Key Skills Recruitment

New Zealand's 12 fastest growing company!

2011-11-10T09:58:00.000+13:00

We are very proud to announce that last night we were announced as New Zealand's 12th fastest growing company by Deloitte's Fast 50. The competition was steep, there were only 7 Wellington based companies in the top 50. To all our wonderful temps and clients we thank you for all your support and faith xxx

Bacon Butties for Breaky

2011-04-12T14:31:00.004+12:00

Man up with Bacon Butties for Breaky cheers to Key Skills and The Rock FM. TXT 'Bacon' and all your workplace details - name, address, no. of workers etc to 3520 The Rock Roadies could be turning up to your workplace to shout the boys a Bacon Buttie for Breaky. They will also put you in the draw to WIN a Dewalt Tool Kit.http://www.therock.net.nz/Bacon-Butties-for-Breaky/tabid/548/articleID/14323/Default.aspx

Happy New Year!

2011-01-06T10:56:00.002+13:00

We wish all our temps, clients, friends and family a very happy new year. We are expecting 2011 to be a massive year for Key Skills Recruitment, the team is fully back on board on Monday 10th January, give us a call and see what we can do for you this year!

Her Business awards 2010

2010-11-23T09:40:00.000+13:00

Great news......Key Skills have been named as finalists in the "Her Business" Wellington Businesswoman of the Year awards......the category is Best Micro Business. We find out the results on Friday 3rd December........cross your fingers for us!

Hear from the employers, hear what Key Skills' customers have to say...direct from the horse's mouth!

2010-11-10T21:43:00.002+13:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2J4JkVqsEU

Meet the team at Key Skills Recruitment

2010-11-08T16:19:00.002+13:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG5S-UxKac0

Reference checking in the news

2010-09-14T17:44:00.003+12:00

We have all heard this week about the importance of reference checking!!

Key Skills reference check every candidate.... from Labourers to Project Managers, transcripts of exactly what the referee has said are available for potential employers.

Copies of visas, qualifications and licenses are scanned and saved and are again available for an employers’ perusal.

If you need further security, drug or psychometric screening, all are available upon request. These are carried out by highly experienced recruiters, call today for more information.

The Champions.....

2010-09-06T13:12:00.000+12:00

Click here to see the winner and her prize

The Big Winner!

2010-08-18T15:31:00.000+12:00

Congrats to Liz at Masterpet for winning the Rock FM and Key Skills $5000 SMEG beer fridge for your workplace, your workmates must be stoked with you!!

Win a fridge full o' beer

2010-07-27T12:41:00.000+12:00

I just had my first morning out with the Rock roadies visiting workplaces to enter people into the draw to win the $5000 beer fridge, what an awesome response, not surprising since it's full of Tui Blonde!!! Register with The Rock website for your visit and entry form

Rock FM's new promotion with Key Skills Recruitment

2010-07-26T17:35:00.003+12:00

Listen to the Rock 96.3FM Wellington for your chance to win a HUGE Smeg fridge full of Tui Blonde (the beer) for your workplace.....you may even be one of the lucky ones to get a visit over the next couple of weeks from the Rock Ute offering a few wee spot prizes!

Look out for the new signage on High Street, Lower Hutt

2010-07-26T17:23:00.003+12:00

Just above Mr Bun, near Countdown a couple of pairs of the most distinctive orange work boots can now be seen, drop in for a coffee if you are passing!

Check out our latest You tube offering

2010-07-19T11:46:00.001+12:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqIQLLgUvlk

Winter Brings Slips, Trips & Falls

2010-07-13T14:43:00.001+12:00

Winter Brings Slips, Trips & Falls

As the weather becomes colder and wetter there is a significant increase in the number of injury reports involving slips, trips or falls.

It is important that we all take the weather conditions into account when assessing potential hazards involved in the activity to be performed.

When temperatures drop it becomes more difficult to operate tools safely and the risk of dropping tools or materials increases. Make sure other workers are not directly below you when working at height and stop work if your hands become to cold to work safely.

Before starting work make sure you do the following three things;

· If you don't know how - ASK FIRST

· Take 5 to think - BEFORE YOU ACT

· If it looks unsafe - IT PROBABLY IS

By doing the basics well all our guys will continue to return home safely at the end of each day.

Recent Dom Post article about a Key Skills temp!

2010-06-23T09:26:00.001+12:00

National Health and Safety award for Key Skills temp

2010-05-17T12:11:00.003+12:00

Congratulations to Joan Ikurere on winning a National Health and Safety award from the Department of Labour!! She was seen on a large commercial site in Wellington directing traffic and organising concrete trucks comings and goings with ease and confidence. She was recommended for the award and received it on Friday of last week. Joan is looked after by Shaun Duffy, Health and Safety Manager for Hawkins Construction. There is a picture of Joan on site at Easter in our April blog. We are so proud of her and thank her for all her hard work.

