by Montagu Group | Jul 3, 2023 | Candidates, Employers, Montagu Group
Life can take directions you never anticipated at times – personally and professionally. Meet Suki and Tayla, the team at Montagu Group. Montagu Group was founded in 2020 by Suki Stander bringing together over 25 years of combined expertise in IT, Digital, Accounting and Finance labour hire and permanent resource placement. With professionalism and passion, Suki and the team work to bring together the best employers and candidates in Australia.
Montagu Group Recruitment – New Beginings
Suki- Montagu came to be as a result of the path my life took. I reached a point where I wondered about the next step and what it would look like, and that’s when Montagu happened. The name itself is quite interesting. I’m not sure if I ever mentioned this, but Montagu is actually the town where my dad grew up in South Africa, and my grandmother used to live nearby. It’s a stunning region known for its fruit production, and it holds a special place in my heart. Additionally, the area where I grew up had a mountain pass called the Montagu Pass, connecting the coastal town to an inland town.
So, that’s my personal connection to the name Montagu. Interestingly, my husband knows the entire history of the Montagu Pass, and it’s truly fascinating. It turns out that the building of the Montagu Pass had a connection with Australia because there was an Australian general involved in its construction. I learned about this from my husband, who knows all about the history of the pass. There’s even an old toll house along the way where ox wagons had to pay a toll to use the pass. It was designed so that the ox wagons could be guided safely. That’s where the main inspiration for the name comes from.
When I was thinking about a name for my business, I wanted something personal. Recruitment is a field I love and it’s something deeply meaningful to me. I wanted the name to reflect that sentiment. That’s why the logo represents people who support each other and are open to giving and receiving help. It embodies the essence of what I strive for in my business.
So, that’s how everything unfolded and how the company was established. Adele became a part of the organization, and it felt like the perfect timing when she joined. She played a crucial role in building and structuring many aspects of the company. However, as life often does, circumstances changed, and we find ourselves in a different season now. Unfortunately, Adele is no longer with the company.
But that’s just how life goes, and it’s important to accept and embrace those changes. It happened authentically, according to the way it was meant to happen. And now, as we move forward, we have Tayla joining us. It’s been just over a year since you joined us.
Tayla- I can’t believe it. It’s gone so quick.
Suki- And during our first conversation on the phone, you expressed your uncertainty about pursuing 360 recruitment and whether you wanted to be involved in recruitment at all. However, I urged you to give it a chance because not all recruitment companies are alike. I wanted to show you a different approach and perspective.
Tayla – I vividly recall our conversation where I had doubts about whether this career path was right for me. The field of recruitment can be quite challenging, especially from a mental perspective. However, reflecting on where I was a year ago compared to where I am now, my mindset towards this industry has completely transformed. It’s like a complete 180-degree turn. The impact that one company can have on your perception and growth is truly remarkable. It’s astonishing how much a single experience can shape your perspective.
Suki Stander: We understand the power of having that kind of transformative experience, as it can happen not only for us but also for our candidates. One company can truly change the trajectory of your life in ways you couldn’t even anticipate. That’s why our company, People for People, is focused on the human connection. We recognize that both Tayla and I connect with candidates and clients who are individuals with their own unique complexities. Dealing with humans is not always easy, as they come with a mix of challenges and joys. And you’re absolutely right, this line of work can be mentally demanding. Some days, you just feel like you never want to talk to another person again.
Suki Stander: And the next moment you change somebody’s life, it’s incredible.
If you can see that, you can add value to somebody’s life.Even if it’s just like we’ve talked about reviewing resumes, giving advice on LinkedIn profiles, telling you about your seek profile and what that should look like.
Tayla Allan: All of that.It’s what we do. That’s what love we love.
Tayla Allan: being able to help people because that will come back around.
Suki Stander: Yeah, clients become candidates and candidates become clients. It’s just a cycle an we love to be apart of it.
