Posts

Why we need to secure our social connections with colleagues

The emotional impacts of COVID-19 are different for everyone, but for those who rely upon the workplace for social stimulation, working remotely can take its toll.

A recent study on the mental health impacts of COVID-19 in the workplace carried out by mental health support organisation Relationships Australia found that ‘7% of respondents reported a significant change to their work place since the crisis began, while 63% agreed these changes have had an impact on their mental health.’

While working from home may suit some of us, the absence of daily social interaction and the wearing of masks for those classified as essential workers can have a greater impact on others.

Asquith Workforce Managing Director Jillian Asquith said as we move into extended periods of lockdown and remote working, it is more important than ever to nurture the social side of work.

“Pre-COVID most of us took for granted the social interaction that came with work,” she said.

“Regardless of whether you work on a construction site, in an office environment, or anything in-between, social interaction plays an important role at work. There’s a certain energy that comes with collaborating on projects, working as a team, and sharing experiences. For full-time employees, the people we work with are often the people we spend the most time with over a working week, so to have those connections severed can have significant impacts.

“Additionally, while the wearing of masks is one of the best tools we have for staying safe from COVID-19, for essential workers they can also create an emotional barrier when it comes to communicating and interacting with colleagues.”

Jillian said the inability to hold social and team building events with staff also was contributing to the loss of emotional and social connection at work

“Trust and connection are key factors in ensuring a cohesive, productive, and fulfilled staff members and without those social moments that allow staff to personally connect, it becomes harder to keep that sense of being a team all working toward a common goal,” she said.

“Trust and connection are key factors in ensuring a cohesive, productive, and fulfilled staff members and without those social moments that allow staff to personally connect, it becomes harder to keep that sense of being a team all working toward a common goal…”

As we work toward the 80% vaccination rate that will see life return to what we expect will be a new normal, Jillian says regular connection and forward planning are imperative.

“Until we can safely return to working in a somewhat traditional environment regular connection and catch ups both online and on the phone are imperative,” she said.

“It is important to discuss work-related topics in these communications but it’s also important to just chat and stay connected, to understand what’s going on in people’s lives.

“Forward planning of social events and activities is also extremely important. While it can be frustrating trying to plan when the goal posts move along with the virus, ensuring staff have something to look forward to and are reminded there is an end in sight, can have a significant impact on mental health and social connection.”

 

/0 Comments/by

How To Keep Remote Employees Engaged and Productive

As we, ideally, head toward a post-COVID world, there is no denying traditional office dynamics and structures are not what they used to be. More and more companies are not only allowing but encouraging, team members to work remotely either from another location or from home.

While this can provide an improved work-life balance for employees and can lead to improved employee retention and lower business expenses, having a hybrid workforce can also lead to a lack of communication and engagement between the traditional office and staff who are working remotely.

“As a recruitment agency we deal with numerous employers and are definitely seeing an increase in opportunities for candidates to work remotely, particularly in the white-collar space,” Asquith Workforce Managing Director Jillian Asquith said.

“While this can be a great incentive for recruiting the right candidate, it is vitally important for employers to make sure there are strategies in place to keep remote employees engaged and feeling like they are a part of, not just the team, but something greater – the industry they represent.”

 

Here are our Top Tips for keeping remote employees engaged with your company

 

  1. Transparency and Frequency = Inclusion

Clearly, not all company information can be shared with staff, but regular updates of company goals and how employees can contribute and be a part of the journey can be a great way to keep everyone engaged and feeling they are part of something bigger than their individual roles.

By sharing what the company is working on overall and discussing any troubleshooting (where applicable ) with staff, can also offer a sense of ownership and emotional investment in the company and its overall success.

 

  1. Make time to touch base or recognise work well done

Being a company leader can be a busy and time-consuming role, but without the full commitment of your employees your business will inevitably suffer. By making the time to touch base, via a phone call or face-to-face online platform, and taking the time to recognize work well done, can make a huge difference in the productivity and commitment of your staff.

