Link: http://acetalentnet.com.au/enews/newsletjan09.html

Happy New Year!!! Trust you've enjoyed a easy landing into 2009? The Team at aCE talentNET is back on deck and looking forward to a successful 2009... we are doing our bit for business confidence by not focussing too heavily on the doom and gloom that surrounds us at every turn in the media. As far as we are concerned the Learning & HR environment in 2009 will be about delivering on projects in pipeline, ensuring the biggest bang for buck when it comes to training spend and effectiveness and securing quality resources to delivery forecast projects on time and within budget (our prediction is that many of these projects will continue to be technology driven).

We have sourced some interesting reading for you as you ease back into things, but particularly I draw your attention to the Enterprise Learning, Recruiting and Talent Management 2009: Predictions for the Coming Year, research report by US based Bersin & Associates. Whilst the report is based on US research and predictions there is not doubt that this will have some flow on effect to Australian companies or for any of you in alliance with US (and Asian?) based parties. Key findings and predictions are as follows:

1. Budget Cuts will force the restructuring of HR and LandD
2. LandD Budgets will be cut, forcing Organizations to refocus training spending
3. Leadership, Career and Capability Management will emerge as keys to success in 2009 and beyond
4. Succession Management looms as a critical issue for 2009
5. Needs of the Multigenerational Workforce will become clearer
6. The Talent Management Systems market will grow then consolidate
7. The LMS Marketplace will grow, then shift to Talent Management and Learning 2.0
8. Social Networking and Learning 2.0 will arrive
9. The Heavy Focus on Performance Management will continue
10. New Recruitment Tools and Strategies Will Replace the Résumé

Finally, “the Business of Talent” Will Be More Important Than Ever

To get more information read the Report Executive Summary in more depth.

All the best to our Talent Network for a year of challenge, productivity and personal success!

Deirdre

Deirdre Gruiters is the Executive Director - Consulting for aCE talent NET, or in other words, aCE talent NET's Corporate Talent Agent. She is also an internationally published author as a result being featured in the July08 edition of "Consulting Ahead" India. So if looking for Organisational Development resources is what you're needing to do, then Deirdre and the team of aCE talent NET know how to find them. Ask anyone of our continually satisfied clients

Link: http://acetalentnet.com.au/enews/newsletnov08.html

It's hard to believe this is the last opportunity I will get to wish most of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and safe holiday season!!!

Like many, I always get quite reflective at this time of year as you look back at a year that has whizzed by and take a few moments to think about all you have done, seen, learnt, loved, loathed etc.

There have been many successes for aCE talentNET this year as we have continued to expand both our client and consultant networks. Of course, there have been disappointments too, but fortunately these have been rare and short-lived. We are extremely excited about 2009 (yes despite all the dire predictions) as we review and devise future strategies based on feedback from many of you via our Consultant Survey.

Thank you to the 100++ consultants who took the time to complete the survey. We have been overwhelmed by your support and look forward to sharing the results with you early in the New Year. (See next issue of the lucky winner of the iPod Nano!!!)

I have no intention on expanding on my predictions for 2009 (see last issue of Professional Edge) but instead have spent my time defining how I should spend my time (whilst not breaking the bank!) recharging my batteries for whatever next year holds.

So far my list includes:
* See the movie, Australia (already done - loooooved it!!! - don't listen to the reviews, go see it, it's fantastic!)
* Enjoy more than one bottle of crisp, fruity NZ Sauvignon Blanc
* Attend at least one Christmas Carols in the Park with my husband and son
* Visit the Myer Christmas windows and Santa in Federation Square (I'm sure there is an equivalent in most Australian cities?)
* Picnics and days at the beach, park or anywhere in the Australian great outdoors
* Camping (yes camping!) on NSW Central Coast
* Attend at least one Moonlight Cinema screening
* Spending time with friends and family - to include copious numbers of BBQs and impromptu gatherings for drinks...
* Take my son to Geelong Waterworld (still haven't done this!)
* Read all 4 of the books chosen by my fellow Book Clubbers for Christmas break reading (preferably while lying on my son's trampoline or on the beach!)
* Saying NO to anything that compromises my ability to achieve the above!

I hope you too are starting to plan how you will relax this Christmas - feel free to be inspired by any of my must-do's above!