Key Skills welcomes Ati to the team

2010-04-12T11:03:00.002+12:00

Key skills are proud to announce a new addition to their team – Ati Aaifou-Olive. Ati has worked in Industrial recruitment specialising in Manufacturing and Logistics sector for 7 years. Ati has just returned from a season of playing rugby in Ireland, prior to this he spent 2 years playing rugby in Scotland.

“Being in recruitment since 2002 has proven to me that it’s an industry that is always on the go, and you have to be on your game at all times, I love the challenges it brings. The differing needs and demands of both clients and candidates ensures your day is definitely varied! I’m really keyed up to be part of a great team and I am ready to add to the positive values Key skills offer to recruitment”

Outside of work Ati loves to be with his wife and 1year old daughter, playing rugby and other outdoor sports. He is also involved in developing sports projects for his local community.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-01T16:58:00.004+13:00

Happy Easter to all our hard working temps, here's a wee piccie of the temp with the biggest hours for the last 2 weeks....the lovely Joan, traffic controller for Hawkins on Willis Street, well done girlie!

Have a great break everyone, if you have any questions about public holiday pay/timesheet schedules etc don't hesitate to call.

Work place drug testing

2010-03-25T16:47:00.001+13:00

Recently we completed our certificate in drug testing through ESR (ESR’s collecting agents are trained to follow strict procedures to comply with the requirements of the Australian/New Zealand Standard, AS/NZS 4308:2001 "Procedures for the collection, detection and quantitation of drugs of abuse in urine ). This means we are qualified to complete pre screening and post accident drug testing on our staff. The course was intensive, some of the things we learned were real eye openers such as:

- Eating Meal Mates prior to a drug test can produce a false positive!

- Drug use can attribute to 66% higher rate of absenteeism

ESR educated us on the different sampling options currently available. One option is onsite testing where results are given on the spot. Although this is possible the process is not as thorough and can lead to false positives where someone who has taken codeine based panadol or even had a bun with poppy seeds on it will return a false positive result! The most efficient method to drug test someone is to send samples taken by certified testers directly to ESR. Results are in within 24 hours, but will clear up if someone has taken drugs or has just eaten a tasty baked snack.

If you have questions around the process of drug testing please feel free to email us or give us a call.

Introducing Key Skills Newest Consultant!

2010-02-25T09:49:00.008+13:00

Key skills are proud to announce a new addition to their team - Josh Galuszka. Josh worked in industrial recruitment specialising in the construction sector for 5 years before taking a 2 year break to work as a programme manager for an NGO.

"Having only worked in recruitment since I left uni I wanted to try something else to see what it was like. Working in the public sector was certainly a bit of an eye opener, but I missed the constant interaction with clients and candidates that comes with recruitment. Although things have certainly changed over the last two years I'm pumped to be back in recruitment."

When not at work you can find Josh walking the hills looking for deer in the Ruahines, Rimutaka and Tararua ranges, Diving the south and Wairarapa coast lines and/or playing a bit of footy for Hutt Old Boys Marist Rugby club.

Josh will be calling around many of his past clients over the next couple of weeks and would love to hear from anyone out there wanting to catch up.

You can call Josh on 04 920 1695 or email him on josh@keyskills.co.nz

It's CHRISTMAS!!!!

2009-12-11T16:48:00.007+13:00

The first of the Christmas lunches took place today and hopefully put a few smiles on a few faces and some good tucker in some famished bellies! Thank you to all the fabulous gentleman and ladies that have worked their asses off this year in the name of Key Skills Recruitment, we salute you! .......Check out the pictures....

The Toy run

2009-12-07T10:19:00.004+13:00

What an awesome day!! The Harley Owners Club sure can organise a good gig. The weather held out and apart from being a little blustery things went swimmingly. We must mention DJ in particular and we hope that now that it is all over he can go back to having 8 hours sleep per night!

It was so funny seeing the juxtaposition of big burly bikers with cuddly stuffed toys strapped to their bikes!

We hope that all the efforts made by this very generous people helps spread a little more Xmas joy across the Wellington region...well done guys! ......and thanks for all the Key Skills plugs! x

Toy Run countdown

2009-12-04T11:37:00.001+13:00

2.5 days to go until the Toy Run, thanks to DJ from the Harley Owners Group for wearing our VERY bright T-shirt today on the "Good Morning" show, TV1. All bikes welcome $10 entry fee, all proceeds go to the Salvation Army, see you at Mana, 6th December at 9am!

