Richard Millea has joined the team at UnisonFibre in the role as Operations Manager.  In this role Richard is responsible for managing all operational aspects for UnisonFibre including customer connections and ongoing operational support.  Richard has recently moved to Hawke’s Bay following a distinguished career in Telecommunications with British Telecom in the UK.

Also placed by RIOT Recruitment into the UnisonFibre team is Peter Kitson, who is responsible for managing the Stage 3 role out of their Fibre Network Build Programme.  Peter has extensive experience in project and commercial management, having previously held senior roles with TelstraClear in Auckland.

Joining the Project Management team at Unison Networks Ltd is Matthew Kennedy.  Matthew will be responsible for managing telecommunications projects for Unison.  Matthew has extensive and broad ranging telecommunications industry experience with companies including Telecom NZ and Global One.

Jill Greig has joined the team at Squawking Magpie Wines Limited in the role of Office Administration Manager, based in their Hastings offices.  Jill will provide the full range of administration, accounts and customer service support for Squawking Magpie Wines.

Barry Singe has joined the team at Hawke’s Bay Document Technology Limited in the role of Service Manager.  In this role Barry will be responsible for managing the team of technicians, ensuring the delivery of outstanding customer service.  Barry was most recently the Workshop Manager for Ricoh in Auckland and has extensive experience in the imaging solutions industry.

Aaron McIntosh has joined the team at Unison Contracting Services Limited (UCSL) in the role of Capability Development Manager.  He will be responsible for development of training programs and initiatives designed to improve the overall capability and effectiveness of the UCSL team.  Aaron has recently returned to Hawke’s Bay from Nelson where he held similar training and development roles with companies including GoldPine Industries and Adcock Contracting Ltd.

Tracey Easte has joined the team at Te Awa Winery and Restaurant in the role of Company Accountant.  In this role Tracey is responsible for providing the full range of Financial and Management Accounting services to Te Awa as well as assisting with the wider Waiaua Farm Group.  A Chartered Accountant, Tracey has previously worked in senior finance roles in Hawke’s Bay and Wellington.

The team at PORSE In-home Childcare & Educator Training have welcomed Liana Monteith-Redmond in the position of National Coaching / HR Manager.  This is a senior role based at the PORSE National Support Office in Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay.  Liana will primarily be responsible for providing management and coaching to the National Team of Regional Managers.  Prior to joining PORSE, Liana has spent approximately 15 years in senior HR roles in commercial organisations as well as the public sector.

Toby Davis has joined Unison Network Ltd in the role of Supply Manager.  In this role Toby is responsible for managing key relationships with Unison’s suppliers as well as having full responsibly for managing the logistics requirements for Unison.  Originally from Hawke’s Bay, Toby and his family have recently returned from an extended period living and working in United States.

Also recently recruited through Riot Recruitment into the team at Unison is Alexandra Booth in the role of Marketing and Communications Manager.  Originally from Dunedin, Alexandra studied at Otago University and completed a post graduate diploma in journalism with Massey University in Wellington.  Having worked in communications roles in New Zealand, Alexandra has recently settled in Hawke’s Bay having spent 2 years in Dublin in a senior marketing and communications role.  Alexandra is responsible for all marking and communications initiatives for the Unison Group of companies.

Jaime Taylor has joined 3R Group in the role of Sales Support Co-ordinator.  In this role Jaime will provide key support to the Sales and Marketing Manager and 3R Relation Management Team.  Jaime was previously with Farmlands Trading Society in their Hawke’s Bay Head Office.

Shari Tidswell has joined the team of PORSE In-home Childcare & Educator Training in the role of Academic Manager.  Shari will be responsible for the development and on-going management of PORSE’s NZQA certified training courses.  Shari brings a wealth of relevant experience primarily from the public sector.

Riot Recruitment have assisted in the appointment of Thea Anderson joining Dynamic Meats in the role of Office Manager.  In this role Thea will be responsible for the full range of administration, accounting and general office duties for Dynamic Meats.  Thea has an extensive track record in Office Administration Management in Hawke’s Bay.

Heath Caldwell has joined the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council in the role of Management Accountant and will be responsible for the provision of budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting and related services.  Heath is a Chartered Accountant and worked in Wellington prior to living and working in London for the previous two years in a senior finance role.

The team of Unison Contracting Services Ltd (USCL) have welcomed Janene Garnett in the role of HR Advisor.  Janene is responsible for the provision of HR Advice and Services to the Management Team at UCSL.  Janene had previously held similar HR Advisory roles at Brownrigg Agriculture and the New Zealand Police.

