Job Hunting? Here’s Why Your LinkedIn Profile Needs an Update

One of our team members, Mhairi, had the opportunity to attend this year’s UN Women Australia’s International Women’s Day (IWD) Luncheon. Held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney in Darling Harbour, the event brought together 1,700 attendees to celebrate the achievements of women and discuss the path forward. The theme for the event was #MarchForward, a call to action to continue advancing gender equality and ensuring that every woman and girl reaches her full potential. With UN Women operating in over 100 countries worldwide, the organization remains committed to delivering policies, programs, and standards that uphold women’s rights on a global scale. Powerful Voices, Lasting Impact The luncheon featured an incredible lineup of speakers, each bringing unique insights and personal experiences to the conversation: Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC , Governor-General of Australia, shared her experiences meeting women across Australia who ‘turn promises into progress.’ Her speech was a reminder of the real impact women make in their communities every day. Celeste Barber , the beloved actor, comedian, and author, brought her signature wit and passion to the stage. She emphasized the importance of taking action over just talking about change, stating she is a firm believer in ‘a little less conversation and a little more action’ when it comes to tackling social injustices. She also shared her best business advice: to be 100% unashamedly ‘me.’ Mary Robinson , Former President of Ireland, was another notable speaker. She had recently sat down with Simone Clarke, CEO of UN Women Australia , to discuss the ongoing fight for gender equality and the importance of keeping the momentum going. A Historic Year for Women’s Rights This year’s IWD coincided with two major milestones in the fight for gender equality: 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration , adopted at the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women, which set out a framework for gender equality globally. 50 years since International Women’s Year (1975) , when the United Nations officially recognized March 8th as International Women’s Day . Both anniversaries serve as a powerful reminder of how far we have come—and how much work still lies ahead. Mhairi found the UN Women Australia’s IWD Luncheon to be an inspiring and thought-provoking experience. The event reinforced the idea that real change happens when words turn into action. As we move forward under the banner of #MarchForward , let’s continue to advocate, support, and uplift one another in the pursuit of true gender equality.

Why do organisations use psychometric tests for recruitment? Some employers include assessment testing as part of the selection process to make a better, more informed decision about a candidate. There is a range of questions that an assessment test can help answer such as; can this candidate do the job, will they do the job, and will they fit our team and culture? Well designed, an assessment test can: Help predict future potential, and likely on-the-job performance Confirm a candidate’s ability to handle various job-related activities such as working in a team, leading others, coping with pressure, and adhering to rules Measure job specific skills that are not easily assessed by other methods. How can I prepare for an OPRA psychometric assessment? Being prepared is an important first step to ensure you are ‘in the right head-space’ to complete an assessment. Being prepared means that you know what tests you will complete, and ideally, making sure you feel rested and alert is equally important preparation for an assessment session. Before the Assessments Set aside a time of day to complete the assessments when you know you will be most alert. Ensure that you will be free from distractions for the period that you are completing the assessments. Familiarise yourself with the different types of tests you will complete and practice these under the same conditions as the real assessment situation. Information on the tests you will be taking can be found in your email invitation. If you have special requirements, make sure the assessor understands these well in advance of testing. It may be possible for alternative arrangements to be made. If you have any significant concerns about the assessment, get in contact with your consultant and they will be able to provide you with guidance and information. After the Assessments If you are completing the assessments at home, make sure to choose a time when you know you will not be interrupted. If you are completing more than one exercise, you might like to take a few short breaks between finishing one assessment and starting the next. Carefully read all instructions before starting an assessment and complete all practice questions. Do not panic if you don’t finish one or more timed exercises. These tests are typically not designed to be finished. Instead, try to work as accurately and as quickly as you can. If you don’t think you have worked to the best of your ability on any one assessment, try not to let this distract you, but focus instead on the next assessment. Don’t try to guess what the assessor is looking for from your assessment results. It is best to answer each question as honestly as you can. It is your personal opinions and preferences that an employer wants to see. Although personality and interest questionnaires are not timed, try not to spend too long answering any one question. Your first, instinctive response is generally the most accurate. For more information visit our sister company OPRA Psychology Group 

