Client – EP Healthcare

The Power of Part-Time

May 26, 2022/1 Comment/in Client /by EPHealthcare

In such a tight candidate market where employees are hesitant to make a move, whether it be due to the recent pandemic and its ramifications, change in government, or the looming but inevitable interest rate hikes, agile employers are considering options such as a part-time employees or possible job share of two part-timers.

In a time when employees have needed a little more flexibility regarding work conditions such as working from home options, virtual meetings replacing face-to-face meetings etc, some employers are recognising that the overall mindset of the traditional 9 to 5, Monday to Friday requires a shakeup.

It opens up other possible candidates to consider for roles. For example, a candidate may need to provide ongoing care for their child/ren or possibly a sick family member, or they may be furthering their education, or simply prefer a part-time workload – for whatever reason, being open-minded to the possibility of what an industry experienced employee can offer, rather than what they can’t in terms of time, is giving employers additional choice.

EP Healthcare has been very successful in harnessing the experience and wealth of knowledge that we, as candidate managers have to offer; all being ex-industry, from either Pharmaceuticals or Medical Devices. The part-time working conditions EP Healthcare offered us worked for the business and for us, allowing work and home life to coexist perfectly. In the case of our NSW candidate manager, when circumstances changed, she was able to step into a full-time role, which was a win for everyone. We have also had instances of job sharing, which when coordinated correctly with open consultation between all parties, really benefited all. The possibilities are endless and rewarding for all, you just need to be agile and flexible.

For whatever reason, part-time work is essential for some employees, and if you have the foresight and capacity to employ one or even two part-time employees, it’s highly likely that you will benefit from their industry experience, enthusiasm, passion, and gratitude, as these roles are very hard to come by.

What Gives You Joy At Work

February 22, 2022/1 Comment/in Client /by EPHealthcare

In a past working life, I was asked the question “what gives you joy in your work?”

And I struggled to answer it. I had spent most of my career managing and developing others and had lost sight of what brings me joy in my work.

A few years later I took a redundancy as a pharmaceutical manager. I had been in this position for a number of years, and I made a pact with myself that I would take the time to step back and consider what I really wanted to do. What really makes me happy.

Interestingly enough, the question of “what gives you joy in your work?” is one of the first things I now ask candidates when they are seeking their next challenge, next step, a change or find themselves at a stalemate in their career.

What gives you joy in your work?

Some people can answer this question immediately but most stop, pause, and take the time to consider what this truly means, as it often gets lost in the monotony of daily duties, grind, and routine. Whether you’re thriving or simply surviving in your role.

The question that everyone can answer is: “What is it that under no circumstance do you NOT want in your next role?” Responses to this question tend to be immediate. Normally the answers are quick and confident to this question.

So why do we sometimes continue to do a job that we dislike? Reality is we have responsibilities. The majority of us must work to live. Truth be told, most of the time we are so busy just doing our current job that we don’t have the time for self-reflection and self-check-ins around our own joy and fulfilment in our current role.

Dissatisfaction in our work can influence every other aspect of our life: family, social, physical, and emotional. On average we spend a third of our life working, so without joy and fulfilment in our career we are doing ourselves the biggest disservice of all.

When making assessments about what we want from our work, sometimes the first step is asking yourself simple questions, that require honest answers:

What gives me joy at work? and what do I need in my next position to enable me to thrive?

And then

What don’t I want in my next role? What currently hinders me thriving?

For these questions to be effective, its important to be brutally honest with yourself and use this strategy when assessing your current position and looking for your next. At your next interview adapt your questions to possible new employers. Ask questions relating to culture, management style, measurement of success, development opportunities and ask your potential new manager, what gives them joy in their current position?

What gives me joy in my work is quite simple (after contemplating it for the past 20 years), adding value to others, by giving them the tools to thrive and succeed on their own. Also, for me my greatest source of joy is my family. I need to have the flexibility and ability to spend time and be there for them as they are my greatest gift. 12 years ago, I started in healthcare recruitment and have been able to find joy in my work. The ability to still work in pharmaceuticals, medical device and healthcare with candidates at all levels of experience and watch them secure dream roles and then watch their career grow. Partnering with companies and managers across a wide and extensive spectrum in this industry and matching both these parties together has been so fulfilling.

I highly recommend that you also find out what gives you Joy in your work, no role is 100% perfect but doing what you love really makes life a lot better. I highly recommend it!

