by Craig McGregor | Feb 6, 2025 | Business, Featured, Recruitment
Earlier this year I had the privilege of turning 50 and like most people I assume it is a time of reflection. I had a great party surrounded by friends and family and post party I took off with my girls for a holiday.
Hitting this milestone has made me think about my career (it’s been almost 19 years in this one role, although I am extremely fortunate to love it and to have so many varied experiences across this time) and what is it I wish to achieve over the next decade and beyond.
Our options are ENDLESS!!!
50 is a great age you are more mature and hopefully comfortable with who you are. You have experience and it is the kind of experience that employers want, but you also have to be able to move with the times.
Below are a few areas of interest and growth I see move talent at 50 and beyond:
The Gig Economy
Whilst on our holiday, in an uber with my wife & girls chatting to our driver (a post 50 independent woman) I asked her about driving uber. Our driver loved the flexibility, the nature of the work and she had learnt how to make it worthwhile for her. This individual sounds like they had set themselves up in youth with savvy investments and the uber role was purely a fun gig to bring in cash for fun things.
I was inspired by the opportunity this person has embraced and the joy that the work was bringing her. Having the choice of when the work fits her best.
Connected Consulting
In our post covid world of Zoom & MS Teams meetings, consultants are connecting with prospective and current customers wherever they are – in time zones that suit. Using your expertise whilst travelling, moving or connecting with customers overseas these doors were not open to many of our parents but as we go beyond the 50 year threshold doors (or laptop screens) remain open.
The Profit For Purpose Economy
A trend we see everyday at HRG is the desire to work in not for profit (NFP) or what it really is – Profit for Purpose sector. The experience garnered in other areas can bring fruit to a sector rapidly growing and in high need of talent.
Stay Put
Love what you do and still passionate about your role then keep you head up and keep loving life
Turn Left
Stick with me on this analogy. You probably drive the same road and the same route to work each day. Tomorrow turn left, explore other employment zones in your area, see what is around that excites you.
Turn left on the internet, don’t just explore the same webpages and look at different categories on job boards like seek. Turn left and see what is out there and then explore how to get to the new destination.
Start a conversation with HRG
If like me you have turned 50 and have been thinking about what’s next… it costs nothing to have a career conversation with HRG. We can give advice, take you down a new career path, discuss staying put, or explore alternate opportunities like consulting.
I feel a new sense of energy after turning 50 and spending more time with my family over the holiday. My goal moving forward is to continue to connect people with career opportunities in my business whilst maximising the time I have with my loved ones. Maybe that means you will meet me via MS Teams in the future in between me hitting the beach on a 3 day weekend. A plan is brewing.
My take aways from hitting 50
- A chance to celebrate
- A time to be grateful and reflect &
- A fantastic time to take charge of life – including your career
I also now feel a little bit more welcomed at my parents bingo table.
If you are seeking some direction on your career than reach out to me via email craig@hrgroup.com.au (email is best as I am 50 now and truly don’t get snapchat…)
by Craig McGregor | Mar 1, 2024 | Business, Featured, Recruitment
The labour market in Australia is tight in 2024 with a lack of quality supply still effecting speed of placement for all sizes of organisations. Is your business still just relying on seek or other advertising methods to secure the best talent? HRG is your key to unlocking talent in today’s market.
Job ads are not garnering the responses they did pre covid and employers are struggling to source candidates from these methods.
Social media ads and posts are great for your business brand and I still believe that building a positive brand will help drive candidates to your business but it is a long game rather than one that will fill vacant positions now.
At Hunter Recruitment Group we have been delivering stats to our clients for years on fill rates and candidate source. Recently we did a data dive into 2023 and 72% of our successful placements were made with candidates not coming from traditional advertising sources.
Using methods that are not available to internal hiring staff and or business owners and having meaningful conversations with more people and a tenacity to source true culture fit for our clients via proactive search methods has delivered better results.
