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The last quarter has shown a marked change in business sentiment in Australia with an increase of 6% in overall business confidence.The last half of 2011 saw a 15% drop in business confidence so the increase offers welcome respite. There is, however, a lot of ground to make up from the highs of 2007 and early 2008.

For the first time since 2008 wage pressure looks to be back on the agenda, with employers identifying an 18% increase in wage expectation by employers.

Unfortunately, in New Zealand the news isn’t as positive. The honeymoon period following the Rugby World Cup appears to have run its course. Businesses seem to be battening down the hatches once again looking to wait for the recovery. Peculiarly, the country may also find itself in the midst of a skills shortage as the year goes on. The demand for skilled labour in the South Island, coupled with Australia’s mining boom may have a crippling effect on the labour market.

To download the latest Australian Quarterly Index Dashboard Reports

HR Quarterly Index

The HR Quarterly Index is a national research initiative that reports on the business and human resource developments of the past quarter. The report evaluates measurements of business confidence, policy changes, market volatility and people issues, identifying the perceived impact on business performance.

The HR Quarterly Index provides HR professionals, business advisors, industry bodies, governments and business owners and managers with insights into the broader industry issues and their effects on the business sector.

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With the silly season almost upon us it is time to start planning for 2012. The first thing you need are good metrics to measure where you are now, set your goals for 2012, decide upon the strategies to get there and measure your success at the end. You need more than just financial measures to guide and measure your progress. You need comprehensive reporting and benchmarking, you need STAR Workplace Program. Knowledge is power and that is what STAR Workplace Program gives you. Once you start it will change the way you look at your business and change the way you plan.

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Sustainable business means different things to different people. A common question I ask is ‘How much of your profit walks out the door each day in your garbage bin?”. Practical recycling has been a passion of mine for much of my life. My ‘other’ life is that of a vermiculturalist running ‘Promised Land Worm Products’. We have just launched a new web site for worms on the web at www.plworms.com.au. Go and check it out. What is waste and what is resource in your business? Moving just a few items from one group to the other will go straight to your bottom line, and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time. Ask us about practical recycling options available to your business.

The HR Quarterly Index provides a summary of employment confidence in the business sector from the HR Coach Research Institute. 

The current economic outlook is volatile. Last quarter we saw jitters enter the business sector. This quarter, those jitters seem to have been compounded and are now entrenched. Business confidence has dropped in the last quarter by a further 7%. This equates to a 15% drop in business confidence in 6 months.

To get the full report see below

This is a great offer for businesses struggling with ‘where to start’ with the new Workplace Health & Safety laws. The start date for the laws is 1st January 2012, so time is running out fast. Email or call today to organise an audit of your safety management systems and get compliant before 01/01/12. Workplace Health and Safety is everybody’s business!

Contact us today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc

Confidence in the business sector has slumped by 8% in the past quarter. The latest Quarterly Index Dashboard Report compiled by the HR Coach Research Institute has identified, in a seemingly booming economy, signs of strain are appearing.

Alarmingly, this data was compiled before any firm Carbon Tax plan was released by the federal government, thus does not account for the affects of the proposed tax. In light of this, confidence and sentiment in the business sector will most probably not improve in the coming quarter.

Furthermore, job advertisements fell, as did job creation in the past quarter.

The multi-speed economy in Australia is presenting the business sector with the unique situation that has the economy growing whilst at the same time making business owners retreat into survival mode. As a result long term planning and strategy are suffering.

Interestingly employee satisfaction levels within the business sector are higher than those of business owner’s satisfaction with their own business. This could exacerbate already strained relationships.

To download your copy of the report Click Here –

BCoC & Nortec to Boost Bello Jobs

With HumanHand

Bellingen Chamber of Commerce (BCoC) applied to Nortec’s Community Grants Initiative for a grant to run our ‘Just 1 Job’ program. NORTEC Employment and Training is a not-for-profit organisation that provides employment and training solutions for local employers and jobseekers, while contributing to the community in socio and economic capacity building initiatives. We were successful with our application and thank Nortec for the opportunity to begin the program in July.

BCoC secretary and program coordinator, Andrew Sommerville said the Bellingen Chamber of Commerce understands that Bellingen’s local economy is flat at the moment, just like many other areas. But we also recognise that we can’t sit around waiting for something to happen to make it better. There is no magic wand to fix economic conditions. The only fix is planning and strategy linked to action. We have to plan for the recovery, not hope for it. No one is going to do it for us, so if we want change we have to initiate it ourselves. If we work together as a business community we can make a big difference. We want to sustain the existing jobs in the town and look at innovative ways to create new sustainable jobs for the future.

As a HR and Business Coach with HumanHand HR Help, I work with many local businesses. There are 3 characteristics I see in successful businesses:

• The business owner/manager are passionate about their business and its future. They speak positively about business, staff and the future.
• They have highly engaged and committed staff. They are inspired by the owner/managers positive outlook and passion and want to work for the business. They want to be successful in their jobs and contribute to the success of the business.
• Their planning is linked to action. The business has plans in place. They have goals and targets and these are communicated to all staff. All staff, the team, work towards achieving the goals.

I want to see all Bellingen’s businesses exhibit these characteristics, and grow and be successful.

The ‘Just 1 Job’ program will consist of a series of 5 workshops run monthly for 15 participating businesses. It will culminate in a jobs expo held in early December in conjunction with Nortec Employment and Training, to showcase these employers to job seekers. The aim will be to work on the 3 characteristics noted above of successful businesses. We want to ‘flick the switch’ to stop talking about the negatives and start talking positively and passionately about our future. We want to improve our people management to get staff engaged and inspired. We want to plan for the recovery and get the whole team working towards it.

Working with the employer and employees, the program is a catalyst for open discussion in the workplace about how changes, improvements and adjustments can be made to create better workplaces, improve employee engagement and productivity and create a culture of shared responsibility.  It aims to innovate, sustain and create jobs in the Bellingen community by working with local employers to strengthen their businesses, plan for recovery and generate new opportunities.

The ‘Just 1 Job’ program has been adapted from a book (What can I do – Create, Sustain & Innovate Jobs written by Louise Broekman of the HR Coach Group of Companies 2009) and a workshop program developed as a one on one coaching tool. It was a response to the GFC, but is just as relevant in our current economic situation. I have adapted it as a series of group workshops. The idea is to develop partnerships and networks (BCoC, employers, employees, Bellingen Shire Council and Employment and training companies) and all work together to make a difference.

For more information about the Just 1 Job Program, or to be a participant, contact BCoC Secretary Andrew Sommerville on 0447 647 828 or email andrew@humanhand.com.au or go to http://bellingenchamber.com/