– Deb Buch, South Australia/Western Australia Business Manager EPHealthcare

Office Christmas Parties in the Time of COVID-19

November 30, 2021/0 Comments/in Client /by EPHealthcare

The silly season is now upon us and for the first time in a couple of years, we can actually get together face to face to celebrate and reflect on another year before we head into the Christmas / New Year break. But what does holding an event mean in an ever changing COVID restriction environment? Luckily, Aaron Goonrey and Luke Scandrett from Lander & Rogers, Workplace Relations and Safety Practice, recently wrote an article[1] which provided a state and territory guide to restrictions.

Timing and location of the event are key, as most states and territories have different and changing requirements. For example, in NSW, for fully vaccinated people only:

singing and dancing are permitted indoors and outdoors (no need to organise activities during a party to keep people seated and occupied);
alcohol may be consumed while not being seated (avoiding the almost impossible task of ensuring people who are drinking stay seated); and
masks do not need to be worn.

However, density limits of one person per two square metres still apply, so employers need to be mindful of the size of the venue and the number of people attending.

In South Australia, the one person per two square metre rule is enforced for standing events. When people are sitting, three people per four square metres are permitted in a venue. There is a limit of 150 people per venue with only 50 people permitted to dance at once. While singing is permitted, masks must be worn indoors (unless you are a performer). Importantly, employers must also have an approved contract tracing system that’s independent from the one used by the venue.

In Queensland, which is currently under stage three restrictions, as of 17 December 2021 or when 80 per cent of Queenslanders aged 16 and over are fully vaccinated (whichever comes first), proof of vaccination status certificates will be required, meaning entry to certain venues will be restricted to those who are fully vaccinated.

Eating and drinking while standing is permitted and there is no limit on gathering in public spaces. Fully vaccinated Queenslanders will need to follow the one person per two square metre rule for indoor venues or 100 per cent allocated seated and ticketed capacity.

In NSW, once the state reaches 95 per cent double vaccination, or on 15 December 2021 (whichever comes first), proof of vaccination will no longer be required by Public Health Orders for most activities. There will be no density limits, and both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals will be able to enter hospitality venues. It will be optional to complete a COVID-19 Safety Plan, but businesses should nonetheless be very familiar with COVID-19 protocols and requirements to ensure your office Christmas party is conducted safely.

In Victoria, there are no density and capacity limits on hospitality businesses. Dance floors have also reopened, and masks are required in some settings. As in NSW, attendees at venues in Victoria will need to be fully vaccinated.

In Western Australia, there are no square metre rules or patron caps, however events with over 500 guests require the completion of a COVID Event Checklist, and all events should be registered with the WA Department of Health.

Tasmanian businesses can host 250 people in an “undivided space” indoors and 500 people in outdoor premises. The one person per two square metre rule applies. A checklist submission is required in this state too, however events at this capacity are not subject to approval.

In the Northern Territory, public health orders and lockdown/lockout requirements for the Greater Katherine and Robinson River area, including surrounding homelands, must be followed until 7 December 2021 and 1 December 2021, respectively, or subject to government announcements. Fully vaccinated residents in Robinson River and surrounding homelands are able to live normally within the lockout area. Residents of Binjari and Rockhole are currently in a hard lockdown (as on 25 Nov 2021).

And don’t forget, as an employer, your obligations to provide a safe work environment still applies to social events, such as Christmas parties, which are usually the time when HR receives the most harassment complaints. So without trying to sound like the Christmas grinch, please remind your staff of their obligations under your Sexual Harassment and Bullying Policy so that everyone has a fabulous celebration to the end of what has been another trying year.

However you celebrate this time of year, I hope that you and yours enjoy some special time together, remain safe and come back in 2022 feeling relaxed and refreshed.

[1] Legal considerations for the office Christmas party in a Covid-19 world, Aaron Goonrey and Luke Scandrett, HRM Online, 29 November 2021

The New Normal for Office Based Employees

October 19, 2021/0 Comments/in Candidate, Client, Industry /by EPHealthcare

Here in Sydney our lives changed last Monday, 11 October 2021. That day became known as Freedom Day and it started our road out of lockdown where we have been for the past 3 plus months. You could almost hear a collective sigh around the city and a new feeling of optimism and hope was palpable. My first visit was to my hairdresser at 6pm on Monday evening whereas my 19 year old went to the pub with his mates (priorities right!) And we have caught up with family and friends who have been absent from our lives for too long. This pandemic has certainly taught me who is important in my life and to not take them for granted. I hope that I remember that lesson as life returns to a semblance of normality and don’t slip back into complacency.