Your CV is the key to opening the door to your next opportunity. In order to open up the best opportunities, your key needs to be in good shape. You might have some amazing skills and experience that have perfectly shaped you for the next big opportunity in your career – but if you don’t craft a key that fits, that door will still remain firmly closed. The Real Estate of Your CV When writing your CV, you need to market yourself in the best way possible. Don’t get too hung up on the length of your CV. For CEOs and people just starting out with little experience, it should be easy to keep your CV concise, to one or two pages. It’s the people in the middle who often get tripped up by managing what to include and leave out from their variable previous jobs. Once you’ve whittled down your list, make sure its clear why you’ve listed each role. Information to include in each role listed on your CV: More than the business name, include one or two lines about the organisation. This gives some context. It often doesn’t hurt to link to the business website. What you did in the role (if this isn’t obvious to you, you might need to go back to the drawing board). Accomplishments! For each role, identify (at least) one or two ways you were able to impart benefits through your unique contribution. Succinctly identify a challenge you faced, your approach, and the result. The two things to remember when styling your CV: Put the most important or relevant information “up front” – if the hiring manager needs to go digging to find what they need to know, they’re going to lose interest. Keep the content concise and relevant – again, the person reading your resume shouldn’t have to go digging. Keyword Lists  It’s true that many companies are using time-saving software that scans applications for a set list of keywords. If you want your resume to be read by a person, yes, you do need to include keywords specific to the industry and the role you’re applying for. However, I can’t stress this enough: have some decorum about how you use these words! Keywords should be integrated into the body of text; a keyword list slapped at the top of your application looks lazy. Delete These Relics of Resumes Past Hobbies and Interests – Consider this: is a new boss really going to care if you enjoy hiking, arts and crafts, or brewing beer? If your hobby relates well to the role you’re applying for (say, if you are applying for a role that involves speaking to crowds and you have some community theatre under your belt) you should be able to mention it succinctly in your cover letter. If the employer has any more interest in what you get up to in your spare time (which yes, could possibly relate to your cultural fit), they’ll cover this at the interview stage.

A while ago a friend approached me and asked me a question about cover letters. He was applying for a job and knowing I work in recruitment wanted a 2nd opinion on what he had written. Naturally I gave my advice, but it got me questioning whether the cover letter is still relevant today and if so, what should its format and content look like. To me (a recruiter) a cover letter is the old school however it is still widely requested when applying for roles. A cover letter is essentially requested to give the hiring manager an introduction to you and an insight into your current situation/availability/relevance. This should lead them to your CV, CV leads to an interview, interview to a job, job to living happily ever after. Simple. So what information should you include and what shouldn’t you? What’s too long and what’s too short? How formal do you make it? Where to start? Tailor, Tailor, Tailor Each cover letter should be tailored specifically to the job you are applying for. This is extremely important. Sending the same letter over and over again may speed the rate you are applying for jobs but in reality, it will be hindrance rather than a help. Copy and pasted letters are easy to spot and once spotted, will quickly make the reader question your true desire to work for that company in that role. The advert will list the requirements of the role, taking time to align the content to this will reap rewards. Take time to research the company and its culture and explain why it appeals to you. People like to know the reasons you want to work for them. Tailoring the letter shows the reader you have taken time consider the position seriously. If you are merely “looking for a job” you will fall in with the masses. Content Remember a cover letter is not a CV. You do not need to give information on every bit of experience, ticket, course or qualification you have ever attained. Make sure you clearly reflect how you match the requirements of the role, but make sure it’s relevant and snappy. Bear in mind your letter may be the 100th letter the person at the other end is reading, they will not be spending long examining it. On average a hiring manager will spend around 30 seconds looking at a cover letter. This means paragraph after paragraph won’t fly. Make sure paragraphs are bite sized. Bullet points are a good way to draw attention to your relevant skills, experience and achievements. How formal? This will fall in line with how you tailor your letter to the advert, company and the role. You ought to be able to get a good an idea of how formal the letter needs to be from the type of role you are applying for. You can make a fair assumption that a cover letter required of a lawyer will demand a more formal approach than that of a boilermaker for example. If in doubt remain professional but don’t over-cook it. If your letter starts with “ Greetings kind Sir/Madam, it is with the utmost pleasure I wish to state my interest in applying blah blah blah” it’s likely it will raise eyebrows rather than interest. Know where it’s headed Think about who is advertising the role. By researching the advert/company you can get a fair idea of who will be casting their eye over your letter. If it is a smaller company, it will usually be the hiring manager which means your letter will be going straight to the decision maker. Larger companies may have HR/Recruitment departments that will do the initial screening of hundreds of CVs for many different roles. This will give you a bit of perspective of what to include and how to tailor the content. If it is a mass recruited role a short snappy letter with clear correlation of your experience and role requirements would be best. If it’s going straight to a hiring manager, you may be able to elaborate on experience and achievements. Recruitment Company VS End Employer I can’t speak for all but I, as a recruiter, spend little time dwelling on cover letters. The reasoning: recruiters are engaged by companies to find them people and, because they have to find people specific to their client’s requirements, they generally focus on qualifications/experience listed on the CV. Once a recruiter finds someone that could be a good match, they will undertake a phone screen and conduct their own interview before deciding if the candidate is a good fit and worth submitting to their client. This eliminates a need for a cover letter. As an applicant bear this in mind and look to see who is advertising the role. Tailoring letter after letter to adverts listed by recruitment companies may not be time best served. Other important points to consider: Grammar & Spelling – Always proof read, and spell check your letter Contact details – Include these on both your letter and CV (simple yet so often missed) Location – if you are not located near the role explain why in the cover letter otherwise you may be dismissed very quickly Human touch – Be yourself and convey some of your personality in the letter CV/LinkedIn – Make sure your CV and LinkedIn profile reflects the information in the cover letter. Conflicting information can raise suspicion and doubts Taking the above on board, a cover letter should read well and should always focus on what you have to offer the employer rather than why you want the job. Being clear and concise is a must. If you want to see some examples of how it’s NOT done there are some crackers here: Business Insider – Worst ever cover letters After the conversation with my friend it reiterated that entering the job market as a candidate can be daunting. It is something most aren’t familiar with. It may have been months or years since you last touched up your CV or looked at constructing a cover letter. Hopefully the above can give some insight and help.