Start a conversation today with HRG if you are frustrated with the current employment market and you want to partner with a proactive recruitment team.
by Craig McGregor | Aug 15, 2022 | Business, Featured, Recruitment
The team at Hunter Recruitment Group are very proud to be Hunter Valley Recruitment specialists – based in Maitland, NSW for over 15 years, we have seen the region change and employment trends shift.
Of course, there’s nothing like a global pandemic to shake up employment trends, labour markets and recruitment needs even further.
So today we thought we’d share with you the most recent Labour Market Insights for the Hunter, released June 2022 by the National Skills Commission, Australian Government.
For the purpose of reporting, the Hunter Valley is defined by the highlighted area below, and excludes Newcastle.
Across the Hunter there are currently 129,800 people employed.
Of the employed population 73% were in full-time work and 27% were classified as part-time workers.
Interestingly, when looking at the workforce age groups across the Hunter, the 65 and over age bracket has the highest level of participation – sitting at 26.8% – meaning succession planning across Hunter Valley businesses and Hunter-based industries will be coming to the fore very soon.
Of those employed in the Hunter Valley, the following are the largest employing occupations.
| Occupation |
Persons employed |
| Sales Assistants (General) |
6,200 |
| Miners 3,100
Truck Drivers (General) |
3,100
3,000 |
| Fitters (General) |
2,800 |
| General Clerks |
2,500 |
| Retail Managers (General) |
1,800 |
| Commercial Cleaners |
1,800 |
| Electricians (General) |
1,700 |
| Primary School Teachers |
1,500 |
| Aged and Disabled Carers |
1,500 |
Looking further at occupation groups, the chart below details the distribution of workers across occupation groups in the Hunter Valley, including a comparison with the rest of NSW.
And finally, the unemployment rate for the Hunter is currently sitting at 3.9%, slightly above Australia’s unemployment rate of 3.5% – cited as the nation’s lowest in almost 50 years. Whilst the Hunter Valley’s youth unemployment rate is 9.9%.
If you’re looking for a career change, or moving to the Hunter Valley and searching for a job, register with HRG – we’ll let you know as soon as a suitable opportunity opens up.
And for any Hunter Valley-based employers, if you’re searching for staff or looking to improve your recruitment and retention outcomes, give us a call on 4936 6537– we can help.
Statistic Source: https://labourmarketinsights.gov.au/regions/all-regions-abs-sa4/HunterValley
by Craig McGregor | Jul 18, 2022 | Business, Featured, Recruitment
We’ve spoken before about the many recruitment benefits of video interviewing and the positive impact that technology can have on your search for staff.
Today we take a closer look at how to conduct a video interview to have the best chance of boosting your recruitment success.
Set the structure
As with any job interview, face-to-face or conducted via video, your questions count! Take the time to evaluate the role and identify what you really need to ask your applicants.
With a video interview, you will see and hear from candidates which gives you great insight but remember that consistency is key.
You want to be able to compare the answers of your candidates, their skill set, and fit for the role adequately, so ensure that they are given the same opportunities throughout the recruitment process.
Clear communication
For some applicants, video interviewing may be a new experience. They may be feeling a little anxious or self-conscious.
To help applicants feel at ease clearly communicate what they can expect, settle their nerves by clarifying any questions they may have ahead of time and provide them with as much information as possible.
Video interviews rely on technology and to avoid glitches or hiccups ensure that all candidates receive the correct links, log-ins and credentials for the video interviewing software or system you are using.
Provide feedback
Statistics show time and time again that candidates are hungry for feedback on how they perform in interviews – particularly if they have been unsuccessful in securing a role.
This is still the case for video interviewees.
Taking the time to provide genuine, considered and constructive feedback is not only positive for your company’s reputation it can improve your future recruitment pipeline and generally makes the process better and more effective for all involved.
