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Fridays at Project Resource Partners: Empowering Teams Through Enhanced Communication

By Shae Demetriou • 13 Nov, 2023
Unleashing Communication Skills with a Deck of Cards

Generational Games ​– building a great cross-generational team.

31 Oct, 2023
​In today's diverse workforce, success often hinges on the ability to adapt and evolve. This was the focus in a recent discussion hosted by Wendy Born from Business Value Partners, to members of the National Electrical Communications Authority. Wendy was joined by our Directo r, Andrew Bath an d Senior Con sultant, Ella O’Connell . Collectively, Andrew and Ella bring over 25 years of experience in recruiting across diverse industries and successfully working with millennials and Gen Zs. ​During the discussion, they explored recruitment strategies, steps to creating thriving cross-generational teams, and the benefits Millennials and Gen Zs bring to the workplace. Below we have compiled three key takeaways from the discussion for your perusal. Dive in below! ​ ​What are the benefits of employing millennials and Gen Zs? There are a multitude of benefits that come along with employing millennials and Gen Zs within your business. Andrew and Ella discussed how younger generations are not just committed employees but also drivers of change. They challenge process, modernise business, and bring a fresh perspective that’s vital to stay relevant in today’s world. ​In Andrew’s words, “having the younger generation in our team brings diversity of thought and fresh knowledge. I get to learn different things and new technologies, and how they can add value to the business”.​

A Recruitment Internship: More than meets the eye at Project Resource Partners

By Austin Swamy and Sara Matar • 13 Jul, 2023
From a fancy office building to a simple phone call, the world of recruitment brings new experiences every day. Thanks to our internship, we were able to experience an industry that we were unaware of, but so glad we did! The recruitment industry is a niche yet important field, running to help organisations find the right person for the right job or vice versa. Specialist recruitment companies bridge the gap between client and candidate, building meaningful relationships to make sure everyone benefits. As interns, we had the privilege of experiencing this unique industry and understanding its ins and outs, which are built upon human connections. Recently, both of us were placed as interns at Project Resource Partners (PRP) and this was an interesting and eye-opening experience that allowed us both to learn and expand our understanding of the real workforce. Working almost behind the scenes, PRP are specialists in the recruitment industry focusing on business and technology transformation as well as change management. Putting the big words aside, PRP displayed their ability to act as the middleman between client and candidate and develop relations to ensure the right role finds the right person. The process of recruitment changes a business for the better, across various fields. Even though we had many preconceptions and initially felt anxious, these thoughts disappeared on our first day as we were welcomed with open arms. Being treated as real employees, we completed many of the same daily tasks our colleagues were carrying out, from candidate calling, meeting candidates and sorting through resumes! Speaking with candidates for certain active roles really allowed us to develop our communication skills in a professional setting, to build caring relationships. To add on, our technological skills improved by using certain software, and then assisting in the transfer of data to improved software which was a really exciting process. We applied our intern tasks into our own lives, by fixing up our CVs to be more eye-catching and straight to the point, and better understanding LinkedIn and Seek to use to our advantage. These responsibilities and tasks gave us tertiary students insight into what careers after our studies may entail. From this internship, our hands-on experience broadened our employability skills to make ourselves better employees for our own careers. Our placement was definitely a positive highlight, all thanks to the amazing team at PRP. They gave us the opportunity to learn and grow in a positive working environment, pushing us to improve and obtain skills which are more foreign to university students. However, we can definitely walk away feeling more accomplished and ready for the real working world. Thanks to PRP, we discovered that there is more to recruitment than meets the eye! By Sara Matar and Austin Swamy (Biomedical Science Students at Monash University)

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: INTERVIEW WITH A COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR

May 26, 2015

This Communications Advisor has a strong background in project Communications within both the public and private sectors.  She has delivered work in a range of environments including highly confidential programs and deadline focused projects.  We have been engaged to assist with sourcing her next opportunity and took some time to further understand her perspective on communications today:

As a contractor who specialises in Communications, where do you see your role fitting within an organisation embarking on a major transformation?


Having specialised in communications for IT change projects, I've found communications to be imperative in ensuring a smooth transition. Transformation may come from a new internal process such as new software, or a rebranding of the company. The role of communications in transformation is to educate the organisation's stakeholders, thus ensuring higher adoption rates and mitigation of any issues. Transparency of information is key, as is a communications approach that uses multiple channels. A stakeholder who is well informed will be more trusting of the transformation as well as the company.
 

What do you see as the key characteristics of an excellent Communications advisor?


Versatility, resourcefulness, empathy.


Communications is all about getting the right message to the right people, in the right way, at the right time. A good Advisor will be able to work across several channels (print, digital, events) and adapt the tone of their messaging to suit their audience. The same message for the janitor might not be able to be delivered in the same way to the CEO. A good Communications Advisor would understand this and find a way to get inside their audiences' heads to figure out how to deliver their message. 

How does a program of work best use communications?


A good Communications Advisor would be approachable. A program representative should be able to comfortably approach the Communications team with their needs and trust that they'd be met.

A GREAT Communications Advisor would attend weekly catch-ups with the program, have an intuitive understanding of the work being done and recognise opportunities.

Either way, two way communications between the program and the Communications team will give best results.


What has changed in communications or what is new?


Social Media as a communications channel is no longer new – it’s mandatory for success. It provides short burst of information, the functionality to link to more detail, an "opt-in" model, and gives the opportunity for two-way communication. With the exception of events, communications was once very one-way messaging and we didn't receive feedback until evaluation time.


Now it’s instantaneous and an excellent way for a company/organisation to know their customers.


What are some interesting differences in communications strategies or activities from the different organisations you have worked with?


In my experience, the public and private sectors are dichotomised in their communications strategies around relationship building/management.


Many Government departments are happy to deliver one-way communications designed to inform or educate. They rely on a "majority rules" mindset, and there is little emphasis on collaboration.


Whereas within the private sector, the company heavily relies on its customers for success so they focus more on engagement. If a customer leaves or declines a service, correspondence is sent asking how the company could improve.


I think great Project Managers within Government are only now starting to mitigate this issue.

What are the benefits to working on an interim basis verses taking on a permanent role within an organisation?


If you're results-driven, working contracts is very satisfying. You have clear objectives and usually an evaluation process at the end to show results. You can come away from a contract saying "I achieved X, Y and Z". Also, everyone you work with will be working to the same goals so there's great team cohesion which usually makes for a wonderful work environment.


With a permanent role, you can really "own" a role by settling into it. You can feel proud knowing that the work you're doing contributes to the company direction. In the right environment, your colleagues will feel like family, and the company would invest in your professional and personal development in a way that you won't get working contracts.

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