Toy Run posters

2009-11-10T15:19:00.000+13:00

Don't forget to print a Toy Run poster and put it up at work, the more the merrier!! Ailsa has hard copies that can be distributed upon request. For more information on the event click here

We have arrived on You tube!

2009-10-29T10:52:00.002+13:00

Click here to meet the founders of Key Skills, listen to what their Clients and Candidates have to say about them!

Wellington's 4th annual Christmas Toy run

2009-10-28T14:48:00.005+13:00

Key Skills Recruitment are sponsoring Wellington’s 4^th annual Toy Run

This involves a motorbike ride from Mana to Queens Wharf on Sunday 6^th December. Registrations from 9am, $10 fee.

Toy collections are located at all branches of the Warehouse to be distributed by the Salvation Army to less fortunate children in the Wellington area, (look out for the Harley Owners Group logo...HOG).

How you can help.....

1. Join us on the motorbike ride (all bikes welcome).

2. Donate toys into the specially marked bins in the Warehouse.

3. Put the attached poster up in your smoko area to spread the word.

p.s. look out for the banner at the bottom of the Ngauranga gorge as a gentle reminder ;-)

Many thanks in advance for your support.

The Key Skills team

The debrief

2009-09-02T11:45:00.007+12:00

What a night!!! Tradie for a Lady was a grand success! Lots of silly games thanks to the hosts - the morning crew from More FM, you boys are not shy eh?!! There seemed to be some love matches going on.... but generally it was a fun night and a chance to unwind after a hard weeks temping for some of our boys.

Final countdown

2009-08-24T16:00:00.002+12:00

ONLY 4 DAYS to go!!

More FM's Tradie for a Lady 09 - 28th August at the Sportscafe, Courtenay Place, Wellington.

60 single Tradesmen, 60 single Ladies.......

Some of our Key Skills guys have been interviewed by the morning crew from More FM with hilarious results, listen in to hear the very regular repeats!

The ladies are queuing up to be a part of this so make sure you dont miss out!

...and here's the proof

2009-08-10T09:47:00.002+12:00

Family and job satisfaction makes people happy

and......it's not all about how much you earn!

Click here

Trady for a Lady - sponsored by Key Skills Recruitment

2009-08-06T14:51:00.003+12:00

We know how hard our guys work, and it’s important for them to have a work/life balance, so if any are finding it difficult to meet the lady of their dreams we are keen to help by promoting Trady for a lady!! See below for details of More FM’s latest Wellington event!

More FM are running a fun night of matchmaking between it’s audience of single females and the new “hot guys in town” Tradesmen!!

The “Tradie for a Lady” promotion has been run very successfully in the UK and Australia and managed to secure media attention from Press and TV.

Tarsh, Justin and Tim (from the More FM breakfast show) are running this promotion over a 3 week period in August, soliciting for 60 tradesmen and 60 single females to take part at The Sports Cafe on the 28^th August.

This will be a night of games, fun, food and prizes with a few drinks thrown in for good measure! Hosted by the More FM morning show’s hosts, we believe this promotion will not only be entertaining On Air but should prove to be a great night for all involved!

More FM will also follow up after the big night and interview some of the lucky contestants to see what they thought of the night!

Listeners will be able to nominate themselves or a friend via an online entry form.

In the week leading up to the event – Tarsh, Justin and Tim will phone some of the contestants and have a light-hearted chat to them about their best attributes and being single etc.

...............and listen to the morning show throughout August on 94.7 – 100FM (boys you will need to be quick!!)

If you have any questions feel free to give us a call.

Please pass on to your friends, staff and/or colleagues – the girls and the boys!

Coming soon....!

2009-07-29T11:21:00.001+12:00

Listen to Morefm (94.7 - 100FM ) throughout the month of August for news of an exciting Wellington event sponsored by Key Skills Recruitment.....

Light relief

2009-06-26T09:43:00.001+12:00

This is definitely NOT the sort of behaviour we condone but we all need some light relief during a recession eh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rWbg4-dw1g

Key Skills around the world

2009-06-24T12:13:00.004+12:00

To those lucky recipients of Key Skills apparel (hats, t-shirts etc) we are calling for a international photo extravaganza, have you picture taken in a foreign place (outside of NZ) wearing your Key Skills gear to be featured in the Christmas calendar.

Getting social

2009-06-24T12:08:00.003+12:00

Key Skills are joining the social revolution by creating a page on Facebook. We encourage both temps, past candidates and employers to register as a "fan" for regular updates. Search for Key Skills Recruitment and you are bound to find us.