A perfect storm in from Western Australia The collision of talent shortages and a self-imposed island state The global pandemic, coupled with the climate change movement has created a momentum that is forcing corporations to review their purpose and impact. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) measures are now taking a front seat in corporate conversations across Australia, and perhaps most notably in the mining, resources and energy industries. In Western Australia we find we are in the perfect storm – a candidate sparse market combined with authentic and considered socially conscious career seekers looking for employers of diverse and engaged workforces with an environmental and clean energy focus. For the mining industry, which has often had one eye on the concept of “sustainability”, this has caused a flurry of ever-increasing activity. Although sustainability has been around for some time, understanding and measuring the direct impact on the performance of variables such as diversity and inclusion has been something of a dark art. Company ESG performance is increasingly a data driven and measurable necessity that investors, lenders and rating agencies are increasingly scrutinising and in some instances e.g., the black coal segment totally withdrawing investment. These nonfinancial metrics are set to cause change at all levels of industry, shedding light on diverse social and environmental risks. Many junior and intermediate miners are in the early stages of their ESG journey and have strategically or have been forced to review their purpose, their impact, and their role in society. As Western Australia has maintained its island-like status, mission critical talent shortages have been rife and have significantly impacted across all industries, resulting in corporations scrambling to attract and retain quality talent. The talent driven shift brought about by COVID has meant that higher salaries are no longer the only employee concern. Along with work life balance, companies have had to re-evaluate their ESG practices and how they demonstrate their performance on social and environmental issues. Candidate shortages aside, investors and lenders are also playing their part. Through our cousins in Europe, shareholders have seen the tangible value creation and shift in profitability that measured ESG initiatives and purposeful work have had. This is in part due to reduced costs, greater risk management and overall improved reporting on various factors. However, there is also evidence that corporate clarity of vision and purposeful activity have a great impact on productivity and performance, all driven by employee engagement. In the last 12 months, Beilby Downing Teal has been mandated to recruit a number of “ESG Managers”. These processes have given us a unique insight into the multi-faceted nature of this subject, the limited knowledge surrounding it and the problem of targeting traditional talent pools to take on these inaugural roles. Candidates from Environmental, Health & Safety, Community Engagement, Sustainability, Communications, HR and even Finance/Investment backgrounds can and have been considered. In an unproven marketplace, with organisations often unfamiliar with the nature of this role, we have searched for candidates with backgrounds covering more than one of these specialities. Handling strategy, regulators and implementing actionable deliverables requires a unique skillset and the ability to impact stakeholders across all aspects of a business. Where the ESG function fits in in an organisation structure is up for debate. In larger organisations, due to the strategic impact of ESG and its wider implications on overall purpose, the natural reporting line is to the CEO. However, in the smaller and mid-tier miners, the most tangible impact can be had by reporting through to the COO, depending on the stage of their operations. Overall, organisations and hiring managers have various elements to mull over – their purpose as it relates to ESG, ESG as a talent attraction and retention strategy and ultimately, who leads the charge within the company. Extractive industries globally have woken up to their place in the energy transition and must be able to demonstrate measurable, investable ESG plans to investors. Companies can expect to be faced with an increasingly competitive labour market, as environmental and social issues become real world business concerns. ESG as a function must not be seen as just part of a branding exercise, investors are beginning to demand transparent and measurable ESG initiatives. We can expect the adoption of ESG practices and the pace of change in WA to become as fast as anywhere in the world. Finding experienced ESG professionals to help navigate that change will become an increasingly challenging process. To date, the clear winners in the ESG war for talent are those with clearly articulated organisational values, competency frameworks, role clarity and purpose. This transparent evidence allows organisations to readily consider candidates with transferable competencies and candidates to align career choices with personal values.  If you are feeling the impact of the current talent shortage in WA, reach out to our General Manager, Nick Verkerk, to find out how we can assist you to capture the right talent for your business. Article written by Nick Verkerk,