Our very sincere Merry Christmas Wishes to you all
Deirdre and the Team at aCE talentNET

Link: http://acetalentnet.com.au/enews/newsletoct08.html

"If you are anything like me you've been paying close attention to the global financial crisis but still adopting a relaxed attitude that "it couldn't get that bad in Australia". Well no longer... as I continue to read articles and watch news stories I have woken up to the fact that we need to adopt an extremely conservative approach to business and managing our finances in what could be troubled times ahead. This is true for both large and small businesses alike.

Contract World has recently posted an extremely sobering review of the facts leading up to the global financial crisis and goes on to explain the impact for large and small businesses, including the potential failure of large US icons like Ford and General Motors. Whilst the Australian economy is supported by a strong export market to China, we rely more heavily on Japanese exports, one market predicted to be hit hard by the global credit crisis. When (if?) this occurs together with an inability of large infrastructure projects to secure finance, rising unemployment, falling property markets and the highest personal debt levels in history the prospect of Australia avoiding a slide in to recession seems unavoidable. Consequently we all need to be vigilant in how we manage our businesses (and household finances). For some very useful tips I strongly recommend that you read the article on Contract World. In short... prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised if it doesn't get as bad as predicted.

On a more positive note, aCE talentNET is pleased to report that at this stage we have seen no such contraction in projects and opportunities for our Talent Network. We will continue to work closely with our clients to ensure that they have the resources they need (at cost effective market rates!) to deliver the projects committed to in current and future budgets.

So what does this mean for the consulting market? Who knows what the future holds... I'm not really brave enough to make a prediction at this stage. I guess there are two immediate thoughts:
1. that the project/contracting market will downsize as larger organisations adopt conservative attitudes to project initiatives and, as mentioned above, large syndicated finance becomes harder to access thus putting on hold many planned initiatives; versus
2. larger organisations may turn to contract resources to deliver on project initiatives (whilst putting downward pressure on market rates) and avoid replacing and/or taking on new hires in a recession environment. Perhaps it will be a mix of both? Time will tell.

We would also like to say a big THANK YOU to all the Consultants that have taken the time to complete our Inaugural Consultant Survey... the response rate has been extremely pleasing. For those of you yet to complete the Survey we strongly encourage you to do so, as this is your opportunity to tell us how aCE talentNET can support you and your business. The Survey will take no longer than 15mins and completion before 30 November 2008 enters you into a draw to win a Nano iPod - how can you refuse??!! Complete Survey.

Until next month...
Deirdre Gruiters
Corporate Talent Agent
www.acetalentnet.com

Link: http://acetalentnet.com.au/enews/newsletsep08.html

The Human Capital Magazine published an interesting article this month on 'Contracting - is it the Kiss of Death?' The article highlights some of the pros of cons of contracting and/or consulting and is a most worthwhile read. But I would also like to offer my own experience and thoughts on the matter. At aCE talentNET we are often approached by clients and associates who are considering becoming an independent consultant either through immediate circumstance (ie job restructure) or a general discontent with working the 9-5pm (or should I say 7am-8pm!) grind in the corporate jungle. For many, the appeal of becoming an independent consultant is enticing but most do not know how to go about it. My advice to these aspiring 'independents' or 'free agents'! is as follows:

Build your Network! It is essential that when starting out as a consultant you have as wide a network as possible on which to draw, including past colleagues, associates, managers across a range of companies and associations. Many can get bogged down in day to day activities and decline or opt out of opportunities to expand their network. So when next considering whether to attend that networking opportunity or stay at work to write that report... the report can wait another day - go network!!!!

Be clear about your consulting specialties or preferences. When starting out as a consultant it is enticing to accept any project that comes along... all too often you can then find yourself gaining consulting and project experience in an area that is not your preference - making it difficult to then get opportunities in other specialties as too much time has elapsed since you last had tangible experience. Do not be afraid to say no to a client and recommend them to another consultant that can help them (not forgetting aCE talentNET of course!!!).

Be prepared to DO the work! All too often I hear from consultants that they want to be strategists, identifying the problem, researching the solution and making the recommendations to address. Unfortunately in many cases companies aCE work with are quite capable of doing this work themselves, what they need are the resources to implement the identified solutions. So be prepared to be the DOER!

Be strategic about building your client base and what you commit to. It is always understandable to commit to a 1-2 ongoing consulting engaging with a client (very useful for regular cashflow) however be aware that this can work against you when other full-time opportunities come available. In many cases, aCE talentNET clients require consulting full-time resources for projects ranging from 2 weeks to 3 months - consultants who do not have availability of at least 4 days per week are generally not able to be considered for these interesting and lucrative projects.