Organise onboarding
Despite video interviews being conducted online it is important to remember that your new recruit is indeed human – even if they will be working remotely or in a hybrid capacity it is important to have a great on-boarding process.
Ensure that you can share your company culture with your newest employee and that they feel part of the team and well equipped in their role moving forward.
This should be the case no matter if you have used a traditional face-to-face or video interview technique and something which HRG is very passionate about.
A great on-boarding can alleviate HR issues into the future and assist greatly with staff retention.
If you’d like to discuss your recruitment needs, how to introduce video interviewing for your next hire or how to streamline your on-boarding and payroll processes contact Hunter Recruitment Group on (02) 4936 6537.
Looking for more details on video interviewing, its recruitment benefits and the positive impact it can have when looking for staff? Check out our blogs here:
More than a resume – recruit today via video
Technology & Recruitment: Video Interviewing & Remote Work
The recruitment benefits of video interviewing
Tips for video interview success
by Craig McGregor | May 13, 2022 | Business, Featured, Job Tips, Recruitment
Having been in business in the heart of the Hunter Valley for over 15 years, Hunter Recruitment Group are very proud to be your Hunter Valley recruitment specialists.
Located in central Maitland we love being a part of this community and as a team, proudly support local sporting and community groups.
We’re locals.
Having been involved with the Maitland Business Chamber and a range of other professional organisations we have well-established connections, expertise and knowledge of the Hunter Valley and surrounds.
Partnering with Maitland-based businesses we have streamlined our systems to provide end-to-end recruitment solutions. From the initial stages of identifying staffing needs, developing positions descriptions and role responsibilities, to shortlisting and interviews.
Once the right fit has been found, HRG can also assist with on-boarding new employees, payroll, and even HR advice.
We take the hassle out of finding staff – permanent, temporary or contract labour – across the Hunter Valley and beyond.
Looking for a job in the Hunter Valley region?
By registering with Hunter Recruitment Group you are tapping into our local network. Our candidate contact list is the first place we look when we have new work opportunities, exciting roles and upcoming recruitment projects.
On the HRG website we have a job alert sign-up button. You can find it here.
Check the boxes for locations, work type and job styles you are interested and you will be the first to know about them when advertised.
If you are relocating to the Hunter Valley, or thinking of changing your career path, and you’d like to know more about the Hunter Valley employment market, give the team at HRG a call on (02) 4936 6537 – we’re your Hunter Valley Recruitment Specialists.
by Craig McGregor | May 1, 2022 | Business, Featured, Recruitment
If you haven’t already, make sure you check out our blog on Hybrid work: why it’s important and how it benefits your business. For many local businesses, it is opening up recruitment opportunities, securing top talent and offering employees flexibility and greater work / life balance.
But how to effectively handle a hybrid workplace? Here, Hunter Recruitment Group have put together a few tips for having an effective and efficient hybrid workplace model in your business.
Technology
The team at HRG have long embraced technology in all facets of our work and this is especially important in blending remote work and office / on-site operations. With the right tools and technology to communicate and collaborate – and with the introduction of a secure cloud-based system – your team can be hybrid at the drop of a hat.
Office / Worksite
Rather than a fully remote offering, the hybrid workplace model is a combination and therefore the office or worksite environment is still very important. Your space may be able to be redesigned for the reduction of expenses, but it is also important to offer staff places to collaborate and connect when they are physically together – for example, can you offer multi-purpose meeting and meal spaces for your team?
People
For the hybrid workplace model to be effective the connection to your people and care for your team must be maintained. Regular check-ins, performance reviews and access to decision-makers will still be important for all employees. Just because team members aren’t physically present in an office space, they must still be considered in the overall achievements, planning and future goals of an organisation.
If you invest in the supporting technology and ensure you have effective communication tools the hybrid workplace model can certainly bring opportunities to your business.
Want to talk further about establishing and promoting your hybrid workplace offering when you are looking to hire staff? Contact Hunter Recruitment Group on (02) 4936 6537.