When it comes to preparing for an interview, where do you start? Being unprepared may leave you feeling anxious as you approach your interview, and could demonstrate a lack of interest in the organisation and role. Over preparing, whilst it seems like the logical thing to do, could potentially be your down-fall. A question outside of your extensive preparation may just throw you off track. The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to behavioural-based interview questions by discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing. SITUATION : Describe the context of the scenario/event. Example – Working with conflicting deadlines. TASK : Explain the task that was at hand including your responsibilities and expected outcome. Example – Two clients demanding their tasks were completed by close of business. Not enough notice was provided to action their requests within the required time frame. ACTION : Describe the specific actions you took to complete the task. Be specific about your personal involvement/responsibilities. Example – Asked a colleague for assistance to complete the tasks. Advised both clients that for future X amount of notice is required. RESULT : Explain the outcome. Example – The clients were appreciative their requests were actioned promptly and acknowledged future notice required. Give this a go next time you are preparing for an important interview! Article written by Hayley Heaton.

BDT have been alerted to a WhatsApp Scam where a person is claiming to be a BDT consultant looking to discuss career opportunities with candidates. We would never ask for personal details over messaging platforms. If you are concerned about a recent message please contact your local branch to verify the communication. For further information please visit www.scamwatch.gov.au Examples of the communications received

It could be time to leave your job. David* reached over to switch off his buzzing alarm clock, and his stomach tightened, with the sinking realisation that it was Monday. That feeling of a lack of excitement was getting to be an everyday part of waking up to go to work. David used to enjoy his job as Sales Director with a global capital equipment business. When he joined the company ten years ago he was really excited about his work and took every opportunity he could to work hard and achieve his and the company’s goals. He knew he was kicking some goals, and doing well because he had been promoted a number of times over the years. But now…well… where did the challenge go? Now it all just seems a bit routine, day in day out. The excitement David had when he first started working there – about what he was doing and the challenges ahead – had dissipated. He knew as well that he was probably not being paid at the right level for his job responsibilities as his friend Steve* was in a similar job for another company and earning $50K more. The thought of that bigger salary was enticing, plus the excitement of being somewhere new, with further advancement opportunities….was it just time to head for the exit? When is the right time to leave? We find that executives often ask us “when is a good time to leave a company? When should I look to new challenges and something to get me beyond my comfort zone? A recent executive I met with said “I know the products, I know the industry, I know our company and the processes and whilst it’s enjoyable, I feel like I am not pushing myself and have more to give”. There isn’t a simple answer to this; it really depends on what you are looking for and understanding the reasons why you might want to leave. Identifying the warning signs Lacking passion, being miserable or stressed are just a few of the triggers that give an indication of gearing up for facilitating a career change. Others include boredom, not feeling compensated for what you do, and lack of opportunity for promotion. An interesting overview here from The Guardian as we navigate Covid and a desire for new career challenges. Ready to quit your job? 17 questions to ask yourself first . Sometimes it’s not that obvious what you should do, like the executive I met with, who wasn’t unhappy exactly; just not feeling really excited and challenged. If you still believe in the company and are happy with the work culture, it can be worthwhile to really explore whether there are further challenges for you internally before you jump ship. What’s out there for me? But if your talents are untapped, there’s not that much to aim for in your current role and you have the niggling feeling that there might be better opportunities (with better pay!), it might be time to explore opportunities. If you do decide that leaving your job is the right decision, make sure you are well equipped with some good options before you make that crucial move. We’re lucky enough in Australia to have a fairly robust economy and though some sectors have been hit hard by Covid 19 and global economic conditions, we’re still pretty well placed for jobs compared to much of the rest of the world (the unemployment rate for Australia was at 4.6% in July 2021, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics). Your age, financial responsibilities and family circumstances will also undoubtedly factor in your decision making process. We work closely with our executives and will help you really understand what motivates and excites you about a job (despite what you might think, it’s usually not all about the money!). If you love your job and are passionate about what you’re doing, going to work Monday morning is just another opportunity to do what you love. *not real name Article written by Stuart Chandler

