Today I will discuss a subject that has been contentious and hotly debated, and has resulted in more presentations, seminars and books thank any other topic of the last decade. The categorisation of different generations to different behaviours. Today there are Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and now shortly before we know it – the ‘Millenials’.

For business leaders this eclectic group of individuals can on the surface present challenges and problems. There can be differences in knowledge, approaches, work ethic, values and attitudes in the workplace. Each generation has its own uniqueness, idiosyncrasies and attitudes.

It is my contention that rather than attempt to harmonise and mitigate the perceived differences between the generations, we should be focused on embracing them and combining them! With diversity comes opportunity. When I see a situation with team members from different generations I see a chance for innovation and to move away from the mundane status quo.

Consider a scenario of a team member aged 58 and a newly graduated intern aged 23. The older team member will likely have a wealth of experience. Perhaps 30 years of industry knowledge, contacts, networks and intricate understandings of how the company and industry operate.

The graduate on the other hand is likely to by definition, have limited practical experience. They likely, however have a great deal of up-to-date knowledge on the latest research as well as how technology is developing and evolving in the industry.

What would seem like polar opposites if managed effectively can work in a collaborative manner to produce something greater than the parts.  Rather than one member pushing for ‘doing it their way’, managing both to blend the respective skills ultimately benefits everyone.

Consider this when dealing with your next ‘generational issue’

Robert van Stokrom

CEO

It’s been said many times, “the one constant in life is change”.  In the last 5 years this has felt truer than perhaps ever before.

This truism of life is often applicable for job seekers. Moving into a new job (particularly in a new industry) can often highlight the ‘constant of change’. If we accept that change is a constant then a critical realisation becomes clear – we need to adapt and develop ourselves accordingly.

As a job seeker you must understand and be mindful that all businesses, no matter what their field or industry are looking for ‘the edge’. Businesses are constantly looking to; make more money / save money / do what they do in a better way.

It is therefore important if you are seeking a new job to embrace this principle. Rather than feel intimidated, work with the constant of change. Businesses that interview candidates who are proactive in ‘up skilling’ will have a greater chance of success. By up skilling I mean making a concerted effort to add to your skills, experience, qualifications and talents.

You can up skill in number of ways. Enrol in a TAFE course, undertake further studies at University or online, complete short courses. There are a number of ways to up skill. In your current role do you make an effort to attend additional courses and development workshops?

Employers who see people making an effort to update and develop their skill base tend to view them more favourably. As a job seeker, this may be your ‘edge’.

As a business owner, I tend to view staff whom I see taking a proactive approach to develop their skill base with admiration and regard. Consider this when deciding what you can do to assist your job seeking path.

Robert van Stokrom

CEO

Sometimes the most profound business management and leadership lessons come not from academia or theory but from everyday life. Recently in my own leadership role I discovered this to be true.

If we stop and ponder for a moment and ask ourselves as leaders, “Why do I respect and admire the friends that I do?” We come to realise we do so because these particular friends are those who support and respect us. They challenge and encourage us around what is important to us in life. Our valued friends are interested and happy for us when do well in life and achieve our dreams and goals.

Conversely, the people who do not do these things, those that show no interest, belittle or ridicule our goals, aspirations and dreams we do not keep or consider them as friends. We tend to move these people out of lives or at least out of our day to day sphere of interaction.

When discussed in the context of friendship this concept seems simple and straightforward – associate and be involved with people who respect us and our goals. Disassociate from those who display a lack of respect.

In the context of management and leadership of a team, this concept can be often overlooked. Showing interest and genuine engagement in their lives (you must be honest and congruent about it, do not fake it) demonstrates you respect them and value them as a person.

This can be enormously beneficial.  Firstly as a leader you gain a greater insight into whom your team really is and will understand them better. Secondly your credibility with your team is greatly bolstered.

Next time you are working with your staff consider how you can express interest and support for their goals and dreams. It may just be the benefit you are looking for.

Robert van Stokrom

CEO

A common measure of whether something is an asset or a liability is to evaluate – Does it provide more value than it consumes? Generally businesses will have 3 core values. How they express in specific businesses will vary and differ, the general undertone of them will however be similar.

1. Integrity – walk their talk. Deliver on what they promise to customers and staff
2. Innovate – constantly seek to do things better
3. Profit – achieve the first 2 and make a sustainable profit in doing so

As a job seeker this is important to be aware and mindful of.

You need to be aware of how the role you are applying for fits with these 3 values. Not all roles will cover the 3 evenly. There will be roles that naturally focus on one (or 2) more than the others. Nonetheless it is critical you convey how you can support and fulfil these values.

A job seeker who dedicates a good amount of their interview time to demonstrating specific ways and means in which they can do this is likely to be looked at as more of an asset than a liability.