In tracing the journey from Montagu Group to People for People, the narrative unveils a poignant connection to the name “Montagu,” woven into the fabric of familial history and the picturesque landscapes of South Africa. The conversation between Suki and Tayla delves into the transformative nature of their recruitment experiences, acknowledging the mental hurdles while highlighting the profound satisfaction derived from positively impacting lives. The company’s ethos is firmly grounded in the human connection, emphasizing the uniqueness of each individual within the recruitment process.
Two noteworthy insights emerge: firstly, People for People’s unwavering commitment to enhancing the lives of candidates and clients, exemplified through personalized guidance on resumes and LinkedIn profiles. Secondly, the cyclical dynamic of clients becoming candidates underscores the establishment of enduring relationships within the recruitment realm. Ultimately, this narrative paints People for People not merely as a business entity but as a conduit for authentic connections, driven by a collective sense of purpose and mission.
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by Montagu Group | Apr 14, 2023 | Candidates, Employers, Montagu Group
Lets talk about the psychological contract in Technology,Digital,Finance and Accounting talent solutions?
Suki Stander: The psychological contract in the technology, finance talent recruitment process is an important part of what we do. I think its become more relevant recently. I had a candidate that I submitted to a department where are set fees. They came back and said the candidate was too expensive per hour. So I had to negotiate him down before they had seen him.Already, the trust and psychological contract was broken,because you’re negotiating my rate before you even accept my value. It’s a it’s a relevant topic because it just it literally touches everything we do and clients do and candidates do and has a conscious or unconscious effect.
Tayla Allan: Yeah, even if they don’t realize that there is a psychological contract, there is always one, it’s an unwritten rule.
Suki Stander: It’s thoughts and feelings of candidates clients recruiters. It’s a whole mix of people in In the dance that we’re dancing, who all have a psychological contract with each other, at various levels of the process. As soon as Taylor starts, speaking to a candiadte that at that very, very first interaction already it stablishes some connection via email or phone.
When we make that human connection
Tayla Allan: Once we start the process and they’re keen, it’s just a mutual commitment to each other as well. It’s not happening at the moment, so like that can mutual commitment to commit to me, like, know that I’m gonna do the best thing by you, but then you also have to do, the best thing by me as well. If you’ve got another offer, let me know.It’s a good thing that you’ve got another offer, but just let me know. Then I can give you fair representation because if I don’t know these things,how am I gonna represent you fairly to the client? We just really value being able to give honest representation and engaging in mutual commitment.Being transparent is key in good relationships.
What does it mean – psychological contract?
Adele McNiff: I looked at the definition of a psychological contract and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in the UK defines it as an individual’s expectations, beliefs ambitions, and obligations, as perceived, by employer and worker. The key word in that is perceived…I think you have to both parties, whether it’s candidate, our client be very conscious of how something could be perceived whether it’s the reality or not. It’s that perception. A candidate not being totally upfront with what they’ve got going on and it then coming out later in the process that breaks that psychological contract with ourselves as the agency and with the client because like any of them relationship, it’s about trust.It’s a lot harder to build back trust than it is to build in the first place. the thing that stood out to me is that it’s Psychological Contract.It isn’t like any other employment contract because it’s totally intangible. so it’s hard to define and that’s where constant and open communication comes in either in the recruitment process with all parties involved, all in the employment life cycle.
Our brand of business is reflected in the contract digital finance talent we enter in with you
Suki Stander: The more transparent it is. I think the not easier, but more trust can be built in that process. I know not all recruitment companies are the same and not in all internal recruiters are the same. A lot of people have been burned by recruitment agencies. psychological contract in Technology,Digital,Finance and Accounting talent solutions. That’s why we always advise, get two or three that you trust and that you know, that has your best interests at heart. It might not be find you the next job, but it might be to help you with your resume or to give a bit of advice, which is what we do. For us that’s that’s part of that’s psychological contract ,with inputting and helping and I think that expectation, sometimes you get disappointed because you you put that out there and you expect that back. Um, doesn’t always work like that but It’s just almost been in the last few months that there’s less and less of that reciprocation back and that, that list respect back for people’s time and effort that they’ve put in.