As COVID 19 vaccination rates continue to increase, the world moves towards some level of normality following the seismic upheavals of 2020 and the global pandemic. Here, in Australia, our impact was limited but our economic recovery and rebound has been remarkable given where we were 12 months ago. As global populations are being vaccinated the pressure mounts to open up and move on from the pandemic induced recessions.  Pre pandemic, slowly but very surely, momentum was building with global economies, industries and organisations, driving change towards a sustainable future. This focus followed the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Over the next fifteen years, countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind. Fulfilling these goals will take an unprecedented effort by all sectors in society — and business must play a very important role in the process.

We recently moderated a panel discussion at one of WA’s leading Women in Mining & Resources, and Women in Leadership conferences. Through carefully scripted questions, we explored big businesses’ thoughts and ideas on gender diversity and inclusion. The panel comprised of several highly accomplished leaders from a selection of industries, including the Mining and Resources sector. Unsurprisingly, all panellists were acutely aware of the need to increase diversification within their organisations. They were enthusiastic about being involved in the discussion, not only to share how their companies were achieving diversity, but to see how others are approaching it too. Parental leave caused much discussion with panellists who recognised the need to get talented females back into the business and industry, but how? In the end, it came down to better planning, focus and communication. Do not forget those on parental leave. Keep them engaged through regular communication, opportunities for ongoing training and inclusion in social events.  Be ahead of the curve and plan early. Collectively work on a plan for their return to the workplace that considers individual needs, discusses career progression, and provides access to training opportunities and mentors. The focus needs to be on developing talent and accelerating progression by enabling access to the resources required to excel. Ensuring equal parental leave opportunities are available to all genders also allows females a choice to return earlier. Another interesting point was to look differently at how teams are defined. Could we reshape executive roles to be more inclusive of female leadership? Shape the position to the person rather than the person to the position. For example, technicians who had families and chose not to continue the FIFO lifestyle may lack the years of site experience, however, could have the internal expertise and technical skills to manage the business unit. If another member of their team is strong in site experience with less developed softs skills, this could balance out the team. Pipelining and succession planning are also occurring more, with leaders looking three to four levels down for talent and nurturing that talent through career development. There is, however, caution around moving people up too quickly to fill diversity quotas. It needs to happen in a realistic timeframe, not to lose the technical underpinning required to succeed at an executive level. Another topical discussion was Champions of Change and the engagement of male allies for gender diversity within the business. This question sparked a conversation that perhaps it is not about identifying male allies and rather, instilling a company-wide culture, open to all dimensions of diversity. This can be accomplished by making sure all communication is unbiased in its delivery and all events, sponsorship arrangements and promotional activities are not skewed towards any one gender. It was also apparent that calling out bad behaviour, such as degrading comments, was more likely to elicit sustained cultural change. People learn from their mistakes and sometimes need to be reminded that their behaviour is not acceptable. The more communication around the issue, the better educated and more accepting teams become. Challenging bad behaviour outside of work environments was also flagged as important, such as when socialising with friends. Finally, there were some great points around the recruitment process. Search for candidates with the intention of equal gender representation at shortlisting. Consider methods used to attract this audience, and to challenge, or perhaps even reject, shortlists that do not comply. Encourage executive search partners, external recruiters, and internal functional and HR teams to work with that intention. When it comes to internal roles, go beyond placing the advertisement on internal communication platforms. Males and females view recruitment advertising differently. For example, a female may only apply for roles where she meets most of the listed criteria, whereas a male may be more inclined meeting comparatively less. The onus needs to be on direct line managers to approach females who they believe are suitable candidates for progression and encourage them to apply. The panel discussion was very productive and encouraged quality questions and ongoing discussion throughout the conference by attendees. It was frustrating for many to be having similar conversations from one year to the next. It is apparent we are still figuring out what works best, however, we are moving forward in the right direction and need to continue the discussion to maintain momentum.