Be sure you do this in a way that is authentic and congruent with your own values. Do not lie. The interviewer will sense it and if they don’t the long term result will not be ideal for you or the business.

Be honest and open to learning. You may have the right skills and experience but not quite sure how you could use them to support the business values. Ask; show that you are eager and interested in fulfilling the role – using your current skill set in new ways to help the business.

Approach your interview from the viewpoint of ‘how do I best manage myself so I am an asset for this business’. This will provide numerous benefits for you!

Robert van Stokrom

CEO

Today I wanted to discuss a distinction within the approach and mindset that job seekers engage.

Typically a job seeker will approach an interview focused on what the job will mean for them; the salary package, responsibilities, day to day activities etc. In short ‘WIIFM’ – What’s In It For Me?

Yes it is important that the salary be suitable and the requirements not unreasonable for the role. The needs of the business are also important to consider. Ultimately the needs of the business must be fulfilled for a successful and sustained relationship to prosper.  The respective needs (employee & employer) are not necessarily mutually exclusive. In a great partnership they work together and support each other.

Many job seekers are unaware of the true cost involved with their employment. Let us consider the following example to illustrate:

The hidden costs with employment:

• Salary: $60,000pa
• Superannuation: (9%) $5,400
• Annual Leave: (4 weeks) $5,000
• Sick Leave: (2 weeks) $2,500
• Insurance: $1,500
• Training and Recruitment: $15,000 (first year)
• Total costs for first year of employment:  $89,400

Few people realise when they apply for a job, in this case a $60,000 position the cost to the business is actually closer $90,000. This does not include indirect costs such as supplies, resources, office accom. etc.

The responsibilities a business assumes when they hire are considerably larger than just the advertised salary. Knowing this can help to shape and frame your approach to your interview more successfully. This insight can help you to focus in the interview on HOW you will deliver value to the business.

Consider focusing on how you can provide value when you are interviewed and you will likely boost your success!

Robert van Stokrom

CEO

Today I wanted to follow up on the comments Deb wrote regarding working for DFP.  I want to expand on the reasoning behind why I treat staff in such a way. It is my hope that this will a) Offer insight as to the type of company DFP is to work for and b) Offer insight to leaders as to the benefits of this style of leadership.

There are two primary reasons for why I extend a high level of flexibility and support to Deb (and other staff as situations warrant). The first reason is Altruism. I believe in doing what I can to help and assist people wherever possible.

Deb was going through some personal challenges. As a valued member of the DFP team, I felt it important as a leader to facilitate assistance to Deb, supporting in whatever way she required.

We all experience personal challenges throughout life. They can be quite taxing, taking a toll on us physically, mentally and emotionally. I believe the burden during these times can be somewhat lessened if we know our employer is understanding, supportive and willing to flexible.

As a leader it is gratifying for me to know that actions we take as a company are received with such gratitude and appreciation.

The second reason for being a flexible employer comes from a much more business, economic orientated perspective.

One of the biggest costs a business can incur is loss of experienced and skilled staff. The indirect cost is quite high with the loss of years of experience with the business’s systems and processes, internal knowledge, industry contacts and networks. These indirect costs can be sizeable.

Coupled with indirect, are the direct costs which include thousands of dollars required to be spent on training and hiring new staff. Even then new members still take time to come up to a comparable level to the previous team member.

It is for these economic realities I believe incorporating increased flexibility and understanding for employees dealing with personal challenges makes economic, rational sense.

Yes, overlooking the occasional non lodged sick day or early leaving on an afternoon to attend to a personal matter can have an immediate cost attached to it (loss of productivity or delay in work completion). However I believe that long term the implications of such flexibility and understanding are paid back with a considerable dividend.

Extending this flexibility and understanding in my experience is returned from the team member with gratitude and thankfulness. I believe that Psychology 101 will tell any leader that a staff member who feels gratitude and thankfulness towards their employer will work harder, be more willing to go the extra mile, be more resources and creative in the long term.

Penny pinching over every potential minute of unaccounted leave or sick leave will ensure that this month’s P&L is balanced but fails to reflect the long term damage caused to the business through disgruntled team members.

I believe at DFP our team is by far our greatest resource and asset. And as with all important resources and assets it just makes good commercial sense to look after them. Because quality assets that are well maintained will produce outstanding results over time.

This point I feel is evidenced is Deb’s blog. Yes she missed some work time and took a bit of extra leave here and there. Whilst she did this, she also of her own volition worked late on several nights and caught up on her work on weekends.

Sometimes offering a free afternoon to attend to a personal matter without the bureaucracy can leave a mark that lasts for years. As a leader I am conscious of asking myself,

“What will that mark be? Will it mean this team member will forever feel positive towards our organisation or jaded and resolved to just to the bare minimum?”

