Keeping up with Oz

[anne]

Hi - Looking for some advice on how to ensure I remain a attractive candidate for when I choose to return to Australia in the next year or so.

About me - I had about 5 years generalist expereince before heading to London. (2 working as a HR Manager)

Since arriving in London in 2007 I have been working for a large company as a HR Business Partner. (not a common term in Australia, but here generally a Senior HR role working alongside a companies Senior Directors) Do you think it would make any difference if I was to leave my current role for a promotion in a different company or am I better to have a steady employment history in the same organisation? I have been in my current role for about 20 months.

Questions

1. How long do you think I would have to be away from Australia before recruiters would disregard my Aussie experience?

2. How important is AHRI?

3. I try to read widely though any other suggestions for keeping up to date with HR happenings back home?

4. Does anyone have an interest in coming to the UK ? I would be happy to help someone prepare for the transition in return for helping me keep abreast of what is happening in HR in Australia.

Any other advice or comments

[Midaz Coaching & Consulting]

Hi Anne, You have put some thought into your career and I think that is great. You have asked some very relevant questions which shows your on the right track.

Keeping abreast of what is going on back here in the field of HR is a good idea if you want to come back in the Australian workforce. AHRI is a good place to start. As a professional body they seem to have got themselves on track and I would very much recommend that you look at becoming a member. You will get email updates and a monthly magazine which will help you to see what is "hot" and how the practice and profession is evolving here. It will also help you to link in with other practitioners when you get back here as there a regular events and special interest groups happening in all the capital cities and many of the regional hubs. I would also recommend joining LinkedIn and the AHRI group on line. You can make contacts there and will be able to link with others like you can here on HR buzz.

It is hard to say how long away from Oz will be an issue as the market can be very fickle. Having said that, the experience that you will bring home with you is not to be discredited. If you are working in a high demand industry (keeping an eye on who is hiring here will give you that information) then it may not be relevant that you have been out of the country because you bring industry expertise as well as the HR background.

In terms of moving from your current role to take a promotion, I guess that depends on how long it will be before you plan to return here. Having a track record that looks like you jump around roles could be detrimental however if the reason you move is for a promotion, that is different. Just remember that in order to return to our shores, people may expect you to step back to "prove yourself" before giving you the a more senior role. The other thing to consider is that the more senior you are, the fewer jobs there are available at that level. I used to work in international hotel chains that had a program that only promoted people after they had held three different roles at one level before moving a person upwards - and while I don't think that suits our gen-Y people, it is a good way of getting a broad knowledge base and cutting your teeth in different environments. I think it makes you more resilient when you do take the next step up.

Another idea for keeping up with what is happening back here could be to find or reconnect with a previous work colleague or manager. Look at using them as a mentor or a "pen pal" and share with them some key learnings that you have from your role in the UK.

I hope that helps you a little bit. Good luck in your transition.
Mary-Leigh

[The Acorn Partnership]

Originally Posted by anne

Hi - Looking for some advice on how to ensure I remain a attractive candidate for when I choose to return to Australia in the next year or so.

About me - I had about 5 years generalist expereince before heading to London. (2 working as a HR Manager)

Since arriving in London in 2007 I have been working for a large company as a HR Business Partner. (not a common term in Australia, but here generally a Senior HR role working alongside a companies Senior Directors) Do you think it would make any difference if I was to leave my current role for a promotion in a different company or am I better to have a steady employment history in the same organisation? I have been in my current role for about 20 months.

Questions

1. How long do you think I would have to be away from Australia before recruiters would disregard my Aussie experience?

2. How important is AHRI?

3. I try to read widely though any other suggestions for keeping up to date with HR happenings back home?

4. Does anyone have an interest in coming to the UK ? I would be happy to help someone prepare for the transition in return for helping me keep abreast of what is happening in HR in Australia.

Any other advice or comments

Hi Anne,

Longevity or stability is probably your best bet in terms of your current role in the UK, although naturally it could be argued otherwise if the alternative opportunity will broaden your skillset. Treat any moves in the UK the same way as you would if you were back in Oz. What will it add to my skill set? How will it take me closer to my future goals? Will I enjoy it more than my current role (a big question that isn't asked often enough!)

In terms of returning to Australia, having done the same things myself (4 years with Michael Page HR in London, then transferring to Sydney with Page and making the move to a boutique about 4 years ago) my advice would be not to worry too much about it!

LinkedIn and the like are great options for you in terms of developing and maintaining a network of connections. Stay as up-to-date as you can on changes to the legislative landscape through AHRI. Start and maintain relationships with specialist HR recruiters now so that when you come home (especially if it's at short notice) you have people on the ground to help you as soon as you arrive.

In my experience, recruiters with exposure to the UK market themselves are the most likely to understand the scope of your roles, the dynamics of the UK market and are best placed to work with you to secure a role that will complement the skill set you have built up while you have been away.

Having moved people from the UK to Australia quite often over the past 5 years, I can assure you that it is unlikely to be as tough as you may imagine (depending on market conditions, naturally!). I have moved people with no visas into roles here in Sydney where the client hired them via video conference from the UK. I've recruited Australian returnees into more roles than I can count where the process was conducted mainly over the phone and video conferencing, with the final "interview" being an exchange of contracts once they had arrived.

Clearly, market demand will depend on your skill set, industry sector experience and where you are wanting to locate yourself in Australia.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me.

Claire McNamara
The Acorn Partnership, Sydney
Global HR Recruitment
Acorn Partnership Global HR Recruitment - Home

[Melissa Martin]

I agree with Mary-Leigh in terms of joining AHRI as the monthly magazines will definitely assist you in keeping up to date with hot topics here in Australia. Membership also gives you access to various resources on their website which may be of interest not only in terms of keeping you up to date for your return, but also for your current role in London. It may also be worthwhile exploring whether or not the professional association for HR in London has any special interest groups etc which focus on international HR and more specifically Australia. As Claire has said too, it would be worthwhile contacting HR recruiters here in Australia to start to put some feelers out, and to ask their opinion given it is the space they specialize in.

In regards to your query regarding how long is too long to be away from Australia, I would suggest that this also depends on the type of role you would be seeking when you return. International HR experience is a great selling point for you. As long as you focus on the benefit the skills and experience you gained whilst working in the UK, you should be OK. Having said that, it is difficult to ascertain at the moment given the high number of local HR Professionals seeking work as a result of redundancy.

Mary-Leigh also makes some valid points regarding changing jobs prior to moving back home. It is true that the higher you get the less jobs are available. At the more senior levels a number of role are also gained through networks or headhunting so you would need to consider your reputation and network here in Australia. As you would know, there are also agencies and niche job boards which would be able to assist you in securing your next role at an Executive level.

Good Luck with your decision making.
Melissa