Meet the Australian winner of the CEO Outstanding Contribution Award at RCSA’s Industry Awards

Winner of this year’s CEO Outstanding Contribution award at the RCSA Industry Awards Tara Staritski, Managing Director at Switch Education discusses her shock at receiving the award, her passion for the industry and bigger goals to create change and building a strong local reputation.

It was a great shock to be awarded the CEO Outstanding Contribution by the RCSA. I had no idea that I was being considered. Much to my surprise I logged in for a zoom meeting catchup with Charles Cameron, CEO of RCSA, and he sprung it on me… no make-up, unrehearsed, and a very unscripted acceptance speech followed - it was completely unexpected to say the least.

It is a great honour to receive the CEO Outstanding Contribution award as it stands for something I am really passionate about. It rewards those that strive to give back to the industry. There are many ways this has been done in the past, but for me I believe this is best achieved through taking the time to get to know your RCSA professional community and to support each other to build comradery - as collectively we can have the greatest impact for positive change within our sector.

I’ve worked in recruitment for close to 20 years, 15 of those within my own company. Finding additional time to spend on work outside of my own business has been hard at times, but I’ve strived to do this wherever I can. My focus has been on building connections amongst our local RCSA members. We’ve all faced difficult and challenging times throughout our recruitment careers and to know that you are only a phone call away from some advice and support from a fellow recruitment peer can provide great peace of mind. It is a true privilege to have this support, particularly in a world where the desire to compete and keep our thoughts and ideas to ourselves will often override.

When I first started my career in recruitment, I believe a lot of recruiters in the industry were very inward focused and protective rather than taking a collegiate approach. Now we are seeing dramatic changes in this behaviour across the recruitment sector. In South Australia we’ve been fortunate to see a once closed recruitment community now demonstrate genuine support, trust and respect for one another. I strongly believe that the success of my peers has a positive impact on my business. Put simply, the conduct of your fellow recruiters impacts your local reputation.

I have been extremely fortunate to join an incredibly close group of RCSA members on the SA Council, all of whom share the same passion for this industry. Together we are doing our best to work towards creating change for the better. We are building a strong local reputation, with a brand of authentic, highly professional recruiters, across all industries. But above all we aim to create an environment that is here to support our wider RCSA member community.

I have personally tried to invest my energy in helping to build these relationships and I hope this Award can encourage and inspire others to do the same amongst their own community of recruiters.

Thank you to the RCSA for your support and acknowledgement. It is greatly appreciated.