobs are filled before they ever make it to the online posting stage, says Asher, who is also a public speaker and has written 12 books on careers and higher education. And in a bad economy, even more jobs go to those who know someone on the inside or approached the company at the right time. For those job openings that are advertised online, hiring managers may get hundreds—if not thousands—of applicants. But if you're working the "hidden" job market, Asher estimates that you're more likely competing with six to 10 other applicants.

Tapping into this hidden job market—and effectively turning yourself into an insider—takes some creativity and plenty of initiative.
Here are a few strategies Asher recommends:
1:     Make a connection. Instead of waiting for a job to be posted, initiate contact with a hiring manager at a company you want to work for and create a dialogue. If you don't know anyone at the company—or know anyone who knows anyone—scan the website for employee E-mail addresses, Asher says, but try to avoid the human resources department. Ask these employees to refer you to the correct department head. "Ask a specific question, and get precise," he says. For example, if you're looking for a job in overseas sales or accounting, ask who you should speak with about that subject. "Find the person who makes decisions and talk to them—they'll know that they have hiring needs months before they post a job opening," Asher says. When you finally do make contact with a decision maker, ask for advice and ideas. "If you ask for advice, you'll get a job faster than if you ask for a job," he says. This could lead to information that, for example, you need more training or education to get a position in the field or that this particular company is growing and may be hiring soon. But for this strategy to work, Asher adds, you must be sincere.

2:     Cast a giant net. Someone who can vouch for you is a powerful tool in snagging a job before it's posted. But even if you don't personally know someone who works for the company, you can still get a referral, Asher says. "Go to LinkedIn and find someone who went to your school, who maybe you've never met, and ask them to drop your resume," he says. The site can also direct you to friends of friends who work for a particular company. Another option is to contact a member of your professional association who works for the company, using the association's directory. "You don't have to be buddies. You don't actually have to have ever met. That's why you go to association meetings," says Asher.

3:     Tap your network strategically. Once you dust off your network, proceed carefully. "Don't make your first query about how you're looking for a job," says Asher. "Say, 'I saw that the Giants won last night, and it made me think of you. I hope you're doing well out on the West Coast." After that, don't hide the fact that you're on the job hunt. "What makes people unhappy is when you call them up and say you want a position at their company. Let them know you're not leaning on them," he says. "You should be calling them regardless of whether you want a job at their company. You want to go for the information—information leads to jobs," he says. That could be anything from industry gossip to leads on companies that are growing. Sometimes, your contact will tell you to apply for a job online. "Say, 'Absolutely, but who can I talk to to learn more about the opportunity?' ... apply, but keep pursuing other avenues of access," Asher says.

4:     Talk to everyone—even strangers—about your job search. It's crucial to log off your computer, get out of the house, and talk to people, face-to-face, about your job search. "Tell every single human being what you're looking for, and ask 'who do you know?'" says Asher. "When you start asking, the connections can be wacky." Dog walkers, cab drivers, and hairdressers "are some of the best sources because they talk to a lot of people," he says. "It's all about information, not about power." It's important to look beyond your close friends for job leads, because they usually have the same knowledge as you, says Asher. So instead focusing only on your Facebook friends, try chatting up people in line at the coffee shop.

By Katy Marquardy

All in all, it’s been a good year for candidates in the financial sector in Singapore

While the financial sector was the first and arguably the hardest hit when the GFC struck, it also carries the honour of being one of the fastest industries to return to growth. It seems that pay cuts, bonus freezes and retrenchments have slowly stopped dominating conversations around the water coolers this year.
Whether the factors that drive your job choice are career development, lifestyle, work life balance or even mentoring, it seems that banking and finance professionals are dusting off their resumes again as an increasing number of job opportunities become available.
 
Getting back in the game
Hiring is back on the agenda across the Asia Pacific region. According to last year’s “World of Work Report” 53 per cent of accounting, banking and financial services employers in Asia Pacific retrenched staff in 2009. This year, the sector appears to have shaken off the gloom: 41 per cent of firms intend to increase their overall headcount up until the end of 2010; 53 per cent will hold it steady; and the remainder will reduce.
 
What’s in it for me?
Gone is the negativity that surrounded hiring decisions for the banking and financial services sector last year. Job hunters are the winners.
According to the 2010 World of Work Report, almost two thirds of Asia Pacific financial services respondents expect a pay rise above 5 per cent this year, compared with 50 per cent across all other sectors. And 74 per cent expect a bonus, compared with only half of all other sectors.
Looking at the research results, it is clear that employees are making the decision to explore better opportunities and bigger pay packets. What job hunters need to be mindful of in this new environment is to question the employer brand to ensure the fit is right.
 
Demand for skills
Skills shortages remain a particular threat in the banking, accounting and financial services sector. While growing shortages are clearly alarming for employers, candidates may reap the benefits with attractive remuneration and benefits packages.
Roles that are in demand include high level financial advisors, IT and technical specialists, project managers, risk and compliance experts, sales and business development managers, qualified and experienced accountants, tax accountants, auditors and customer service staff. These types of roles are always sought after, but as we move into next year there will be an even greater demand as new projects ramp up.
 
Upskill
Training and development is always a powerful weapon when looking to make a career move. Banking and finance professionals could prosper by undertaking courses and expanding their skill sets. Employees who undertake appropriate training to fill skill gaps increase their chance of promotion and significantly boost their salary bargaining power. And if you identify the deficits and opportunities within your organisation, this can present a clear career path for you in the future.
 
