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August 23, 2016 at 9:51 pm #1200503Up::0Warren Cottis, post: 237565, member: 129 wrote:We are all small businesses fighting to build something but we live in an environment where the people who make the rules have no idea about the real world in which we live.
We are the majority of Employers and say nothing… Apathy is our undoing
This is not a Political Rant… take it as a Flawed Process Insanity question.Sorry I got off track Warren.
We are all small businesses fighting to build something but we live in an environment where the people who make the rules have no idea about the real world in which we live.
This has to be my favourite line from you, because it is very true, every year the rules get harder for business to function to enhance growth. We are getting tied up in red tape all the time:
EXAMPLE: A friend of mine has a mechanical workshop and needed a service person (see PC) /All Rounder, the person had to be fit and capable of working hard, able to lift tires and wheels etc. Also had to be neatly presented for customer contact. He struggled with what he could put in the advert without offending people, he struggled.
He, too didn’t want to waste people’s time or his doing interviews with people who didn’t suit his business but obviously had to simply because he couldn’t be more specific in his advert.
August 23, 2016 at 9:56 pm #1200504Up::0Rohan@TD, post: 237583, member: 78618 wrote:Job ad design, screening resumes, pre-interview testing, phone interviews, Skype interviews etc. all help to reduce the cost / imposition on applicants and the businesses applying for new roles.
.I have learned this is critical to my business, I do screen their resumes obviously, but the most important part for me is the phone/skype interview. Sometimes I am employing someone out of state so I have learned a lot of skills on skype interviews.
I actually put in my advert that the first stage is a skype or phone interview, I prefer skype so that I can see the person. If they don’t have skype then it’s a phone interview.
I also learn about the applicants phone manner which is a bonus as a lot of our client communications is over the phone and email.
August 23, 2016 at 10:00 pm #1200505Up::0Rohan@TD, post: 237583, member: 78618 wrote:Everybody knows it is incredibly frustrating for people to apply for jobs they will never get. However, it’s also 2016 and we have a variety of options for people to avoid excessive costs when applying for a job. Recruitment processes should be streamlined to reduce the numbers or people actually making it through to the interview stage, because it not only costs them time/money, but also your business. Job ad design, screening resumes, pre-interview testing, phone interviews, Skype interviews etc. all help to reduce the cost / imposition on applicants and the businesses applying for new roles.Certainly not. When you dive into the detail of diversity related academic studies (peer reviewed research) they find the value in diversity comes from differences in the backgrounds of the group members – not their individual race, gender etc. The academic research I have seen all support contemporary views that their is little difference in performance based on factors such as gender, race etc alone.
Political correctness fundamentally benefits the Australian marketplace bringing in talent (people), ideas, new products and opportunity. It helps drive the Australian economy (e.g. international investment).
How does it benefit a small business? It helps (diverse) employees feel included, trusted, respected and valued. It also helps shape and develop the view of their leader (e.g. you) as somebody worth trusting and following – which is the case for all employees, not just diverse. All of which leads to greater performance in individuals and groups.
Having small business employees who trust you, respect you, are committed to your long term objectives and operating at optimal performance levels have wide ranging benefits for all businesses, not just small.
The true benefit on having diverse employees comes from leading them properly and engaging their strengths (An early blog post from us: Leaders should focus on maximising diversity, rather than just numbers). Diverse employees can break down social barriers to attract new customers, better service existing customers, bring different experiences into the decision making process, spot opportunities in new markets and much more.
I don’t see anyone in this thread arguing against diversity in employment (or anything else for that matter).
The benefits of same should be a “given” in any sensible business, and making it work obviously takes good leadership.
My argument is about the shallowness of how it is implemented in a bureaucratic and legislative processes.
August 23, 2016 at 10:07 pm #1200506Up::0Rohan@TD, post: 237583, member: 78618 wrote:Having small business employees who trust you, respect you, are committed to your long term objectives and operating at optimal performance levels have wide ranging benefits for all businesses, not just small.
.This, this this !!!!! As much hard work as I have put into my employees and getting them to build relationships of understanding and respect, and with many tears and headaches some misunderstanding have created, I still believe that my team is pretty awesome, I trust them implicitly.
Trust is a huge factor for a small business, as we rely so heavily on our staff and I do believe that the range of people I have is what is making me successful. I have as young as 23 and as old as 70 (he does not want to retire – thank god) and they are from all walks of life and cultures. I am NOT saying it was easy getting to this point though.
All my staff have been long term and for a small business I find that the most valuable asset I have. My newest staff member has been with me for 4 years, most 9 to 10 years.
BUT once again I am off track, but it’s such a broad topic, Sorry
August 23, 2016 at 10:09 pm #1200507Up::0Greg_M, post: 237587, member: 38207 wrote:My argument is about the shallowness of how it is implemented in a bureaucratic and legislative processes.WOW, you have a way with words Greg, this is perfect and I agree, as much as I love me team I have found it a hard slog with many hurdles.
EDIT: Opps I hit Post before I finished.I personally think that more consultation with small business is needed, we as a group employ a large percentage of the workforce, and I think sometimes we forget the power we have as a group.
August 23, 2016 at 10:43 pm #1200508Up::0Mischelle, post: 237582, member: 60404 wrote:LOL, I feel for youI never have to ask, they offer, this is why I spend time on building the attitude of nothing is “beneath” anyone.