Adele McNiff: I think we’re always very conscious as well that, you know, like all of the parties, we have a huge role to clear that psychological contract. Yeah. And if we’re going to ask a candidate to commit to us, we’re committing in return to manage the processes efficiently and effectively as we can and represent them as best as we can on their behalf. that’s something we absolutely take pride in and focus on every single day. Um, it’s it’s key to to doing things with integrity as far as we’re confident.Tayla and wouldn’t you want somebody like that? To represent you to an employer?
What you can expect from someone looking after your opportunities at Montagu Group?
Tayla Allan: I set an expectation with myself and a candidate that our psychological contract with them is always making sure there’s timely communication. Giving them updates when I have them, keeping them in the loop with what’s happening and not sort of letting them go. Well, what’s happening with this? Making sure that they’ve always got an update again like respectful treatment, like treating everyone, as equal, like nobody’s better than anybody else that sort of thing, and then you kind of want that back as well.
What is our part of the psychological contract in technology,finance and accounting solutions?
Tayla Allan: So I have a psychological contract that everything that you tell me is confidential so and I’m not going to go blurt that to the client but I am going to do my best. The best that I can to make sure that you look great on a piece of paper because that’s my job to get you that interview, and then making sure that that piece of paper reflects exactly what you can do. Honest representation key there. So you’re not being missed represented with what I do to your resume.The other one just that mutual commitment from both parties. I’m just making sure that we’re committed to each other. Like a marriag but no so intense!
Suki Stander: We tell your current story, so the client or really has a big picture when you sit down and that’s part of that trust that you give us the information and we portray the information to represent you as best as possible.You can start building that psychological trust with the client int he interview and we’ve laid the foundation for that to happen.
How to manage the agreements through the talent solution process
Adele McNiff: It’s really key for clients to manage the psychological contracts in digital finance talent process. And that’s about honestly reflecting their values what the role is about. If you have found that candidate that you really want making sure that, you feedback to them in a timely way.Make sure you get a contracts out to the minute timely way, you don’t throw a surprise in at the last minute. Sometimes we get along with through a process and there’s a global hiring freeze, just be honest. We can work with the candidate as they’re progress through other opportunities and potentially really like something down the track. It’s just it’s it’s that simple word of trust.We’ve done previous videos on and and talked about quiet quitting and quiet hiring – in terms psychological contracts in Technology,Digital,Finance and Accounting talent solutions. Quiet hiring has a lot of positives to it, but if it’s not implemented with integrity by both parties, it has the potential to go a little astray. These are great examples of psychological contracts and integrity, being strengthened or broken.
To watch the full video and add your comments follow Montagu Group on YouTube..
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by Montagu Group | Mar 15, 2023 | Candidates, Employers, Montagu Group
The current job market in Technology and Digital in Australia
Suki Stander: I want to speak about a little bit more of what’s going on in the current market in Technology and Digital at the moment. Not just not just the here and now, but In the economy. Candidates coming to an interview with, or actually having a conversation with you? So, I read up a little bit.
I was thinking a little bit about the the external environment actually impacting So many things like how you feel, your attitude, your resilience yourself worth your confidence, like there’s so many things that impact that and start reading up and I landed on the redundancies that’s happening in Australia at the moment like this.
Recently I read that around 85,000 people that have been made redundant in the tech industry since January this year. You can find the article here. What does that mean? It creates it creates uncertainty and creates. Fear people are scared. But also then creates caution- It’s like Oh, I’d rather stay where I’m at –Even if it’s bad, I won’t look around because maybe what I have is actually not that bad. So it just I feel like it changes the mindset of where candidates are sitting,.But also clients are being more cautious about employing the right person.
Is it as bad as it sounds?
I actually don’t think it’s as bad, like, 85,000 people made redundant this year. but if you play it off against how many people were hired, The previous two years. That was an anomaly as well. So that numb, if you compare the two numbers. Economically somewhere. They had to be a Reshift or a reset really of we over hired. For certain reasons. Online companies or convenient companies, like, Doordash bring stuff to your door and covid that was where the money went and those people that the tech, it’s tech companies, but they don’t actually specify.