PORSE In-home Childcare & Educator Training have appointed Mike Batey to the role of Chief Financial Officer based at the National Support Office in Havelock North.  In this senior role, Mike is responsible for the full financial management for PORSE as well as leading the Finance and Payroll Teams.  A Chartered Accountant, Mike was most recently Financial Controller for Lowe Corporation based in Hawke’s Bay.

PORSE In-home Childcare & Educator Training have appointed Sharon Walker to the role of Location Development Manager.  She will be responsible for securing new area offices, managing all the branding and fitouts, as well as managing the facilities within the existing PORSE Branch Network.  Sharon has recently moved to Hawke’s Bay from Christchurch having held roles in leading companies including Telecom NZ Ltd.

Natasha Hadfield has joined the team at UnisonFibre in the role of Sales and Customer Support Administrator.  She will be responsible for providing executive support to the Sales and Marketing Manager as well as being the key interface with UnisonFibre’s key customers.

Riot Recruitment has recently placed within Xplore.net, Abby Harrison to the role of Project Manager.  She will be responsible for managing a number of key projects in the On-line space.

The team at Hawke’s Bay Document Technology (HBDT) have welcomed Richard Stoner in the role of Senior Technician and he will be involved with the installation and support of Ricoh equipment to HBDT clients.  Richard has extensive industry experience across multiple technology platforms.

Unison have appointed Janelle Shannon in the role of Stores Administrator where she will be responsible for administration within the supply chain team.  Janelle is local to Hawke’s Bay and has previously held Administration and Customer Services roles with companies including Hawke’s Bay Today and Mercy Renovators.

With all the advice and learning materials out there, you would think we would all be experts at the interviewing process. But recruiters still note that candidates are missing out on potential job opportunities because they are not preparing for the face to face meeting, i.e. ‘the sell’!

Ian Beattie, founder and Managing Director of Hawke’s Bay recruitment company RIOT Recruitment, says people really need to consider the basics when it comes to interviewing and ensure they have spent time preparing to impress.  

“This includes doing their research on the company, the role and the hiring manager. It still amazes us how little preparation and research some candidates do. Candidates need to understand that the interview is a “sales” situation and they need to prepare accordingly. It is important that they demonstrate their knowledge of the prospective company throughout the interview by asking targeted questions.”

Although the worst of the recession is over, and companies have begun hiring again, the job market still hasn’t recovered to its original state before the world economic crisis. Beattie says they are still seeing large numbers of applicants for advertised positions, literally in their 100s, which means that job seekers need to be really impressive to stay ahead of the competition. 

“Because of this, employers are in the position to be selective, especially when it comes to skills and experience. Also, because of the current economic environment, some employers are far less likely to take a “punt” on candidates, preferring to be more conservative in their approach.”

Interviews haven’t changed because of the recession but because of the sheer number of people still looking for roles, Beattie says candidates need to make sure they take a far more proactive approach for the whole recruitment process, including the interview.

“Demonstrate initiative, ask good questions and use your relationship-building skills to establish a strong rapport with the hiring manager.”

When preparing for your interview, think about some situations you have been in past roles, how you handled them and what the result was. This would include where you have achieved a great outcome, were presented with a problem or faced with an angry customer. 

“Behavioural-based interview questions remain the industry norm. Behavioural based interviewing discovers how the interviewee acted in specific employment-related situations. The logic is that how they behaved in the past will be a strong indicator of how they will behave in the future i.e. past performance predicts future performance” says Beattie.

The right ‘fit’ is so crucial for both the employer and employee so interviews will be focused around seeking an insight to the candidates personality and behaviour in the workplace. Beattie says the questions are likely to drill in on areas such as team-working, leadership style, resilience, energy and stress tolerance.

To really impress in an interview, Beattie says that a consistent and professional approach will go a long way and to also think about extra attributes and skills you can offer the employer.

“Think about how you may bring attributes over and above those detailed in the position description. Most employers will recruit with an eye to the future, so take the opportunity to demonstrate your future development potential.”

As well as doing all the right things, make sure you don’t do anything that could negatively impact on your job prospects.

“It is important that the candidate acts in a consistent manner throughout the recruitment process. Prospective employers do not like any surprises through the process, such as an unexpected increase in remuneration expectation” says Beattie.

And while it is essential to demonstrate you are keen to secure the role, Beattie says being too keen can be a turn-off and it is important to not come across as being desperate.