EG: I have a storage unit which needed tidying and all boxes sorting, it was hot and stuffy, I was working on all the archive boxes when one of my staff offered to help, so we spent a week in the stuffy room sorting old accounts.
I talk to them during the interview and state that we all pitch in doing anything, and that we all adopt the attitude of nothing is beneath, and how they respond to that during the interview is important. LOL
Nice post.. and love it… One of my interview processes was establishing if they had an entrepreneurial side or business streak in them as i used to find that those with a smaller business mind frame had an uncanny willingness to do most tasks to achieve success.. Not always correct, although worked pretty well..
Interviewing, oh my, this would create mayhem for me now with all the PC and other such government interventions placed upon small business.. I have enjoyed reading this thread, and whilst i completely understand the merits of all that is trying to be achieved by this i can and regularly experience the restrictions it places on businesses like most of us in here…
Not going into examples, although one tends to have to watch every sentence that comes out of ones mouth now days or there is a possible interpretation of said comment being offensive, pc incorrect, racial, sexist, etc etc – especially in the eyes of those that look for the issue.
It is easy to see how all this PC is inhibitive and difficult to embrace, although how can one shift the paradigm to accomodate both large corporate want to be seen doing good in the world and us small businesses trying to make a buck effectively?
Mmmmm
Jason
Jason Ramage | Lucas Arthur Pty Ltd | E: hello@lucasarthur.net.au P: 61 3 8324 0344 M: 61 412 244 888August 23, 2016 at 10:53 pm #1200509Up::0[USER=38207]@Greg_M[/USER], sorry Greg. I was replying to Warren’s points. My points on diversity directly reflect political correctness’ purpose of creating an environment where inclusiveness is enabled and encouraged. Those in turn lead to increased performance, which I was trying to convey offsets the cost being PC.
I am certainly not suggesting our bureaucratic and legislative processes have it right.
[USER=60404]@Mischelle[/USER] ‘If they don’t have skype’ – Don’t trade a Skype interview for a phone interview and reduce the effectiveness of your recruitment and selection process. Step 2 in their application process becomes problem solving. If they can’t find a way to Skype you (e.g. through their local library, friends, family, their mobile phone etc.), can they fill the role you’re advertising for?
August 23, 2016 at 11:22 pm #1200510Up::0Rohan@TD, post: 237593, member: 78618 wrote:[USER=60404]@Mischelle[/USER] ‘If they don’t have skype’ – Don’t trade a Skype interview for a phone interview and reduce the effectiveness of your recruitment and selection process. Step 2 in their application process becomes problem solving. If they can’t find a way to Skype you (e.g. through their local library, friends, family, their mobile phone etc.), can they fill the role you’re advertising for?Good tip Rohan, I will do that from now on
August 24, 2016 at 1:35 am #1200511Up::0“I prefer skype so that I can see the person”.
I live in a world where sending applicant pictures in with CV’s is often expected. (Have seen some great bikini shots over the years – but that’s another story)
There is actually a movement in place (I have read one of the large Aussie banks supporting this) where names are withheld during the initial stages simply to avoid selection bias. This argument is being used in the “more women for executive roles” argument, but can just as easily be used to avoid refusing people based on their name, which may determine a specific race or religion.
To take it to the nth degree, screening applicants after seeing them on skype could also be the result of some sort of bias – they may not include their age on their resume but you will see it from a screening interview on skype.
And that is the problem with political correctness. It is an all in, cover your backside requirement with no specific parameters. As mentiond by Greg, a political tool encouraged by people who have no experience in how it translates to the real business world, or, a good excuse for people who didn’t get that job to find blame somewhere other than in their own skills and abilities.
August 24, 2016 at 2:55 am #1200512Up::0I have a simple example of PC potentially costing a business an outstanding employee…
My son applied for an apprenticeship in the construction industry and, in his covering letter, I had him include the occupations of his parents (27+ years with same company, and business owner) and both older brothers (bricklayers) with a note that he was raised with a strong work ethic.
When he was offered the position, the employer told him it was because of this information that he was chosen. It set him apart from the rest but was something they could never ask in an interview.
Wendy
August 24, 2016 at 7:07 am #1200513Up::0I’m jumping out of this one as I suspect some of my answers or questions may not be politically correct.
August 24, 2016 at 8:34 am #1200514Up::0The blind job application process that [USER=34822]@Johny[/USER] mentions has results that vary by 20+ % when looking at results for different categories of job applicants such as those from migrant backgrounds and females
That is, up to 20% of the best applicant for the job do not get selected because their identifiers are known. Within the context of this discussion, that would equal a huge hit to our productivity.
An interesting aspect of the discrimination Acts, which have been around from memory, since about 1984, are that they are very narrowly focused ie, it is legal to discriminate against anything that the Acts do not specifically preclude us from doing eg, cigarette smoking.
August 24, 2016 at 9:58 am #1200515Up::0bb1, post: 237609, member: 53375 wrote:I’m jumping out of this one as I suspect some of my answers or questions may not be politically correct.oh c’mon Bert…
August 24, 2016 at 10:06 am #1200516Up::0ok… then let’s take this to the next level
If you were asked whether the Economy and SME’s would be better without ‘mandatory’ Political Correctness… how would you vote?
Yes or No?
I would vote Yes.
August 24, 2016 at 10:07 pm #1200517 -
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