A lot of the time it is the technical guys, but a lot of the time, it’s the admin or HR people as well, which is concerning because obviously, the HR people are flooding the market. And that’s a whole different conversation is like, if HR people are being let, go, and admin, people are being let go, does that mean that AI that companies are seeing that? I might take over those positions. I don’t know what the answer to that question is.
What about smaller companys?
But it’s not just technical people and the big companies, but the smaller companies that potentially didn’t grow as much as the big tech companies during covert for various reasons. They might want it to grow, but they couldn’t afford the talent because the talent prices just went through the roof. It wasn’t that much talent available. So these smaller companies didn’t grow as aggressively but they’re still grown. So they’ve taken the fold. Now, I’m going. Thank you. We will take these guys and we’ll pop them into our our spots that we have available. So it might be a little bit of a redistribution of talents and a bit of a reset in the market from where we were still doesn’t make it great. So doesn’t make it. Oh, we’re confident about everything that’s happening. Interest rates, everything that’s going up.
The Global Cycle Impact
I can understand we can that’s our setting when you just reading this and it creates uncertainty, I’ve been through a few of these in my my career globally. It’s a cycle and good candidates will always find a job. It just works that way. If you’re good at what you do, you’ll find your next position. It might be a two weeks and turn around. It might be a three week turnaround but good candidates will still find opportunities out there and the market is going to take I think it’s gonna take Maybe till September October November this year. The things just to settle back to. Oh, okay. I can see where we’re at, I can see, sort of what’s coming where we’ve come from things of settled down a little bit and maybe a bit of confidence comes back, maybe a bit of conference comes back into the market.
What are we hoping for the future?
I’m hoping that for us, it’s really just we’re here. We haven’t gone anywhere we still doing what we’re doing. We still providing the same service. There might be a need to adjust the service a little bit in terms of the questions that we’re asking. But it’s about finding great, candidates for great employers, bottom line, Yeah, that’s that’s where my head is out at the moment in terms of how do we fit into this. This environment that’s uncertainty. I think for us, it’s to provide the certainty in the little space that we can for the little bit of time that we actually working with. Again a client. This is what it is. It’s is the full picture, the good, the bad, the ugly, you know exactly what you’re getting.
Go and explore and then give us your feedback. Nothing is you have to take the job is explore. See how it fits in with your environment, your lifestyle, your current situation. We’re providing that conduit. Yeah, safe pair of hands. Eating you through. The client and the candidate really.
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by Montagu Group | Mar 14, 2023 | Candidates, Employers, Montagu Group
Quiet Hiring in Technology, Digital and Finance Recruitment
with Adele McNiff Industry Leader
Adele McNiff: So, yeah, I’ve had a couple of discussions with a number of clients over the last few weeks initiated by, then about the concept of Quiet Hiring in Recruitment Technology. It’s not actually something that I’d come across as yet. Obviously, we’re all familiar from last year with quiet, quitting and quiet firing, but not quiet hiring. I had a little look into it and there’s a really good Gartner report on it.
It’s not a new concept,the age-old concept that I think most organizations do with standard of taking, a strategic view of your current workforce and looking at how best to deploy them. The aim being to get the best results to reach the strategic goals of the organization. What was really interesting to me, and I think it’s indicative of a little bit of a mindset. We’re generally see in every in every one at the moment. The financial challenges and interest rates going up and the cost of everything increasing was just the, the very, the automatic instinct was this was a negative thing. It was good for employers, but it wasn’t good for employees.
And I don’t think that’s necessarily true, you know? For an organization it lets them deploy, their existing staff, where they’re going to get the best bang for Buck and and that’s certainly going to give them, you know, continuity of employment and, and keeping the IP in-house that this endless benefits for an organization.
As an employee, how do I have the conversation?
But as an employee, you ask, what’s in it for me. I think that really comes down to how you view it within the organization that you’re in. That the biggest con is, Is this a way to just make me do two jobs and double my workload for the same money? But I think if you that the key to it for me is making sure you’re looking at the full picture and be assertive, ask the questions. What am I going to be expected to do, is it a whole new role you want to put me in if it is? Is it a promotion if it is? Let’sNegotiate.