Meet Victoria, Researcher for Beilby Downing Teal Queensland Brief overview of your job National and international candidate sourcing and selection of Senior / Executive level candidates primarily within the Mining & Resources, Engineering and Construction sectors. I Identify and approach potential candidates using a number of methods. Highlights and Challenges The roles I usually work on are generally the more difficult to find a candidate for, hence they are searched positions. So for some roles, I need to map the market and identify potential candidates in the organisations listed in our search strategies to make sure we have sourced everyone in that particular market. A challenge is definitely sourcing females for particular roles that are in male-dominated industries ie Mining Engineers, all types of Engineering roles, Mine Managers, Construction Managers, Estimators etc. How do you challenge gender bias and inequality or seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. I like to read and share articles online for example from The Female Lead. I like to read biographies of strong female role models and talk about them within my network. I recently read Jacina Ardern’s biography, I have also enjoyed Jacqueline Gold and Anita Roddick. I attend women in construction (NAWIC) and women in mining (WIMARQ) annual networking events and also the international women’s day breakfast. I listen to the journey’s that the speakers have been on to become the strong and/or successful role model’s that they are today. Any advice for those looking to follow your footsteps I think it’s important that we recognise the next generation and that we continue the progress we have made for women to work in any type of role in all industries. We have certainly come along way in the last 150+ years with the movement for gender equality and valuing women in the workforce. Identifying female role models to our younger generation is a great way to encourage ambition, one of my inspirations is Jacinda Ardern – my 4 year old knows who she is 🙂 .

Meet Denise, National General Manager – Government I lead the team of Consultants who provide recruitment support services to the WA and NT public and local government sectors. In addition, I also work closely with clients and help support them through their recruitment needs. It’s a challenging role where no one day is like any other – I love the interaction I have with the clients and am very appreciative of the professionalism and loyalty displayed by the team. Highlights and challenges? Highlights would be every day. I really enjoy what I do and love achieving great outcomes for our clients. I am motivated by achieving short term goals – so get a buzz out of concluding processes, knowing a vacancy has been filled and that project is finished. I also enjoy working with my team and with the broader BDT team within the office. Challenges would be juggling client delivery with team interaction and support. But each objective is equally important – so I do what I can to ensure I am as proactive as possible. How do you challenge gender bias and inequality? I have a young family who I enjoy supporting with school activities – so one challenge I experience is incorporating this within my daily work. Fortunately, the WA public sector is very supportive of flexible working practices and I frequently observe panel members (male and female) wanting to schedule our work around school commitments – which makes me feel more confident in also voicing my requests. Similarly, within BDT I never feel under pressure when I excuse myself due to a family commitment. Some times work requests are unavoidable and need to be upheld – but generally I am fully appreciative of the flexible working environment within which I work. Advice? Work hard, be open in your communication and deliver on your promises.