Robert van Stokrom

CEO

My name is Deborah Bailey I am Executive Assistant to Robert van Stokrom. I’d like to take this opportunity to express some of my thoughts about what it is like to work for DFP.

Normally it is not something I would do. I prefer to do my job without fanfare or fuss. But with the recent events in my life I felt it was important to publicly acknowledge just how well DFP has treated me.

Late last year my mother who is 83 required both of her hips to be replaced. It was a terribly painful time for her. Those trying times saw her leaning on me in every sense of the word. With appointments, visits to specialists and surgeons, hospital stays, calls at short notice for assistance it was fair to say I was not my normal focused self at work.

I kept Robert up to speed with how mum was progressing and what was happening re her upcoming surgeries and prognosis. Robert was very understanding and supportive. On more than one occasion I had to come in late or leave early. I was happy to take the time as sick leave. More often than not Robert wouldn’t hear of it and would say to me, ‘don’t worry about it, you do a great job’ with a reassuring smile.

When mum had the surgery I wasn’t sure how long I would need to be away from work to help with her return home. Again Robert was supportive and told me to take whatever time I needed.

I felt very grateful and relieved to know that I could help Mum and be there in her time of need without the stress of worrying about getting back to work.

Fast forward to March this year to a time where my daughter is heavily pregnant. Living in Port Hedland my baby was getting ready to have her own baby. At 37 weeks her dog (whom she treated like has a human baby in his own right) fell gravely ill and the vets were at a loss. This was very distressing for my daughter and she began to experience pains in her stomach.

Well that was it. With my daughter’s dog looking as though he may not live, my daughter having pains while heavily pregnant and very distressed about the thought of losing her dog, I was onto the computer looking for the next available flight.

I found one for the next day. I called Robert to explain to him what was happening. I hadn’t even made it half way through the conversation, with my voice shaking. Robert cut me off and said, “Deb, its ok. Book the flight and go be with Brooke. Take as much time as you need, we will look after things here. You make sure she is ok.”

The gratitude I felt is something I find difficult to put into words. To know that at a time like that which was very distressing for me that Robert and DFP were unwavering in their support and understanding for me is something I won’t ever forget.

Fast forward 10 days later and my daughter’s dog is recovering (and her fiancé from the large vet bill he received). My daughter was due to give birth to what was turning out to be a very large baby boy.

It was looking increasingly likely that she would need to have a caesarean. Having had one when I gave birth to her I knew the added complications it brought along in addition to the baby. I spoke to Robert and told him the situation, feeling conflicted as the company had already been so generous and helpful to me in the situation. I said that I may need to stay longer to help Brooke when she returns home and recovers. Again Robert didn’t even hesitate, “Deb you will not be coming home until that baby is born and he is back home with everyone safe.”

This last year has been very trying at times for me. Yet working at DFP has meant that I have been able to manage it and maintain my work. The understanding  and flexibility that has been extended to me has been nothing short of amazing and not something that I take for granted.

Its sounds glib to say but I do really feel that having the job that I do, working with the people that I do is a privilege and I am grateful for it. My new motto is “Have Laptop, iPhone & iPad will travel and work!”

Because of this I will often work outside of normal hours. It is not uncommon for me to work back or finish work on the weekends. I am happy to do this given the support and care I receive.  I do this because of the enormous flexibility and concern that DFP show to me when it counts.

Deborah Bailey aka ‘Granny’

Today I wanted to discuss a phenomena that has created enormous change here in Australia. That is, the insatiable growth of China.

I recently read an interesting fact which I found mind boggling. Over the next 15 years it is estimated the number of people moving from rural villages into cities in China will exceed 300 million. ¹

That is a staggering statistic. In Australia, the current population is approximately 22.5million. Imagine a group 14 times the size of Australia moving into capital cities in the next 15 years in one country…

China is building a city the size of Houston, Texas every 5 weeks. Incidentally, Houston is similar in size to Sydney, truly extraordinary. ¹

It does not take long to realise a country building a ‘new Sydney’ every 35 days requires unprecedented amounts of resources. Fortunately for Australia we have an enormous supply of them. Even more fortunately for job seekers in Australia, many mining companies are rapidly growing their workforce.

The Pilbara and Kimberley regions of WA are very rich with minerals and iron ore deposits. Add to this the vast  gas exploration  and its not hard to understand the massive infrastructure development that is taking place. To give some perspective to the enormity of this mining boom consider the following fact:

The train line that arrives in Port Hedland from parts of the Pilbara Region is 3.75km long. Yes the train is nearly 4kms in length. Most trains in capital cities are at best just a couple of hundred metres. The trains are so heavy and laden with iron ore and rock they require 3 super locomotives to pull them. The train runs 24/7, they do not stop.

