Top Candidates  

CFO / Corporate Finance Executive $500K

A graduate from Harvard Business School and The London Business School, this exceptional individual has worked globally with international banks throughout Australia, UK, Europe, The Middle East and Asia.

General Manager - Health sector $400K+

Senior executive with global experience in general management, sales and marketing and operations across diverse industry sectors including facilities and property services, health care, medical technology, financial services, asset pooling and fashion.

CEO - Agribusiness $750K

This exceptional CEO has 18 years' experience in managing and developing a company from a sales turnover of $150 million to in excess of  $450 million. This candidate has acted on a number of boards as director and their ability is without peer.

Commercial Director - Multimedia (including digital) $300K

An exceptional commercial director with experience in multimedia environments including newspapers, with a focus in developing digital frameworks. This candidate is a people manager and leader with cutting edge IP.   

  The  

O'Loughlin Report

Whilst interviewing a senior candidate recently I was asked why he was having so little luck with his job search, given that he was an experienced CEO with credible Health Management credentials. This candidate had applied for a range of opportunities, yet was consistently being knocked back. At the time of meeting him, I was impressed with his candidacy, however he was not specifically what my client was looking for.

This is an interesting case, yet something I am experiencing a lot lately. My response to this individual was along these lines.

"The current employment market, globally, is unique. When the global skills shortage is biting so hard, clients are becoming even more specific about the talent they are wishing to acquire. They have effectively become even less flexible in considering people who fall outside their 'selection paradigm'. This in turn creates a predicament for recruiters because now the job to define and then attract candidates is even more specific."

So why are clients doing this? I think it has a lot to do with the risk associated with getting the selection process wrong, as well as the overall pressure on companies to take a competitive edge through their own talent ranks. The pressure on performance is getting more intense. The demand for staff to perform in the work place is growing, and with all of this, organisations are more ruthless with their selection processes. You would think the converse would apply, particularly in environments such as mining and resources, engineering and construction. Simply going offshore to recruit is not relieving the crisis either.  Some 'enlightened' organisations are taking the staff training process to the next level (which I have written about previously). They are engaging educational institutions to purposefully educate their new recruits in the specific technical requirements of their job prior to 'landing' them on site!

Back to the candidate who asked for my advice... I countered with "You need to detail your resume specifically for the role for which you are applying. You need to engage your alumni/network and be visible. And you need to approach the job search with the same rigour you would with your own job. Finally, be memorable!"

The O'Loughlin Group  

Level 24 / 12 Creek Street  

BRISBANE, QLD 4000  

(07) 3007 1800