Job interviewing can often be an exhaustive, lengthy process but it is imperative to go to each interview as though it was your first and prepare for each one individually. Be fresh and energised each new prospective employer that you meet.

And as a final piece of advice for job seekers, Beattie reiterates the need for people to act like a ‘salesperson’ when it comes to proving they are the best candidate for the job. 

“Remember that the interview is a sales situation. The employer has a need. It is your job to understand that need and offer the solution – you!”

Napier-based Chartered Accountancy business Gardiner Knobloch Ltd have appointed Raynae Smith to the role of Accountancy Clerk. Raynae will be responsible for the preparation of financial accounts for a broad range of clients. Raynae brings several years of Chartered Accountancy experience to her new role. 

The team at 3R Group have been busy building their Hawke’s Bay team to grow and support the product stewardship programmes they operate on a national basis. Jacky Scott has recently joined in an Operations Support role where she will assist with the efficient and effective operation of 3R’s programmes. In addition, Leon McPhillips has joined as Sales & Relationship Coordinator. Based in the Waikato, Leon will focus on driving participation in 3R’s programmes, particularly the Agrecovery rural recycling programme.

The team at PORSE In-Home Childcare and Educator Training have welcomed Wilhelmina (Willi) Salisbury in the role of Practice Manager. In this role, Willi is responsible for managing the administration function for PORSE, with a focus on the efficient operation of the National Support Office in Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay. Prior to joining PORSE, Willi spent the previous 10 years in the publishing industry, most recently with the Bay of Plenty Times in Tauranga. 

National footwear retailer Number 1 Shoes has appointed Dee Shuker as Systems and Physical Inventory Administrator, based in their distribution centre in Whakatu, Hawke’s Bay. Dee brings a wealth of relevant IT and Warehousing experience to the role, having most recently worked with homeware business Zarrb. 

Leah Lovejoy has joined Acura, the Napier-based Chartered Accounting firm in an accounting role. Leah will be responsible for the preparation of financial accounts for a broad range of clients and brings with her a wealth of relevant experience. 

Michelle Jaggard has joined the team at Unison Networks in the role of Executive Assistant. In this role, Michelle will provide high-level support to three areas of the business – Regulatory & Pricing, Information Management and Finance. Michelle was most recently with Telecom NZ, where she held several key support roles.

Gareth Stillman has joined the team at Dynamic Meats in the role of General Manager, based in Hastings, Hawke’s Bay. In this role, Gareth will drive the marketing and operational performance of the business. Prior to joining Dynamic Meats Gareth has gained extensive experience in the meat sector, holding senior roles in a number of leading companies.

 Duncan Hope has joined the team at Unison Networks in the role of Financial Controller. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, Duncan is responsible for the full range of finance, treasury and accounting functions for the Unison Group. Duncan is a Chartered Accountant and prior to joining Unison, he held senior role with leading organisations including Bridgestone NZ and Avis.

Shane Collins has joined the team at Elecrotech having recently moved to Hawke’s Bay. Shane brings a wealth of experience in the telecommunications and electrical industries.

The team at Farmlands has appointed Steve Sturgess in the role of Chief Information Officer. Steve has most recently held a comparable senior role with a national retail chain.

Renae Pocklington has joined No.9 Marketing & Design as Business Manager. Renae, a marketer has experience in advertising, PR and event management. She will look after day-to-day operations while No.9’s founder Amanda Sye will focus on the company’s strategic growth.

Leading towards a goal
Having a goal, or a specific result to reach is something that motivates a lot of people as it gives them a sense of achievement and satisfaction – that what they are doing every day actually means something. So a great way to motivate your team is to make them aware of their goal (or the organisations goals) and keep them on the right track to reach it. Regular staff meetings to discuss the current progress will help them stay motivated and seeing real change will encourage them to continue on their successful path. 
Moving into a position of management is a nerve-wracking time for those who haven’t held that level of responsibility before. But it is also an exciting feeling when you have a team that is willing to work in partnership with you towards achieving great results in whatever you do. Just take your time and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Just because you’re a manager it doesn’t mean you have to know everything. Bowyer offers his final piece of advice for potential and new managers;
“Always look for ways to improve yourself (professional development), be ethical and work hard, and earn respect from those around you (don’t just expect this to come with a new title). Seek a good mentor or someone who can act as sounding board for you as you grow your career, as you will no doubt be faced with new challenges along the way.”