 

  1. Consider revising your internal communications strategy

If your internal comms strategy was created pre-COVID it’s definitely worth reviewing it in the brave new world of remote working. Be sure to consider the new challenges a hybrid workforce brings and how to address them. By including the feedback of those employees working remotely you can provide a sense of ownership and engagement from staff who do not work in the main office.

 

  1. Utilise online platforms as your new townhall

Your existing internal engagement strategy may include regular, or sporadic, town hall meetings and by that we don’t mean actually meeting at the town hall of course – it’s just a communications term for large-scale staff meetings and workshops. But, if your team includes staff who work remotely and are not able to attend such meetings, having them Skype or Zoom in when everyone else is face-to-face it can feel a little disharmonious, whereas levelling the field by having everyone on the online platform can create a sense of unity and inclusion across the company.

 

  1. Make use of technology

There are a number of apps out there today, some free, that can work wonders when integrated into an internal comms plan and calendar.

One free online brainstorming app is Miro, which allows staff to participate in a variety of think tank and mind mapping boards, while another almost free at $8 month for unlimited team members, app is Notion which can curate multiple items including roadmaps, documents, CRMs, design, and marketing into a multi-user system.

 

 

/0 Comments/by

How to manage the risk of psychological injury occurring in your workplace

 

When we think about the risk of injury occurring on worksites it’s natural to imagine physical accidents, but that is not the only kind of workplace injury that can affect your workers.

According to Safe Work Australia, psychological hazards in the workplace can include anything in the design or management of work that causes stress to an employee.

On a worksite, these risks can include things like exposure to bullying, aggression, discrimination, lack of support, proximity to high emotional distress from other workers, and/or sudden and drastic change within the workplace.

According to Asquith Workforce Managing Director Jillian Asquith, industries like construction often have the highest rates of depression and anxiety within their workforce and so it is imperative that employers take steps to ensure the mental wellbeing of their teams.

“We work closely with community organisations like Lifeline, as well as our clients, to ensure workshops like Mind Your Mates and other mental health initiatives are accessible to workers, but mental health and wellbeing is an important topic that should be regularly addressed in the workplace,” she said.

“Ensuring your workforce is happy in their job and experiencing emotional wellbeing is the number one priority when it comes to workplace mental health, but the mental stability of your workforce is also directly related to things like employee retention and return on investment.

“Taking steps to support the mental wellbeing of your workforce is important, and when done successfully, provides a win-win situation for everyone.”

Safe Work Australia has a Four-Step Preventative Process to help company leaders manage psychological wellbeing, intervene early, and take action to prevent workers from becoming ill or sustaining a psychological injury.

 

­Step One: Identify

Identify psychological hazards and risks by:

  • Talking and listening to your workers
  • Inspecting your workplace
  • Taking note of how your workers interact
  • Reviewing reports and workers
  • Using a survey to gather information from staff

 

Step Two: Assess

Consider what could happen if workers are exposed to the identified hazards and risks. Many hazards and risks. Many hazards and their associated risks are well-known but some may need to be identified through a formal assessment process.

 

Step Three: Control

Where possible, eliminate the risk. This is always the safest option, but if it isn’t possible, minimize the risk as much as possible through planning and prevention.

 

Step 4: Review

Maintain, monitor, and review control measures when necessary. It is important to regularly review control measures to ensure they remain effective.

 

Asquith Workforce is a no-judgment, culturally diverse recruitment agency with a commitment to placing the right person in the right role, regardless of ethnicity or gender.

For all your recruitment and labour-hire needs contact us at recruit@asquithworkforce.com.au or call 1300 737 751.

 

 

/0 Comments/by

Top 5 Lies Employers DO NOT Want to Hear During Your Job Interview

Everyone who has ever taken a deep breath and sat down at a job interview has considered stretching the truth if it means potentially landing the job, but….

 We don’t want to hear things that make you ‘sound’ like the perfect candidate.

Inevitably, providing false or embellished experience doesn’t do you or the employer any good once you’re expected to carry out the role based on the information you provided during the interview.