What will the new normal look like for Australia’s workforce as the country begins our economic recovery, as our borders open, as we begin to travel again, eat a meal in a restaurant, attend weddings, concerts, the theatre and sporting events? As part of our economic recovery, governments want employees to return to the office and for good reason. Whether you work in a major city, country town or in the suburbs, having people moving about creates the need for services – transport, retail, hospitality and accommodation to name a few – which leads to businesses getting back on their feet and jobs growth.

But why would employees want to return to the office? They have proven that they can work productively from home over the past 18 months and having spoken to many, there are mixed emotions and thoughts about heading back into the office. Some are desperate to return. Some are anxious about mixing with too many people on transport or in the office itself. Others simply don’t want to navigate a long commute anymore – they have discovered a better balance between their home and work life, and don’t want to give it up.

So what is your roadmap back to the office? Are you going to retain and attract the best talent in the marketplace? There is never going to be one size that fits all – it’s a balancing act for employers – but here are a few things to consider to help make the transition smoother.

Health & Safety of EmployeesMental Health
We know that lockdown has caused an increase in mental health issues but just because lockdown’s have/are ending, doesn’t mean these issues will miraculously disappear. Whilst some employees will be excited to see their colleagues face to face again and to have meetings and social gatherings, others may feel overwhelmed and need some time to settle back in. Tread carefully and ensure you are taking your employee’s state of mental health into consideration when working through the return to the office plans.Physical Health
Do you have a vaccination policy in place? This is a complex and difficult discussion that needs to be had. I am aware of at least one pharmaceutical company who has just implemented a mandated vaccination policy. This makes sense for them because most of their workforce are out in hospitals and doctor’s surgeries, mixing with vulnerable members of our community. And they didn’t want to differentiate between their field and office staff. Whilst this may not be the case for your organisation what measures are you going to put in place to ensure the health and safety of your employees and those that attend your site?
Economic
There are financial benefits for organisations not returning to a fully office based workforce. A reduction in your real estate footprint could mean significant savings from the bottom line, thus increasing profits. On the flip side, have you spoken to your landlord about a better deal for staying with your current footprint or staying at all?

Employee Engagement

Over the last 18 months the traditional employer/employee relationship has been tipped on its head[1] and the balance of power has shifted to the employee to decide which organisation is going to meet their needs. Providing different models in your roadmap to offer them the environment and flexibility that they are looking will help keep them engaged and retained. This might include working a 2/3 day office/home work week, one week office/one week home split, flexible start and finish times or moving to a 9 day fortnight? Don’t be afraid to ask your employees for their ideas to help shape your models. There is no point going to the effort of developing and implementing options that no one utilises.

Leadership Capabilities

Once you have decided on your roadmap, be sure to engage with your people leaders so that they are all singing from the same hymn sheet, so to speak, in terms of how they are speaking with, and providing direction, to employees. Employees love consistency and this strategy will save you a lot of headaches.

Whatever you, as an organisation, decide is your own roadmap back to the office, my advice would be to maintain the flexible approach you have shown since the beginning of the pandemic. The world has shifted and I doubt will ever return to the way it was before. Heading into 2022, as the economy improves and confidence grows, employees who have been too afraid to move roles, will start looking. Get ahead of the curve – implement your roadmap strategy now with this in mind and give yourself the best opportunity of retaining and attracting the best talent.

Something else to consider following action in the US:

Apple News put out an article recently highlighting a trend called the Great Resignation that is happening across the US, with staff from all types of industries leaving their jobs – and “exhausted” Aussies could follow.

[1] 5 things to keep in mind when staff return to work after lockdown, Kate Neilson, HRM, 7 October 2021

HR AND DATA

September 14, 2021/0 Comments/in Client /by EP Healthcare

When I started my career in HR, many moons ago, it was all about hiring, firing and personnel administration. The function of HR has certainly developed and become more sophisticated over the years to be a critical function of any organisation, who carry the responsibility for the overall employee experience throughout their lifecycle.So how do HR professionals help guide the organisation to make decisions about their employees? One of the tools they use is employee data. Data can help you make better decisions about your employees, which will keep them engaged, with a high rate of job satisfaction, be more willing to be an ambassador for you and recommend you as an employer to potential candidates.An human resources information system (HRIS) has become more common and affordable over the last 10 years. There are a number of software companies out that that can cater to multinationals with thousands of employees globally down to small local organisations with less than 50 employees. Whether you use one of these products or simply an excel spreadsheet, at their heart they are a database. And like any database, the information that comes out is only as good as the information that goes in. Whichever type of database you use it is critical that the input of data is accurate and timely so that when you need it, it will provide you with reliable and up to date information. Or in other words, clean data that can be your one source of truth for all things employee information.

