L&D job market in NZ: restructuring?

L&D Restructuring

“What’s happening ‘out there’ in L&D?”  This is the question many people I have met this month have asked.

Here’s my take:

1. There is a LOT of L&D restructuring going on in L&D teams. Publicly known L&D team restructures include;  Air NZ, AMP, IAG, Telstra/Vodafone, and Westpac. Obviously in our business we hear (and keep) a lot of confidential information.  I can tell you, there are several more coming. What does this mean for L&D professionals?
2. I have personally met at least four, very senior L&D/OD Managers who are in, or about to be in the market. I do not know of any senior L&D roles that they could apply for. Some are looking to Australia.
3. These people are looking at contract roles to fill the space between permanent roles. This is putting pressure on ‘career contractors’.  They now have more competition, from very experienced L&D/OD practitioners in the market, who are undergoing L&D restructuring.
4. We currently have an ITO Instructional/Graphic design role we are recruiting for.  We are getting Change and OD Managers calling to check in on the details of the role. This tells me, the usual $80 per hour roles, such as the ITO role, are taking the eye of more experienced OD/L&D people.  This will increase competition for roles for those people that usually sit in the $80-90/hour rate. Why wouldn’t a company take a very experienced person to do the role when they can obtain extra value from that person?

 

ROI Evaluation

With this in mind and having run the ‘Evaluation for Organisational Effectiveness’ course last week for Brightstar, make me think (again) about the state of evaluation in this country.  Is L&D restructuring happening because teams are not showing value?  That is, obtaining and  creating actual  business results the business finds important?

Remember, Kirkpatrick and Phillips? Most organisations I talk with only evaluate at level 1.  Maybe 10% I talk to at level 2 (learning).  And maybe 5% at level 3 and 4. I get complaints, ‘oh it takes so long’, ‘we are so busy’. Guess what, there’s plenty of time when redundancy strikes. To me serious practitioners will take the time to learn how to evaluate. Even coaching and leadership programmes can have a $ value ROI calculated. The trick is, plan the evaluation in the analysis phase of the programme development. Then you don’t miss the data collection opportunities along the way. Serious practitioners will obtain the business results pre-programme and  evaluate every intervention that they implement. Guess what, they won’t be the first to leave in a restructure because they have already proved their value. The ‘no time’ complaint doesn’t wash with me. It’s poor planning and lack of influencing skills that creates ‘no time’. However, if I am to be fair, maybe it’s not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of confidence in the application of that knowledge.

And for a bit of wry humour. I have said to many people, that coming from a 20+ year practitioner background into recruitment was an eye opener. Even a very dear friend (and very senior HR Manager) said to me when she heard I had set up Bloom Learning Solutions, ‘ah, they are all scum suckers’ LOL.  And that is how recruiters are often treated.

So for the humour bit:

1. A technically very good contractor contacted me this week giving her availability. After several calls with opportunities last year, she was so rude.  I decided I didn’t really need to be talking with people like this nor indeed made me want to help or promote her at all.  She had the ‘scum sucker’ attitude towards recruiters I think.  Funny thing is, I won’t be calling her back, reinforcing her attitude towards recruiters. PS She’s the only one I’ve done this to 🙂
2. Senior people who I have been trying to meet with for 6 months are now calling us, for work for themselves. I’m more than happy to meet with these people.  Yes they ignored my calls/emails. I understand, they get probably 5 calls a day from recruiters all wanting to ‘have a coffee’. I get that. I just hope by meeting us, they understand that we are not your usual recruiter. We try to do more than recruitment.  We up skill the industry.  We help the industry keep abreast of the latest technology and even introduce people without the usual recruitment ‘rules’. We like to have our finger on the pulse!

 

Long and short, personal relationships, adding value and treating others as you want to be treated goes a long way. So does the Law of Reciprocity, google it, it’s a cool law! Because, one day, either way, candidate or client, you will probably need a recruiter’s help. Especially in this market. In fact our two current placements came from just knowing who was in the market.  Both companies, Seek, LinkedIn and internal recruitment just didn’t find them. That’s the power of a strong network! Happy clients, happy candidates.

If you are looking, here are a few roles we have on:

1. Instructional / Graphic Design 4 month contract, re developing a 14 module NZQA programme ($80 per hour)
2. A 4 month bank contract for an L&D Consultant ($100,000, pro rated,  fixed term)
3. L&D Consultant, instructional design, blended learning with some delivery ($60-70000, permanent)

 

Some ‘sleevies’ (you know, roles up your sleeve), coming on board soon 🙂

1. Training programme manager (permanent)
2. Training project manager (permanent)
3. IT trainer (6 month contract, start May)
4. elearning specialist (permanent)
5. Instructional designer (permanent)
6. Contact centre trainer

 

So if you are looking, feel free to give us a call (09 377 2059) or email (rustica@bloomtr.co.nz)

In the meantime, if you see our number on your DDI, be sure to pick up, or you might just end up in our blog 🙂

Read more about Bloom Learning Solutions sourcing here.

Happy last days of Summer!

Warm regards

Rustica

PS.  We are also introducing a brand new recruitment fee structure to the market. Think ‘pay for service’ retainer, in return for a 10% flat fee structure. We will keep you posted.

PPS:  We have a big coffee budget and love to meet like minded L&D professionals!

PPPS:  We have several networking events coming up in April. An elearning showcase on 11 April, 5.30 pm (more details in our next newsletter.  A huge success in Wellington. A ‘by invite only’ Senior L&D/OD/Change  Manager social wine after work. And don’t forget the elearning conference on July 16 and 17 with Jack and Patti Phillips.  They are the ROI gurus after Kirkpatricks.

OK and one last PPS: Keratin hair treatment, $150 at Millenium hair in Onehunga. Use my name to get the deal, it’s awesome, saves me at least 30 minutes in the morning, and my hair never looks like a mushroom in the humidity since. If you’re a bloke, send it to your wife, partner, girlfriend.