Winners encourage recruitment colleagues to enter 2020 RCSA Australian awards

There are just days remaining until entries open for Australia’s 2020 RCSA Industry Awards and last year’s winners have come out in force to encourage their colleagues to enter.

With entries opening on January 27, many of 2019’s winners say their success not only had a significant impact on their careers, but in some cases changed the way they viewed the recruitment industry.

Rupert Harvey from SMAART Recruitment, which won the Excellence in Candidate Care award, said the win had helped significantly amplify the firm’s brand in the marketplace.

“It’s also powerful from an internal cultural perspective as it deepens our resolve and dedication to a great candidate experience,” Rupert said.

“It also has a feel-good effect on morale.

“It’s meant that we continue to review our processes and the way we interact with candidates and constantly endeavour to provide the best candidate experience we can.

“We feel a sense of responsibility and of leadership in this area.”

Rupert said recruiters and recruitment firms considering nominating for an award in 2020 would find it was worth the effort.

“If nothing else, the entry process makes you think about the way your business operates and can provide fresh insights,” he said.

“The actual awards night is a terrific experience and you are helping to support our industry.”

The 2019 Rising Star of the Year, Jay Wynter, from Precision Sourcing Australia, said his win put the previous five years of his recruitment journey into perspective.

“Receiving recognition internally, whether that be a promotion, incentives or any awards, is very flattering but when you win an industry-recognised award, especially against the other applicants who I know have been highly successful in their own right, it really is an achievement,” Jay said.

“When the team put the application together it became evident that success in this industry is purely down to two things - the people you surround yourself with and the need to keep adapting.

“The former is in relation to candidates, clients or the team within your agency so I now always ensure I regularly build on existing relationships and the latter is to keep on adapting.

“I now seek new ways to keep adapting and improving.”

Jay encouraged other recruiters to enter the 2020 awards, saying it was “not about winning or losing”.

“I personally enjoyed the process as it brought the team together, from recording the videos to writing the application to enjoying a class evening,” he said.

Fiona Grimmer of HorizonOne Recruitment, which won the 2019 Operational Excellence Award, said the win was an “amazing” way for the firm’s Scribing and Campaigns Team to be recognised on a national level for their work and level of service.

“Coming from Canberra, a sometimes forgotten or dismissed city when it comes to recruitment business, winning a national award really shows just how strong the Canberra market is and how the recruitment industry is thriving here,” Fiona said. “The win was also a confirmation that the business is on the right path and that all the hard work and late night hours are worth it.

“It was a great indicator that our team are doing the right thing and making the right business choices.

“It’s given them a renewed level of confidence to back their decisions and to keep pushing to innovate and improve.”

Fiona said completing award entries could be a chance to reflect on a number of things that often got lost in the day-to-day working rush.

“They give you specific questions to consider and allow you to take the time to step away from ‘business as usual tasks’ to observe and learn from challenging moments and celebrate successes,” she said.

“The RCSA awards certainly were a great opportunity to do this. It wasn’t just a chance to compete, we also were able to use the occasion to take stock and celebrate some of the fantastic achievements our team has seen over the last few years.

“A win/win in my book!”

Matt Sampson from Aspect Personnel, which took out the 2019 CSR Excellence Award in Australia, said the award was not just for the Aspect team but for all its community – clients, candidates, partners and charities – who had been a part of the journey.

“However, our true reward is being able to serve and contribute to society and help bring about positive change, and we are so proud to be part of an industry who recognises the importance of giving back,” Matt said.

The Aspect team believed big change started with a small difference.

“CSR is in our DNA. In fact, it forms an integral part of our Employee Value Proposition – we want to attract staff who want to make a bigger contribution to society than just spinning a profit,” Matt said.

“CSR is not just a one-off activity for us, it’s something that we do every day and we have a number of key initiatives driven by our staff, across the annual calendar.”

His advice to recruiters considering entering the 2020 awards was to be selective about the categories they entered. “Don’t enter all of them and hope for the best – concentrate your efforts on one or two areas in which you truly excel at.

“Award nominations can take some time to complete, so if you look at the criteria and don’t think that you will be successful, chances are that you can’t convince a panel of judges you are deserving either.

“ Instead, make it a priority for the following year or you make it a business objective so you are in a better position to apply in the future.

“An industry award can extremely rewarding for your business and your people, it is beneficial for your brand and can help attract talent to your organisation.”

Kylie Saunders, General Manager Strategic Operations at Kelly Services, which won the Excellence in Client Service award, said the award was a testament to the strong relationships the firm had established with its clients, as well as the deep respect those clients had for the expertise and counsel provided.

“And most importantly, it was wonderful recognition for our team members who collaborated seamlessly to achieve a market-leading solution for our client,” Kylie said.

But the win had not changed the way the business operates.

“We revelled in the award of course and knowing our competition, we have leveraged the accolade alongside our client testimonials.

“The award has not changed the way we operate but does allow us to reflect on our achievements with enormous pride and satisfaction.”

And Kylie has some words of advice for anyone considering entering this year’s awards.

“Being able to highlight a team or project and celebrate something that is significant for your business is important and an award nomination is great recognition for everyone involved,” she said. “What do you have to lose?”

Nominations for Australia’s 2020 RCSA Industry Awards will be open from January 27 to March 27, with the finalists announced on May 15.

The winners will be named at a gala awards night on July 23.

For details go to RCSA.com.au