Is it a side step but just with different responsibilities?Does that align with where I want my career to go? What training will I have so that I can be successful in the job? Am I maintaining part of my existing function? Will I be completing the whole workload with these new functions? Do I need to negotiate?
Future-proofing with Quiet Hiring
I think it certainly got positives and we’ve been having lots of discussions about artificial intelligence and that taking away the functional aspects of people’s job descriptions and responsibilities. So there could be a great opportunity in it to add to your existing skills or diversity skills in a way that will future prove you. But for me the key is be assertive; ask the questions negotiate if you need to and just be sure, you’ve got the full picture.
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by Montagu Group | Mar 5, 2023 | Employers, Montagu Group
Will a Four Day Work Week Work?
Adele McNiff:Today we are looking at the concept of a four day work week in Australia, This this isn’t an entirely new concept, but it’s come back in the news of late because I think there’s been some trials in particularly the US and the UK, which are coming to the end of. It was a six months trial period, and they’re starting to publish some of the data around that Tayla.I think that’s something you’ve been looking into.
Potential figures for a Four Day Work Week in Australia
Tayla Allan: Tiktok has provided me with a lot of information regarding the outcomes. So they came up with 73% of the workers have reported to be more happier, within their job and also outside their work. 40% reported fewer sleep problems. 64% drop in quitting and a 71% drop in reported burnout. 92% of the company said that they’ll continue with the four-day work week after the trial, and then there’s been no drop in wages in the trial, as well as workload. So, I think that in itself just says, from a candidate point of view, that just happy are in general, because they’ve got more of a work-life balance. Instead of spending five out of seven days at work, they spend four out of seven. So they are getting to spend time with their family, their friends, all of that, without an extra workload,
Adele McNiff: What do we see as some of the potential pros and cons to a four-day working week in Australia?
Tayla Allan: I mean, I think it really depends on the industry that you’re eating. It’s not not for all industries. I think it works really well for some and it’s physically impossible for others.
Technology and Finance Industry Leadership Shift
Suki Stander: I think, as well is maybe the It’s a mind shift. It’s like we had the mind shift of working from home and Covid, forced that to happen. I think it would have taken much longer for companies to say. Well, let’s do this. Let’s work from home and work from the office and have that hybrid environment or work, 100% remotely. So, It’s it’s getting our heads around. What is this look like? And is it, do we need to work more in terms of our outcomes?What is it going to be based on? How do you know that you’ve actually succeeded and completed what you needed to do in your four days.‘m doing five or so do it in from five days to four days and I did a bit of reading and I just I thought it be really interesting to understand.Why would five days a week and it actually dates back to the 1890s?
History of the Five Day Work Week
Suki Stander: People were working in the manufacturing industry and they it’s late 1890s and going into the early 1900 where they were talking about people working like a hundred hours a week in a manufacturing environment and they were lobbying to take the hours down. So, to work a 40-hour work week instead of a hundred hours working six or seven days a week. So the lobbying happened around, that was actually Henry Ford in 1926 or 1925. That was the first big well-known organization and we know we’re working 40 hour weeks that’s it. So that’s 1926 that there was a real challenge.
Adele McNiff: That’s fascinating. I didn’t know any of that and what’s interesting. You think about it, the world in 1926. It’s different from the world today and I think we are in for another shift in the way we work and what work requires others with the growth in AI and everything that goes with it. So you’ve got to think we are ready or if not overdue for some kind of structural change in what we consider a normal working week and and a move to outcomes and tayla. Like you said, for me that doesn’t work in every industry. It can’t correlate necessarily, but I think as an organization you need to be asking yourself perhaps why you shouldn’t do it, rather than why you should one of the takeaways that I took from some of the, the research and that the trial projects outcomes.
What happens when a Four Day Work Week empowers your talent?
