Recruitment: What Employers Look For

Kate Tregaskis, Group Manager Leadership Development, Skilled Group

Skilled Group is made up of a variety of companies that provide labour services to a wide variety of industries, ranging from manufacturing, trades and mining through to the nursing and white-collar sectors. When organisations have a need for skilled workers, Skilled is often their first port of call.

Kate Tregaskis is Skilled's Group Manager Leadership Development, working within the company's human resources department. She is responsible for programs that build the leadership potential of Skilled Group staff. Working with people at all levels of the organisation to improve their current capability levels and prepare them for future leadership opportunities, Kate knows how valuable experience and training is to achieving career goals.

	Career Questions: At Skilled, what are recruiters looking for when taking on new staff? How do you strike a balance between formal qualifications and experience? Aside from formal qualifications, what can candidates do to improve their chances when applying for a job?

At Skilled, what are recruiters looking for when taking on new staff?

Working in an office environment, people need to be professional, behave with integrity, have a drive for results, and have an ability to adapt and cope with change. Everything's changing at such a pace - people need to be prepared.

How do you strike a balance between formal qualifications and experience? There's no doubt that recognised qualifications help get you through the gate, especially in a competitive job market where there might be lots of applicants for a single job. Qualifications can serve an important purpose. For entry-level positions especially, a formal qualification like a TAFE certificate demonstrates that the candidate has got the discipline to put themselves through study and that they're investing in their own development. That's important for a recruiter to see. And from a technical point of view, people definitely need basic computer skills. Once you're in the role, though, it's time to deliver, and any future progress (within an organisation) will be based largely on your performance. Recognised qualifications help get you through the gate...

Most Popular Courses Certificate III in Business Administration Diploma of Human Resources Management Bachelor of Business Certificate IV in Small Business Management Certificate IV in Business Administration Jobs on Office manager jobs Personal assistant jobs HR manager jobs Business administrator jobs Career Facts There are over 2 million businesses in Australia. A business qualification opens doors across a wide range of industries and professions. To succeed in business, you need qualities such as perseverance, entrepreneurship, leadership and self-confidence.

Aside from formal qualifications, what can candidates do to improve their chances when applying for a job?

They should demonstrate a can-do attitude, a willingness to learn on the job, demonstrate the ability to cope with change, be well organised and have initiative. Most jobs operate within a team, so displaying good teamwork skills is good too.

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