As recently as March of this year, BHP placed an order for an additional 80 locomotives destined for the Pilbara region ².  The size and scale of everything associated to the mining boom really has to be seen to be believed.

DFP Resources is rapidly expanding its presence in the Mining areas of WA.  We have offices in Karratha, Broome and soon Pt Hedland. For those who are looking for jobs in the mining boom, DFP is well placed to help you make the change. We can assist job seekers who are both local to the area as well as those interstate seeking to move to WA.

We are placing people each week in jobs related to the mining boom.  We have job openings in both blue and white collar roles. For more information and current job openings, take a look at our Resources page.

Robert van Stokrom

CEO

1. China Inc – Ted Fisher

2. http://www.webcitation.org/66ASZasB2

Just a quick note to let everyone know about an important Breakfast Briefing DFP is hosting on Wednesday, 16 May.

As business leaders we are all too aware of the importance of being informed and up to date on the latest changes relating to workplace law. 2012 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years in this area- a number of influential changes are taking place.

Because of this, we want to take practical and effective steps to ensure our clients are ‘ahead of the curve’ with regards to these proposed changes.  The DFP Event – “Year In Preview – Workplace Law Breakfast Briefing” will help you and your business to stay informed.

This briefing will provide our clients with valuable knowledge and foresight concerning Workplace Law changes.

For further details about the briefing please contact Tom Hatch- thatch@dfp.com.au  or 03 8632 9952. Information regarding the briefing can be downloaded here.

I encourage all of our clients to attend this important event.

Robert van Stokrom

CEO

Today I wanted to discuss the subject of ‘what to look for in a new job’. As a recruitment company we see a great number of people who are looking for a new job or career path. Over the years of placing a large number of people we have distilled several key factors that have helped cultivate success and longevity for people in their new roles.

Ultimately it’s not about the money- Let’s face it most people work because money is required to keep the lifestyle we enjoy continuing. However when it boils down to it, money is not the prime factor in determining your success and fulfillment in your new role.

A good remuneration package for your role should be enough so that money isn’t the main focus and not too much that it becomes the only focus. We all like to be paid well but studies have shown when pay levels deviate too far from the norm (for the role), performance actually drops along with fulfillment.

If remuneration is the sole focus, career fulfillment and longevity will diminish. This is because the focus will be constantly split – looking elsewhere for potential opportunities for greater pay. Increased remuneration is always nice but it needs to be weighed against other factors.

Can you actually do it? This is where your past experience, skills and qualifications come into play. Do you have a sales background, are you a qualified architect, do you have a licence to operate specific machinery etc?  Whilst we all need to start somewhere, it can be highly beneficial to have something to offer besides enthusiasm (which is valuable also).

Many employers want to hire someone who has some form of relevant experience or qualification. Most will have their own ‘in house’ training to educate you on specifics of the role and their company. Many do however like to see at least some degree of experience.

If you are looking for a complete change in career direction consider arming yourself with some further studies in the new field you wish to enter. Not only will the additional education provide you with relevant knowledge it will also to convey to potential employers your commitment and dedication to your new career path.

Do you actually want to do it? This is perhaps the most crucial factor to consider. By this I mean does the role you are trying to get into align and fit well with who you are as a person? Does your natural, innate personality mesh well with the long term requirements of the role?

Skills and qualifications are important. They will significantly influence ‘can you do the job?’ But it is your personality that will ultimately influence ‘are you the right fit for the job?’

We all have a number of aspects and variations in our personality. At times we are quiet and contemplative, other times we are extroverted and gregarious. Sometimes analytical and process orientated and then creative and free thinking.

Most of us though tend to have preferences, a natural ‘comfortableness’ with a leaning to one particular side of the personality spectrum. If for example you have a more introverted and analytical personality, then a role working with numbers and statistics may be better suited for you than a creative, artistic type role.

This is not to say a role that requires extroversion and creative free thinking is not something you could do. It simply means that your nature will see you more suited to the introverted, analytical role and vice versa for those extroverted types.

A role that has personality requirements that align with who you are innately will mean it is easier for you to perform in the role and to better utilise your skills and experience.

An introverted person may be able to do certain tasks that involve them being extroverted but will find it more difficult than someone who is extroverted by nature. Overtime this ‘misalignment’ between personality and role will likely cause stress and diminish to a degree your success, fulfillment and longevity.

Getting these three factors right will help ensure your next role is well suited to you and set the framework for a long and rewarding career.

To learn more about the types of roles you may be suitable for connect with us at DFP and we can assist you to find the ideal job.

Robert van Stokrom

CEO