Adele McNiff: I thought it was interesting was the decrease that they were seeing in sick leave being taken, you know, I think a mental health is becoming increasingly more important for all of us as a society, but particularly in the workplace and avoiding burnout in particular but also, you know, when I think of my answer circumstances with a young family, you constantly on the go, if you’re not at work, you’re dealing with family related things. When I personally need to go to the doctors, where do I fit that in? For example, all you know, you need to go under your six monthly dental, check having that.Working day where those practices are open. Lets you do that without having to impact on the rest of your working week. So I think that’s a positive.It gives people the opportunity to balance things a bit more in that in turn makes you feel a little more in control and a little less stressed.
Future Employees
I was actually talking to a client this morning about this. The whole concept of a four-day working week and he read something quite interesting. We were discussing the fact that the study so far would have predominantly been with existing employees, because they’ve only done it for six months. And so those employees already knew what their five day working week salary was. So somebody new coming into the organization, who’s perhaps getting told that they’re going to get paid a five-day a week salary, but only have to put those hours into four. Is there a risk of it’s a slightly cynical view? But is there a risk that they start questioning? Whether they really are getting paid for a five-day week or has the salary been reduced in turn for the client is somebody asking for an increased salary because they’re worried that they might not get any paid, a full FTE salary. So I think there’s a lot of background thinking, for organizations that needs to go in around.
Adele McNiff: How are you transparent with salaries and that parity and people, you know, now that the legislation has just changed and there’s no longer any, it’s not legal to have a confidentiality clause around salaries in contracts.
Adele McNiff: You’ve got to be absolutely above board with those elements because people will talk and you can then end up with a lot of discord if it’s not being managed very transparently and very honestly. So it was just a really interesting perspective.
Australia’s Four Work Day Week
Suki Stander: Mmm. Absolutely. And I think it’s again if there’s a lot of thought that has to go into this, it’s not. Are we going to do it tomorrow? I was part of a networking webinar, where they an Australian company, it’s a clear recruitment company that implemented a four-day work trial. They called it a trial because they was they wanted to see how it actually works for the employees and when they were asked. So on the fifth day when the employee doesn’t work, what happens then if they get a phone call from a client because you know, our world doesnt stop.
Suki Stander: The expectation was you will take that call and I think that was down to culture because I want to take the call, I’m happy to take the call while I’m actually on my fifth day. So there’s a much bigger conversation than just going to four days a week. It’s the impact and the background that has to be looked at is huge another study that’s actually answer in Australia and I think it’s the nurses union that’s lobbying at the moment to look at the four-day work week for them.
Suki Stander: Because that’s a that’s a market that’s currently the can’t necessarily tap into, but they’ve done research. And if they can go to a four-day week that potentially would open up that market for them. That the mum that’s now a full-time, mum could become a part-time, mom and actually work and be able to juggle the day. Like you said that our juggle life and and work. So, Listen, I don’t think there’s a black and white answer to it for us.
KPI’s of the Four Day Work Week
Adele McNiff: I mean we all know how expensive is Yeah. So and I agree I think you have to go right back to the beginning and look at people’s position descriptions. Are you measuring them on outcomes rather than you know functions of a role you’ve got to think about how that feeds through to professional development discussions. And you know, perhaps remuneration reviews, you’ve got to really put some thought into it, but I certainly think. as a way of engaging your workforce and also,differentiating yourself in the candidate market, it’s definitely something that’s worth looking at.
Tayla Allan: Absolutely having a four-day week would spark a lot of interest for people out there especially the ones that are in an office environment with no flexibility or anything like that. A four-day week would be their dream.
Adele McNiff: So I think it’s a very interesting topic and I don’t think it’s one that’s gonna go away anytime soon and it will ebb and floor a little. I think it’s people try it for some, it works for others. It doesn’t. But we love any thoughts and have no aspects. We haven’t considered please give us your views.
Tayla Allan: If you’re in a four-day week at the moment,what is it like? Let us know. Spill the tea.
To watch the full discussion check out the video @MontaguGroup on Youtube.
To discuss your talent slutions and future development contact Adele and Suki on LinkedIn.
Get to know industrly leaders Adele and Suki here.
