Questions & Answers
We meet many successful business owners that know they need support but don't know where to begin and most importantly who to trust with their problems. For many "self made" entrepreneurs asking for help can sometimes be seen as a weakness making it even more disconcerting to invite an unknown into their business. If this resonates with you it's because we understand... we face this roadblock all the time which is why over 90% of our client partners are in fact referrals or repeat assignments.
We are proud of our impeccable track record of achievement and the enduring relationships developed with those organisations we are privileged to support.
If you've come this far on our web site you probably have some questions so we have prepared a series of random Q&A's that experience shows are regularly top of mind when prospective clients initially contact us. These may save you that call, or in fact give you a reason (and the
confidence) to make it!
Regardless, we thank you for your time in considering ExecuCon as the solution to overcoming your business challenges and optimizing your
organisation's performance, and wish you every success.
1 - What does a "Business Consultant" actually do?
2 - What is "Recruitment Optimisation"?
3 - I'm thinking of responding to a tender, but don't know where to start!
4 - I've had a visit from WorkCover and they have issued me an Improvement Notice; what do I do?
5 - I've got some Workers Comp issues and have no idea where to start in sorting them out.
6 - I’m sick of putting up with poor performance or absenteeism and want to dismiss an employee... Surely I can?
1
Q. What does a "Business Consultant" actually do?
A. There is an oft' quoted saying that goes.... "the definition of a consultant is someone you pay to tell you the time and they do that by stealing your watch and charging you for it" and there is an element of truth in that depending of course on the circumstances and those involved in the process.
The word consultant is variously defined as "a person who provides expert advice professionally" or "an experienced individual that is trained to analyse and advise a client in order to help the client make the best possible choices" ... and that's the key to a positive consultancy ... helping you make the best possible choices. It's about harnessing what has made you successful and building on it whilst eliminating or improving the things that are causing you grief or creating frustrations in the business. A good consultancy is not about costing you money but all about saving and / or making you money. Not about reinventing the wheel but making sure the wheels that have steered your success to this point are balanced; safe; have the right tread depth and air pressure and most importantly are the right ones to steer you into the future which may not be the same ones that have steered you to this point.
Remember, that at the end of the day no business leader or owner knows everything about everything which is why the successful ones surround themselves with experts in the areas they lack knowledge in and sounding boards to bounce ideas off and seek counsel in areas of even their own expertise.
You use a mechanic to service your car, a Doctor to cure your ailments, an accountant to manage your financials why even try to re-engineer or optimise your processes, sort out your Work Health & Safety and Employee Management issues or manage your software provider; system and functionality on your own? Why indeed? Because that's what good Consultants are for!!!
2
Q. What is "Recruitment Optimisation"?
A. If the term has been used in the past, we'd never seen it; so we like to think we created it! With over 20 years experience in recruitment and having worked with and for some of the Industry's most recognizable and successful organisations as well as with almost every Recruitment Database and Software product in the market our Recruitment Optimization Practice under the stewardship of Elise Zervos is passionately committed to making recruitment; labor hire and on boarding organisations as efficient effective, successful and profitable as possible.
We know that recruiters are sometimes faced with a transient workforce which creates a divergent skills base, with new users caught up in the legacy of "our old system did it differently", as well as the challenges of maintaining an ever changing database, duplicate processes of excel spreadsheets and whiteboards to compensate for a lack of confidence or knowledge in the systems invested in, and expensive or unresponsive software vendors who are more interested in blaming the user than finding a solution to the users problems.
Elise and her team navigate through the commonly found obstacles that only "real world" industry experience and knowledge can identify and understand. Part Business Analyst, part IT Manager, part Trainer, part Processes Mapper and Re-engineering Champion and at all times committed to making your internal processes and systems as efficient, effective and stable as possible.
The reality is that your software provider works in their own interests and relying on them to solve problems, respond to client needs, look at customization challenges and meet the demands of an ever changing workforce and client / candidate base is simply too hard and expensive.
Our Recruitment Optimization process quite simply takes control of all the obstacles to your efficient operation and facilitates solutions across all stakeholders in the most cost effective and sustainable way possible.
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3
Q. I'm thinking of responding to a tender but don't know where to start!
A. Many of our clients first came to us with an opportunity they felt confident they could deliver on successfully but were unsure how to present (or even cost) so as to be competitive and yet profitable in the tender process. An integral part of our Business Development Solution is to identify a client's unique value proposition and present it in such a way as to "wow" the prospective client with a proposal that will get their attention and have them considered as a legitimate supplier.
We believe that anyone can win work being the cheapest but it takes skill and effort to win a job by convincing the client you are the best... best in value; best in service; best in integrity; best in the clients key measures... (whatever they may be) and its our job to create, articulate and communicate that message.
We pride ourselves on having our clients shortlisted for every proposal we prepare and submit. We'd like to tell you we in fact have a 100% success rate in all tenders we submit but we'd rather our clients tell you that themselves and are happy to provide references accordingly (as should any consultant you are considering be happy to do).
