The Recruiter's Blog

by Alan Charman

"If you want to get the inside oil on New Zealand employment (and social!) conditions, forget the Department of Labour and newspapers, read this blog!"

 

14 November 2009

Message to the government on how to make New Zealand more productive, more profitable and more fun to be in.

Get rid of ACC.

Surely, an organisation which is charged with providing prostheses for violent criminals is not just broken, but absurd.

Whatever changes the government makes, Graham Burton will still get an ACC-sponsored leg, because he has to be provided with a minimum standard, which includes walking. To Burton, it matters not whether his leg is state-of-the-art titanium or a piece of wood - he will be able to use it to commit more violent crimes and waste more time of prison guards who must guard him in fours. We pay twice for this piece of human excrement: we pay for his leg to enable him to commit crime, and we pay the wages of those looking after him - who must always have a first consideration of protecting themselves from a person who will most certainly attempt to kill one or more of them if he ever had an opportunity. He must be watched every second he's not locked in a cage.

Without a leg, he wouldn't be much trouble for a small female to look after as long as she kept her distance. A hopping man is not a great threat to anyone but himself, although you sure wouldn't want him to grab you.

ACC is going to cost every New Zealander a substantial amount of money as it tries to retrieve the irreversible decline it's in. We will be paying far more through our wages than would be the case with private insurance. It would be simple to legislate that employers insure their workers for at-work injuries - hell, this was all working under Bolger, we have ample proof that NZ society did not fall apart because ACC was no longer compulsory.

The bare premise of ACC, which discriminates against accidental infection or illness while paying for medical treatment for criminals, is insane to start with.

The entire country would be far better served by private insurance.

The economy would benefit by billions a year not being wasted on ACC's ridiculously heavy management structure and policy makers and businesses would increase profits with fairer charges. That means more taxes for the government to spend on infrastructure or working towards cutting domestic violence.

From every view, ACC makes no sense at all.

Drop the beast.

 

12 November 2009

Charman Consulting welcomes Stan Williams aboard as our new rep selling temp services.

Growth in our temping division in the past year has encouraged us to spread the net and enable more firms to take advantage of our superior services.

If you're looking for temporary work, or temporary workers, Stan is the man to talk to.

We have a range of positions going, from fitters to process workers, so if you want money for Xmas, ring us now on 0508 EXPECT

 

10 October 2009

Employment is definitely returning to the Auckland marketplace, with new jobs coming online across the whole spectrum.

Some things are becoming clearer as we exit the recession:

Wage pressure is still downwards, so be prepared to work your way up again from a slightly lower start than you're used to.

There are lots and lots of candidates for unskilled jobs, so make absolutely sure you apply for the right job and make the best case you can.

Older candidates are finding it especially hard. Removing your date of birth and early work history won't help you. It might help get an interview, but it won't help once they see you and find a 60 year old when they're expecting 40. Be honest! Accept your age as a benefit - reliability, honesty and great work ethics, etc - it will help rather than hinder your cause.

If you need advice, we have it free on 5799111.

1 October 2009

Another long gap between blogs, but tempered by a couple of special reports. If you haven't read our expose on prostates and you're a bloke over 40, you probably ought to.

And if you've heard that Kiwi kids live in poverty, we say "Bullshit"! Here's why.

On the job front, people are still being made redundant, but there are certainly more jobs coming online.

We have loaded a few great jobs and have a load more to advertise tomorrow, but one thing is becoming clear - most jobs going right now are pretty specialised and the employers are in no mood to change specs to suit candidates.

It's more important than ever to make sure you have a good grasp of what a job really is before you get to meet the customer, and that's where we can help: we understand our customers' businesses and what they really do want, so you can be assured that if we put you forward for a job, you're actually suitable for the job.

We're also always happy to discuss general terms with anyone at anytime, by phone or e mail, so if you want some free advice, we haven't run out of it just yet!

 

7 September 2009

That's a long time between drinks! Last blog almost a month ago - time truly does fly when you're having fun. Not to mention the invasion of the 'Flu of Pigs.

Anyway, lots has been happening in the meantime, and with Charman Consulting, and it's sister company Insulate Now!, having a total of 17 staff. we're certainly doing our bit for unemployment, so if you want a job, you ought to be able to figure this one out.

First point - the big stores are hiring. Bunnings, Mitre 10, and The Warehouse are all looking for staff in various locations. Lots of these places just put it on a billboard outside the shop and wait until someone slick enough comes in and asks.

I know the pay's lousy, but I also know lots of people who are earning nada, thanks to having a working spouse.

It'll look damned good on your cv as well. 

Really!

If you're a manager, a sales rep, an engineer or a butcher, working in a crappy customer service job for a giant chain store will actually enhance your chances of getting a better job next time you look.

Emphasise that you took it to earn money and ensure your prospective employer rings the company for a reference. They will, and when they hear what a fantastic employee you were, despite poor pay, bad hours, little freedom and no choice, your star qualities will become highly evident.

I'm going to be fascinated to see the next quarterly figures, because if we can't show a good number for the December quarter, I'll be eating a very large crow, having stated almost a year ago (check it out) that growth would return in September 2009.  I doubt it will be enough to offset July and August, but the December figure should be a large +. Aussie has been very resilient, and they're luckily, our number one supporter! Ozi Ozi Ozi! And they beat the 'Boks! The Rainbow Nation has a bit of bother getting up for the third tests. No wonder ABs score so many chicks in RSA.

Alright, go and get a job, I'm now off to indulge in an expose of the H1N1-A novel influenza. Feel free to check it out!

 

More blogs, letters, essays and other stuff from Alan Charman

 

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