Be smart about how you use your time. If working with clients is why you want to be a consultant, then it doesn't make sense trying to do all the others parts associated with running your own small business. Think about finding alternative arrangements for doing the administrivia around bookkeeping, invoicing and follow up, BAS, tax returns for example, and subscribe to key web sites and blogs etc which will in turn not only keep you current but also can help build your networks. Always ask the question - do I need to be doing this or can someone else?

Be realistic when rate setting. Research consultants or contractors that you know or have worked with to get a good feel for the 'market rate' for consultants with your skill set. But be realistic and consider too, the length of time and experience these consultants have had in the market place. Consultants who have years of experience and multiple project experiences in their CV are worth a higher premium in the marketplace. Corporate experience in 2-3 organisations over 10+ years does not translate necessarily to charging daily rates of $1200+ from the outset. Again, be realistic!

Maintain and grow your Network. I know networking has been mentioned already, but this is also important once you become a consultant, particularly if you are a very busy one! It is essential that you join relevant associations, attend seminars (many are free these days and only take 1-2 hours of your time) and keep in touch with your original network... you just never know when you will need them!

Don't forget your Professional Development. Even as a fledgling consultant it is important that you have a strategy to keep up to date with professional development in your field. As mentioned above, you don't need to invest a lot of money, but you do need to make it a priority to attend as many events as possible. But the best way to keep up to date is to read, read, read! This is not hard, there are a plethora of professional development forums that you can subscribe to that will keep you updated on a daily or monthly basis (including aCE talentNET!!!).

Manage the Pipeline! When times are good and you are nice and busy and earning money, it's easy to forget about what is happening next month. But any consultant will tell you that you need to prepare for lean times as they happen to everyone! Make sure you put funds aside for when this happens but also ensure you maintain that network and manage lead generation as much as possible. Even if it is dashing off an email or two to stay in touch with potential projects/client to let them know what you're doing and when you will be available to work with them. If this something that you really don't want to be doing yourself, then tap into corporate talent agents such as aCE talentNET, to help do this for you.

And finally, it's OK if consulting is not for you! It's not for everyone... some find it too stressful to manage the pipeline on an ongoing basis or some just get too lonely and miss the daily camaraderie that comes with being a full-time employee. And that's OK! In fact, many of our most successful consultants enter in and out of the consultant market as a way to keep themselves and their careers invigorated.

Anyway, that's enough from me for this month. I hope the above hints are useful for those of you considering a career change to an Independent Consultant. And like my Dad always says...FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY!!!

Consultants, contact us about our upcoming survey. Remember, this is your chance to give us feedback about how we can better serve you.

Have a great month!

Deirdre Gruiters
Corporate Talent Agent

Link: http://acetalentnet.com.au/enews/newsletaug08.html

All too often we read about the need for workplaces to be flexible in work structure practices as one strategy to attract, retain and maintain Talent. However this is all too often just rhetoric with actual business practices not supporting this. There is a plethora of talented professionals ready and willing to commit to permanent part-time roles in business but sadly, not many roles exist.

aCE talentNET is always wary of recommending any one business or consultancy over another with any recommendation needing to consider the exact needs and requirements of the parties involved. However one particular business that aCE talentNET is happy to showcase in this months comments is Parttime Online ... a business dedicated to supporting businesses and professionals in the pursuit of flexible workplace practices as a strategy to address the Talent shortage.

Interestingly enough, the consulting and contracting market also experiences similar challenges (but to a lesser degree) with many consulting opportunities of a full-time nature. In many cases this limits the potential of businesses to access the highest quality consultants as most consultants have ongoing commitments with a loyal client base... with sometimes only 2-3 days spare capacity each week. Like the permanent job market businesses that can provide the most flexibility in work practices will most likely secure the best quality employees and consultants!

I challenge you to think about ways that you can tap into this exceptional resource market... food for thought!

Deirdre Gruiters
Corporate Talent Agent

Deirdre Gruiters is the Executive Director - Consulting for aCE talent NET, or in other words, aCE talent NET's Corporate Talent Agent. She is also an internationally published author as a result being featured in the July 08 edition of "Consulting Ahead" India (.pdf 5mb). So if looking for Organisational Development resources is what you're needing to do, then Deirdre and the team of aCE talent NET know how to find them. Ask anyone of our continually satisfied clients

keep reading...