Firstly, we need to understand the national employment market, and what trends are emerging. What has been obvious to all of us has been the impact of the global credit crunch and recession. The Department of Labour indexes national job vacancies, and the graph below highlights the impact the recession has had on job vacancies (sharply declining from a high in April 2007). Since August 2009 we have started to see improving job vacancy volumes at a national level (positive signs).

There has been a 5% nationwide increase in skilled job advertising in the last quarter of 2009(1), with this trend continuing into the first quarter of 2010. Overall business confidence has stabilised nationwide, with a net 23% of companies expecting improvement in the next 6 months(2). National commentators are certainly not expecting a boom 2010 year (the NZ economy is tipped to grow by around 1.8% this year(3)). Rather it will be a year of cautious optimism and controlled growth over the low points seen prior.

One of the more basic but effective measures in reviewing local employment demand can be drawn by analysing SEEK volumes, as it remains a key NZ job portal for those organisations looking to actively recruit new staff.

In reviewing 2008 & 2009 side-by-side we see Hawke’s Bay job volumes have been down roughly 25% from February through to October on prior year. This is a lot lower than the national median reported by SEEK, Trade Me Jobs & APN – all at approximately a 50% drop in advertising volumes from November 2008 through until August 2009, when all have reported recovery (at varying levels). So, Hawke’s Bay has in part been sheltered from the full force of the global recession (reinforced by anecdotal conversations with many businesses & locals in Hawke’s Bay) – again positive news.

So what can we expect to see for 2010 in Hawke’s Bay employment market? Whilst we all wish we had a crystal ball for this year (and beyond), here are some of our thoughts:

• Both active and “below the radar” employment activities are on the rise. People with good experience and relevant skills remain sought after, especially in the Health, Sciences, Engineering, ICT, Accounting, Media & Advertising, and Infrastructure sectors. We also see more activity in the Finance & Banking sectors after a quiet 2009.
• High calibre jobseekers continue to be drawn to the Hawke’s Bay. Many are ex-pats returning from off-shore (which have helped boost the property market), as well as those in the larger centres seeking the lifestyle opportunity afforded to us locally.
• Many actively advertised roles in 2009 were back-fill or contract cover opportunities. In 2010 we are likely to see more newly created positions, as businesses seek to return to growth mode.
• Employers remain focused on skills & cultural fit, with industry experience and a proven track record continuing to be emphasised.
• Re-engaging demoralised and disengaged employees will be a factor for many organisations. With more opportunities becoming available in the employment market there will be an emphasis on retaining good staff. Recent workplace surveys have shown that between 42% – 60% of employees are looking to leave their existing employer given the right opportunity(4)!
• The larger metropolitan recruitment markets are reporting recovery at a faster pace than we are (the bigger the drop the bigger the bounce). Auckland has seen a 30% increase in February over January. Hawke’s Bay has definitely gotten off to a slower start than other parts of New Zealand, but expect us to catch up!

In summary, the Hawke’s Bay job market remains in a stable & improving condition. This stability, matched with the outstanding lifestyle opportunity, see Hawke’s Bay remain as a highly desirable location for many.

Sources:
(1)Department of Labour Jobs Online 2009/2010
(2)NZIER Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion
(3)Economic & Risk Outlook – Dun & Bradstreet
(4)Various portal and company surveys

At RIOT Recruitment we analyse & track local statistics (the focus remains on regional growth & activity). One of these is active job postings on SEEK, a basic but effective measure, as it remains a key NZ job portal for those looking to actively recruit new staff.

Interestingly, in looking at SEEK postings in 2008 & 2009 side-by-side we see Hawke’s Bay volumes have been down roughly 25% from February through to October on prior year. This is a lot lower than the national median reported by SEEK, Trade Me Jobs & the NZ Herald – all approximately at a 50% drop in advertising volumes from November 2008 through until August 2009, when all have reported recovery (at various levels). So, we have in part been sheltered from the full force of the global recession (reinforced by anecdotal conversations with many businesses & locals in Hawke’s Bay) – positive news.

The larger metropolitan recruitment markets are reporting recovery at a faster pace than we are (the bigger the drop the bigger the bounce), but even so we have seen a resurgence of local activity over the last two months. A lot of this has included placements & activity relating to opportunities that are not on the open market. We see improved business & consumer confidence continuing to lift the market at a steady pace through the first half of 2010.

In summary, the Hawke’s Bay job market remains in a stable & improving condition. This stability, matched with the outstanding lifestyle opportunities, see Hawke’s Bay remain as a highly desirable location for many (both nationally & internationally).