We have facilitated tenders and supply agreements with Local Government (Gosford and Wyong Councils), State Government Departments (WorkCover and NSW Human Services) as well as a range of local, national and multinational organisations in retail manufacturing construction and services and continue to support the successful tenderer's in maintaining their ongoing compliance obligations so that any client audits against the tender criteria are met at all times during the supply agreement.
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4
Q. I've had a visit from WorkCover and they have issued me an Improvement Notice; what do I do?
A. An improvement notice is just that... an opportunity to improve the processes, systems and tools you should have in place to provide a safe working environment for your stakeholders. Responded to the right way, it can in fact be a very positive catalyst for change and focus in meeting the company's obligations under the Work Health & Safety Act and assist business owners to sleep better at night rather then worry about what's around the corner.
It is also a message that whatever you should be (or are) doing to meet your obligations (both legal and moral) is not working or is not good enough and it's important NOT to react and generate a lot of additional activity, paper work and forms to respond to the notice that are NOT sustainable or that create more work for your already stretched resources, because that simply makes no business sense and can't work.
Importantly any response must be developed in consultation with your stakeholders and facilitated by people who understand the law but also have an understanding of your business and working environment.
There are lots of "on line" or DIY resources when it comes to Work Health and Safety but the reality is who has the time. confidence and ability to actually DIY??? There are manuals to tell you how to fix the brakes on your car or how to do your tax but we trust those critical jobs to professionals and Work Health & Safety (and Fair Work Australia for that matter) COMPLIANCE should be no different.
In our experience the phrase "penny wise, dollar dumb" is the one that most springs to mind whenever we are called in to pick up the pieces of a failed DIY attempt at managing Work Heath and Safety Compliance. Doing nothing at all and hoping it goes away becomes even more expensive in business disruption and fines. That's why the team at ExecuCon are your voice in the process; your virtual WHS / HR managers that navigate you through the minefield that is compliance whilst ensuring the best commercial outcome for the business.
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5
Q. I've got some Workers Comp issues and have no idea where to start in sorting them out.
A. In the perfect world no employer ever sets out to hurt someone at work, and in that same perfect world no worker sets out to be dishonest or misleading in making a claim for a workplace related injury. But we don't live in a perfect world and the reality is good honest hard working employees do get injured at work and others who maybe injured playing football or moving furniture on the weekend think that it's OK to come to work and pretend they were hurt there because the insurance covers it all and it's no big deal.
Every and any workplace injury be it genuine or otherwise is a big deal and just like that late night TV crime show "The First 48" it is in fact the first 48 hours of any "incident" that are critical to the outcome, cost and impact on the Company.
We are amazed at how many clients call us days, weeks or even months after a claim has been lodged thinking that it would all be sorted out by the Insurer or that the Return to Work Coordinator and Doctors would work it all out. WRONG!!!! The only person who can; should and must control every aspect of a workers compensation claim is the Employer (or in our case their nominated Representative!) and its in the first few days that all the hard work needs to be done to avoid a lengthy, frustrating and expensive claims process.
The ExecuCon team works with all stakeholders (Employee, Insurer; Return to Work Coordinator, Rehabilitation Consultant, Medical Team and Employer to facilitate a swift and disciplined return to pre injury duties wherever possible and provide diligent control of the claim costs and impact to minimise the impact on the business in every way possible.
From the initial incident investigation to determine what happened, identify corrective actions and validate the claim, to preparing an objection on behalf of the Employer (if the facts support one) and then managing the employee's compliance to the return to work program, the ExecuCon claims management process removes the stress, frustration and drain on your valuable time and resources whilst preserving the company's financial, legal and commercial position,
6
Q. I’m sick of putting up with poor performance or absenteeism and want to dismiss an employee surely I can?
A. Well of course you can, but that doesn't mean you should so take a deep breath and don't do it….. is the short answer… .the right answer is much longer and more complicated; time and labour intensive unfortunately and that’s where we can help. Having lead large organisations, negotiated countless Enterprise Agreements, navigated the minefield of collective bargaining and industrial disputes, project managed high profile construction sites and appeared as Employer advocates in Fair Work Australia matters we have a holistic approach to managing performance and conflict in the workplace and have certainly learnt that terminating an employee should be done with consideration, attention to detail, sensitivity and planning.
At the end of the day it’s your business, your money on the line and your choice but there is a right and wrong way to manage these issues and the wrong way can and usually does become very expensive, time and resource intensive but most of all it diverts your focus from more critical business issues to the detriment of the team and organisation. Unfortunately asking for advice AFTER the termination is like looking for a petrol stations after you've run out on the freeway!
Any decision that impacts someone’s livelihood and that exposes the company to a claim of any sort needs to be well considered, calculated and thoroughly (and thoughtfully) planned before it is actioned… In the perfect world the process should also be diligently managed which we can do on your behalf. There’s no guarantee there won’t be a claim but you can be confident that the costs, consequences and drain on your already limited time and emotional energy will be greatly reduced having hastened slowly and taken a considered and informed approach to reactive circumstances.
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