What are the predictions?
With more opportunities presenting themselves in this sector, companies are starting to become more innovative with their compensation and benefits packages. While there is still room for improvement, it will be employees and job hunters who will benefit.
The clear message being sent to employers is to look carefully at what motivates both current and potential employees. It will be flexibility, and competitive salary and benefits packages that will drive employees’ reasons to stay or to go.
 
Although there are still budget implications impacting employee packages, the research results suggest that employers are rising to meet the attraction and retention challenge. They are releasing their purse strings and thinking about how to reward and recognise high performing employees who have stood by them, or potential employees who will become an immediate asset to the organisation.
 
Arran Huddleston, General Manager, Randstad.

Finding your new job is your new Job

Congratulations! You’re hired. We have an exciting new job that has been tailored specifically to your experience, unique skills, and past responsibilities. This exciting new job offers long hours, lots of stress, and horrible pay. The job responsibility includes only one task, find and acquire new avenues of employment. Not only are you an employee, but in this job you’re an unsupervised CEO responsible for all activities of the company. The job title for this new opportunity is UNEMPLOYED. Again, you’re hired.
Face it! Your new job sucks, but it is a serious job. If you are to be successful at it, you have to treat it very seriously. Just like any other job, setting a few simple rules can help you take it very seriously and be very successful.

Plan your work: Get up early, plan out your day, and stick to the plan as much as possible.

Manage the big picture: Plan out days for outreach, others for research, still others for learning and education, and days for interviewing and submitting resumes. Make sure your schedule covers all of the major activities your new job needs to let you be successful.

Goal planning: Goals are important to see if you are performing well or not performing at all. Set goals for yourself each week. Then track the goals so you know how things are progressing.

Stay relevant: In all things you are either growing or dying. Find time to make sure in your industry you are growing. Finding a new job might be your job, but it is a temporary job NOT YOUR CAREER. Don’t lose sight of your long term goals, stay relevant.

Location, Location, Location: As in any business, location is one of the keys to success. Choosing the right location for your job is very important. Choose a base of operation that makes sense. A church, college, library, or community service could be great. However, your home may work just fine. Just be sure you have the essentials: internet, phone, etc…

Treat your new job like a job and you are highly likely to be very successful. Stay on track and you will be able to end this uncomfortable job by finding a new job.

10 tips to build your career in IT

So you've heard that, despite doubts about the economy, CIO salaries can still reach £200,000 - or higher. You'd like a slice of that action. But first you need to build your IT career. What's the secret of the high-earners?

When you meet some of the most successful IT professionals in the world, one fact shines out: none of them set out with pound (or dollar) signs in their eyes. They simply wanted to be great IT people who added value to their organisations. And because they were, the success and the stellar salaries (in some cases) followed as a matter of course.

So what is the secret of their success? Here are 10 characteristics which the top IT leaders share

1. They understand how IT can help their businesses grow.

To put it another way, they know what part IT should play to help realise the organisation's strategy. Take, for example, Sharon Bevis-Hoover, Coca-Cola's director of IT global transformation. Last year, she caught the eye of Coke's new chief executive Muhtar Kent, who asked her to work out how IT could help transform the global business.

2. They lead from the front.

They know that's the way to build a high-performing IT team. Jacqueline Guichelaar, who has a high-profile IT role at Deutsche Bank, can provide a lesson or two there. Her ability to build and lead teams of IT professionals has propelled her career through a succession of big IT jobs around the globe.

3. They know how to make change happen.

That is important when so many people feel threatened by IT-led change. You can't manage change well unless you're as fascinated by people - and what makes them tick - as with technology, advises Graham Johnson, transformation director at Ecclesiastical Insurance.

4. They are great IT talent-spotters.

They know that effective IT leaders don't grab all the glory for themselves. Every one of the top IT leaders has that ability.

5. They talk business language.

They know managers aren't impressed with technical jargon. As Abby Ewen, director of business transformation at global law firm Simmons & Simmons, say, "I can have nerdy conversations with the best of them, but I can also have strategic conversations. And I think that part of being a good manager is being able to make the leap between high-level and low-level subjects."

6. They know that great IT projects come from great teams.

Heather Allan is corporate services director at The Global Fund, which deploys a £2bn each year to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria. She says, "You have to motivate and inspire a team with a clear vision of the future and you have to energise and motivate people to want to achieve it."

7. They create strong relationships with their stakeholders.

To put it another way, you need to win friends and influence people. Take Ian Woosey, group IT and e-commerce director at Carpetright. He worked with people throughout the company to help design end-to-end processes which new IT systems would support. Then he gave people in the business a role in defining the new system requirements.

8. They manage expectations of IT.

IT is not a 'silver bullet' that solves all problems. Allan Paterson, director of information systems for the Isle of Man government, says, "The key to a successful career in IT is delivery, delivery, delivery." But, notes Paterson, that doesn't mean agreeing with every off-the-wall idea that comes your way.

9. They use new technologies to deliver competitive edge.

One top IT professional who knows about this is Richard Cross, technology director at ITV. Cross has been proactive in finding ways to use IT to cut costs. And he was also at the forefront in helping ITV harness digital technologies to deliver new viewer services.

10. They contribute to senior management decision-making.

In order to do so, they acquire deep industry knowledge to add to their IT expertise. And that lesson applies as much in the public as the private sector. For example, the fact that Alan Cook acquired a deep knowledge of local government as well as IT made him an ideal choice for head of service business improvement and IT at Cumbria County Council.

And there's a final lesson, too. All the top IT professionals have a clear idea what they need to develop their careers. Then they acted to make it happen. Decisively.

From Peter Bartram of Computerweekly.com