Leadership – you don’t always need to look to the top! It would appear, now more than ever, that leadership scrutiny through a political, community or business lens is as intense as it has ever been. The COVID19 pandemic has ensured that leaders globally, at all levels, are being judged through the impacts on community health, the bond of social contracts and the adversity of economic disruption. At more than any other time I can recall throughout my lifetime, leaders are being judged as much for what they don’t do as what they do. Of course, judgement should always start with oneself. Throughout the pandemic, most Australians have generally fared better than many others around the world. I am not a scientist or epidemiologist, and I expect there are health and geographic benefits to living in Australia and our relative success in dealing with COVID19. I believe our political and community leaders have strived for a unified outcome, genuinely worked collectively and collegiately and the broader population has shared in the collective responsibility of the social contract to minimise the devasting impact of COVID19. Working in recruitment I am fortunate to gain insight into an individual’s career ambition, approach, challenges, and fear. In some regards, the conversations have remained constant pre/post COVID19 though extremes are amplified in an economic and employment environment where there is limited opportunity. For the team member who has been years without a performance and development review, let alone a salary review, concern is heightened. When employees have had to reduce pay, accept reduced working hours or be placed on unpaid leave, concern is replaced by anxiety and fear. Who can question employee fear when leaders haven’t implemented performance, development, or salary reviews in the years prior to COVID19 and start economic rationalisation in the middle of a pandemic? It is little wonder employees are anxious and feel totally out of control of their destiny. The reality is some organisations place profit above all else and arguments can be made that they are contemptuous towards employees or have neglected their relationship to nothing more than a paycheque transaction. It remains true that people still leave leaders rather than organisations. At all times, employees look for their leader’s authenticity, transparency, consistency with the ability and passion to communicate across all business levels. In this pandemic, the benchmark is set a little higher – effective leadership needs to be more than cutting costs – employees are attracted to leaders who have positive and constructive internal and external communication skills. They are the brand ambassadors who clearly, readily, and consistently articulate the strategy and value of the company to employees and the market. They are personally genuinely concerned for their staff’s health and well-being and communicate directly with individuals and don’t defer this accountability to adjuncts. Most people still need to go to work every day, and not all businesses have the leaders to drive the turnaround required, nor will all business ultimately survive this global pandemic. However, individuals need not look up for leadership. They should look firstly at themselves or across their colleagues for leadership. I am often reminded and inspired by the people I have worked with who are now leaders of their own organisations. A couple who readily come to mind are Robert Bromage of IntelliHR and Sarah Rajic of Capital Recruit. I was fortunate to work with both early on in their careers and from my earliest memory they had a commitment to their effort, the ability to overcome obstacles, a belief in themselves, the confidence to ask questions and the resilience to overcome challenges. They are both successful entrepreneurs in today’s challenging and ever-changing human capital industry. Importantly they weren’t people I reported to; however, I find their leadership rewarding and inspiring. I watch with an active interest in their success and hope to learn from it. If looking within yourself or your team for leadership, I recommend reading Dr Ric Charlesworth’s book ‘The Coach’. Dr Charlesworth is somewhat of a chronic underachiever – a medical doctor, a parliamentarian, an elite sports performer across multiple disciplines, a 4-time Olympic athlete and the coach of 2 Olympic Gold medal teams. However, even in his storied career, much of his innovation around team and leadership was challenged. Two of his concepts that have resonated with me are those of ‘social loafing’ and ‘a leaderful team’. Social loafing is described by Dr Charlesworth as an attitude or behaviour which says, ‘someone else will do it’ or ‘it is someone else’s problem’. Even those who might feel marginalised in their career or not in control can demonstrate base levels of self-leadership in eliminating ‘social loafing’. What can I do, take the initiative, develop a skill, or take up a course? The concept of ‘A Leaderful Team’ involves as many leaders as possible. In a work environment they don’t need to be a manager – encourage your peers and colleagues. Create a diversity of views and allow a greater number of people to excel in a shared high-performance environment and drive the team to greater success. Encourage all team members to be more inquisitive, more creative and value their participation and contributions. Dr Charlesworth believes this approached made individuals in the team more aware of their responsibilities and expanded the critical mass of leaders in the team who ultimately defended their 1996 Atlanta Olympics Gold medal by repeating their success in Sydney 2000. Ideally, you will work in an organisation with a clear strategy for the future, have a leader who balances the needs of its employees and positioning the business for future growth and is authentic in everything they do. Even if you have this leadership, think about ‘social loafing’ and your role in ‘A Leaderful Team’ and take responsibility for your growth. If you work in an organisation where leadership doesn’t meet the needs of the current environment, your greatest accountability is to ensure you do all you can to position yourself for the next career challenge.  Written by David Gallagher , General Manager NSW