I was recently working with a client who wanted to roll out new employee/appointee contracts. Across the organisation they had 5 categories of employment/appointee relationships which was going to be complex – these covered three separate awards and non award employees, as well as unpaid appointments. They used an HRIS so reviewing this data was my first stop to gain an insight into the organisation and to lay out the steps for the project. I quickly established that chunks of the data was inaccurate and even missing in some instances. This resulted in having to spend precious time reviewing individual employment files, connecting with team leaders and employees to verify the data and updating the HRIS by amending and creating records. These extra steps ultimately delayed the rollout of this critical project and added costs to their budget.

Can you relate to this type of scenario? My client is definitely not the first (or the last) to find themselves in this situation. But what can you do to avoid this situation arising in the future?

In June 2017, Amy Stuart wrote an article in hrms, a US publication outlining four suggestions to create an accurate and reliable database of employee information.

Create Good System Documentation

Create an internal user guide specific to your organization, complete with screen shots, detailed descriptions on how the organization uses specific functionality and a checklist of related tasks needing to be performed (both inside or outside of the system). Add in any internal charts or guidelines that the team may frequently reference, such as a list of which employee types are eligible for which benefit plans, special notes on when and how custom fields should be used, or any data rules specific to the organization. Include any notes relating to processes and the frequency in which these processes are utilized.

Conduct New Team Member Training in Person

Despite how good your user guide may be, face-to-face training minimises the chances of misunderstanding and misinterpretation. And nothing can replace the personal element to the real-life interaction between you and a new colleague. Training is an ongoing task to be revisited frequently and your internal user guide should be a living, breathing document updated as systems and process change.

Create Validation Rules for Entering Data into your HRIS (or Database)

Validation rules verify that the data a user enters meets the standards specified before the information can be saved. Establishing data validation rules prevents data errors from occurring in the first place. There could be validation rules to warn the user if the employee is not eligible for a specific benefit, if a birth date is missing or if an employee’s rate of pay is outside of their grade range.

If validation rules are not possible, utilize the databases reporting function to create queries for the user to run highlighting data entry errors or omissions. Create reports that help team members not only stay organized, but on top of the data for which they are responsible. Even if you are using an excel spreadsheet as your database, find yourself an excel guru who can set up some rules to help the user ensure their data entries remain accurate.

Maintaining Data is Not Just Accuracy, But Aesthetics and Consistency

Think about all the ways data can be entered into a system and who could possibly be entering the data. It can be an initial upload of data from other systems, ongoing imports from auxiliary applications, updates from the HR team, or from employee or managers via self service. With so many methods to enter and update data, creating mechanisms to help ensure consistent data maintenance is critical.

It’s important to think how you want the information to appear when presented on reports or as was required by my client mentioned earlier, on employment/appointee contracts. One of the areas we had to fix was how addresses were entered into the HRIS.

Data accuracy leads to more reliable information and data consistency leads to the appearance of more professional looking results.

No matter what sort of ‘database’ your organisation is using to maintain your employee information, keeping the data clean is going to take time and effort with a focus on being proactive when it comes to data maintenance. But it will be worth it in the end. You’ll be glad you created a system for your team when the time comes, and you’ll never know when that will be.

Lesley Pinter

60 Seconds with a Recruiter: John Evans, Director

October 1, 2020/0 Comments/in Candidate, Client /by EP Healthcare

Why did you become a recruiter?

It was a good way to use my industry knowledge while at the same time appealing to my preference for a very outcome focused role with a very direct relationship between effort and results! Plus, it’s a lot of fun to be able to offer people a job!

What is your biggest piece of advice for job seekers?

Find a recruiter that really knows the industry your career is in, one who is open and honest and takes a genuine interest in working with you to progress your career, not just fill a job! Don’t be afraid to ask a recruiter to take your details off their database if you have had a poor experience with them

What’s your secret talent no one knows about?

Despite what my interview notes look like, I can actually do calligraphy!

Choose a movie title for the story of your life + why.

So many choices – Pulp Fiction because my life is such a crazy ride sometimes, Star Wars because I’m in the battle of good vs evil, Monty Pythons The Meaning of Life, because ultimately you just have to laugh! But if I had to choose one, it would be Dead Poets Society – Carpe Diem!

Why did you become a recruiter?

What is your biggest piece of advice for job seekers?

What’s your secret talent no one knows about?

Choose a movie title for the story of your life + why.

CONTACT DETAILS