But if you’re still thinking about talking it up just a smidge, here’s the Top 5 Lies we definitely don’t want to hear during your interview – and we’ll know because that’s just how we are…

 

#1. I have my own reliable transport

Please do not say this if the truth is that you really plan to rely on public transport, share the car with your partner, borrow your parent’s old Mazda that’s in need of a new clutch, brake, or spark plugs, use your housemate’s car on the day he or she isn’t working, or ANY of these types of scenarios. If having your own reliable transport is part of the deal, then it is for a reason and while employers understand that sometimes a car can break down, having no transport on a regular basis is not okay.

 

#2. I haven’t applied for any other roles at the moment

We get that you might not want to put all your eggs in one basket, but just be honest. As a recruitment agency, we put a lot of work into finding the right candidate and if that turns out to be you, it’s not cool if you then turn down the job. And agencies remember things like that, so long-term you’re really only hurting yourself and any future possibility of us finding you a role.

 

#3. I resigned or decided to leave my last role

If that decision was actually made for you, please don’t be creative with the reason you left. A recruitment agency or direct employer will check and then you’ll be found out. If there was a reason you lost your last role, just be upfront. We know that not all workplaces have great cultures and by being honest you’re showing that you are also trustworthy, and that’s a big thing.

 

#4. My last role was working alongside the Prime Minister.

If it was, kudos to you, but if what you really mean is that you were a civil labourer working on a construction site somewhere in the vicinity of Parliament House and once caught a glimpse of ScoMo cruising by, then just go with that. Employers want to know what your last role was so they can either help you back into that industry or work with you to find a new career path that will bring you more job satisfaction.

 

#5. I’m an experienced labourer, excavator, tree surgeon, acrobat, sharpshooter, and astronaut.

We don’t ever want to hear about experience, licenses, or tickets that you don’t really have. It’s a time-waster for the employer, and for yourself, and in worst-case scenarios it can be dangerous. If a role requires specific tickets, licenses, or accreditations we’ll need to see them, and ‘winging’ it in regard to experience on a worksite can be very dangerous for you and your colleagues. So please just be honest about your current capabilities, and about what we can help you gain experience in going forward.

 

As a recruitment agency experienced in placing candidates in various roles from labour-hire to executive positions, trust us when we say we’ve heard it all. In addition to your experience, a positive attitude and honesty are also highly regarded attributes that employers are looking for, so at your next interview by all means put your best foot forward but also be yourself. Why? Because that’s who we’re hiring.

/0 Comments/by

A career in recruitment is often a game-changer – but it can also be a life-changer

The perception many people have of working in recruitment is that it’s a glamourous career in a sometimes-cut-throat world of sales and bottom lines. But according to Asquith Workforce Managing Director Jillian Asquith this isn’t always the case.

When Jillian made the decision to go out on her own, she was determined to break all the stereotypes and create a new culture in recruitment, one that would better reflect her own vision for what the industry could, and should, be all about.

“After spending 20+ years in various recruitment agencies, believe me when I say I’ve seen it all. The good, the bad, and the worse,” she said.

“When I founded Asquith Workforce it was with the aim of redesigning the culture of recruitment and teaching the next generation of consultants to have a very different view of what this job is all about.”

While recruitment can be a sales-based career, according to Jillian it also about changing people’s lives – and sometimes your own in the process.

“For me, recruitment is about the people. It’s about understanding them, listening to them, and ultimately helping them to improve their circumstances which can often result in changing their lives.

“The funny thing is, by doing that you can sometimes change your own life as well. Through work, I have met some of the most important people in my life. My work has also meant starting a business which also changed my life dramatically.”

“For me, recruitment is about the people. It’s about understanding them, listening to them, and ultimately helping them to improve their circumstances which can often result in changing their lives ” – Jillian Asquith

A career in recruitment can be extremely rewarding, and lucrative for those who go the extra mile, but for Jillian, the reward has always been the ability to help people.

“If you approach this job with compassion there is so much reward in it,” she said.

“When you speak to a candidate you never know what they’ve been through before picking up the phone, how many rejections they’ve had, or what being successful in getting a job might mean for them.

“This kind of career really gives you the opportunity to make a difference and create a great future for yourself as well. That’s what I’m trying to instill in the current team we have at Asquith Workforce, and inevitably the next generation of recruitment specialists we welcome into the company.”

/0 Comments/by