This Week in Talent (22nd July)

Hi there,

Welcome to another week of LOCKDOWN 5.0 in Melbourne. Another week of me trying not to drink wine at 3pm every single day and willing myself to have a shower in the mornings. *sigh*. OKAY … I will have a wine. Sheesh. BRB …

Jody Smith
Jody Smith

So, this week in the world of Jody I’m doing a lot of chatting to candidates – like … heaps. By Friday my voice is hoarse. In an attempt to widen our nets and attract a diverse pool of applicants (which we have succeeded in doing) I’ve been inundated with applications … which means I’ve also been inundated with calls, phone screens, emails – all of the things. A wonderful situation to be in, but also … a very busy situation to be in. Would love to know what others are doing to help them sort through and fairly assess diverse talent? Are you old school and like to pick up the phone for a phone screen, or do you have some fancy AI that you can pop your candidates into and it does all the work? Or a mix of both? If you’ve tried something recently that has changed your life … let me know by messaging me here.

On my lockdown weekend just gone I decided to do a virtual wine tasting with my local bar “Northside Wines”. You pay like $50, and you get 6 glasses worth of different wines to try in a cute little pack. I learned how to swill, sniff and taste wine properly – all over Zoom! It was a fun way to spend a Saturday night in lockdown with a boyfriend who only drinks VB. Can I just say … if you have a bar near you that is doing something like this … I highly recommend getting involved. It was so nice to virtually connect with a bunch of strangers, and taste wine together like we were in the same room. A+ lockdown activity.

In other news – this. Also this. And this. Told you I’m obsessed with TikTok right now. It’s my jam!

That’s about it this week – hope you’re all LIVING your best lives! Catch ya next week 🙂


Is Your Boss Ending Remote Work? Let Me Tell You Why They’re Wrong

Another “remote work is great” article, and don’t we just love them? This one specifically talks about claiming back commute time, and how beneficial that can be for a business and individual.

Sick Pay For Casuals: Victoria To Trial Two Year Pilot

I am ALL for this. There are so so so many people out there that rely on casual work to feed their families and pay the rent. They have no option but to work when they are sick a lot of the time. It doesn’t seem like much, but this could actually change lives. RESPECT!

Managers, Adjust Your Expectations (Without Lowering The Bar)

If you’re a leader – this is a must read. Something to be wary of when managing a team remotely during the pandemic.

6 Evidence-Based Strategies For Improving Diversity In Your Organisation

I don’t know about you, but I’m always up for reading a new article or guide on how to improve diversity. We can never stop learning in this space, and there are always more things we can do. What you pick up from one article, you might might miss in another. So bring me ALL the D&I articles pls thnx.

How To Re-Onboard Employees Who Started Remotely

I started my current role remotely, and the first time I met my team and manager in person I had been working in the role for 2 months. Heading into the office that day on the tram I felt like it was the first day of school – I was SO NERVOUS. I love the idea in this article of allowing remote ‘new starters’ to bond as a group. We share a unique experience – starting remotely SUCKED. It would be awesome to have a support group (of sorts) to chin wag about what it was like.

Latest Jobs Figures Released By The Australian Bureau Of Statistics

Soooo although we’re on our way to “economic recovery” as unemployment rates drop, underemployment has risen. Watch this instagram video by the ABC to understand further.

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