We are also available to talk to via Skype "key.skills"

Check out Ailsa's business credentials at http://www.linkedin.com/in/ailsamcgavin

Key Skills wins!

2009-05-27T16:47:00.003+12:00

It may not be the grammys but we were very grateful to Natalie from More FM when she arrived this morning at our office in Lower Hutt with scones the size of frizbees and a tub of very creamy Mainland Butter soft. With that and the movie tickets Beccy won last week from a business card draw we reckon we should buy some extra lotto tickets!

http://www.morefm.co.nz/

http://www.mainlandbuttersoft.co.nz/about.html

Trademe agrees

2009-05-19T16:02:00.007+12:00

Demand for flexible workers up

The number of permanent job vacancies has gone backwards at a rate of knots over the past year. In contrast, demand for part-time & contract workers has remained relatively robust, representing 18% and 19% of all advertised jobs on Trade Me Jobs respectively. With an uncertain outlook, it makes sense for employers to opt for a more flexible workforce. Ref. Trademe Jobs May Update newsletter, Fri 15/05/2009.

CV gold

2009-04-22T17:23:00.002+12:00

Times are a changing!! We are being asked more and more to be given full histories of everyone we have registered with us by our employers and potential employers.

This means full, accurate CVs, skills summaries and references.

We realise that many Candidates have seen CVs as unnecessary as historically work comes through referrals and word of mouth but as I said at the beginning... times are a changing!

We can supply a blank CV format for anyone that has never made one of these up, if you don’t already have one this could be a good guideline. As the competition for available positions becomes tougher these will become more and more important to get your foot in the door, I can’t stress enough that time taken to do them thoroughly now will be well spent.

Applying for jobs

2009-04-21T18:27:00.002+12:00

This is a contentious issue when unemployment is high but one we at Key Skills Recruitment have been analysing and debating about regularly over the past 3 months.

Firstly it should be noted that the number of people applying for jobs we advertise has risen sharply. Our vision is that everyone applying to our jobs should receive an answer, we hear all too often that recruitment agencies often fall down in this area.........but......... one Construction position recently advertised produced over 924 applications! There is a huge amount of working in replying to all of these before interviews are even arranged and references taken.

We will NOT fall into the same bad habits as our competitors however we make an appeal to everyone applying for positions to ensure their application is as accurate a match to the job outlined as possible. If you would like to know more about the job before sending your CV then call the consultant responsible, they will be friendly and as open as possible about the position.

Employers are being more discerning than ever about who they see for interview or accept for a temporary position. They are demanding that any CVs presented to them are a very accurate match to the skills profile they outline. They are much less likely to accept someone that for example is looking for a career change or a new start.

Please do not see this as discouraging, there is a job out there for everyone!

On the job tips

2009-04-21T18:12:00.002+12:00

In todays market its not just getting in the door you have to worry about it's keeping your feet firmly under your employer's table, here are a few tips on how to put your best foot forward in a temporary position.

Always be on time, (by on time we mean 5 minutes early!)
Ensure you are always busy, if your current task is completed ask for more, if that is not possible pick up a broom, do the dishes etc.
If you are sick or late tell the agency AND the employer in plenty of time and keep them regularly updated on your progress.
Never take longer than the time you are allocated for your breaks
Keep any equipment/workspace you use in tip top condition
Always ensure your timesheets are accurate, if you are 5 minutes late in the morning take 5 minutes off your total time for that day.
If you have ANY concerns about your pay contact the agency immediately, the employer is unlikely to be able to help.
Permanent position opportunities are likely to be an option even when you are working through an agency, talk to your consultant for more details.
Keep smiling and be positive!

Temporary Division

2009-04-21T17:58:00.002+12:00

The temporary division of Key Skills Recruitment was launched officially in September 2008.

The general slowdown in the permanent recruitment market necessitated a move to supplying temporary staff. Employers demanded this as an answer to increasing worry over future workloads.

Excellent rates and service are offered to our employers, contact us for all the details.

Temporary staff have flexibility and variety, the best temps have the option of continuity of employment which is a rare commodity at the moment.

First quarter 2009!

2009-04-21T17:51:00.003+12:00

January saw us finalising and promoting our new temporary division
February saw us rapidly expanding this offering, we were on to a winner!
In March we moved into larger more comfortable offices on High Street in Lower Hutt and introduced Grant Foggo to the team.
In April temporary numbers doubled again!

2008

2009-04-21T17:47:00.004+12:00

2008 was a bit of a blur for Ailsa and Beccy at Key Skills because of the following:

General slowdown in the recruitment market
Ailsa disappeared to the UK for a month to attend a family wedding
We upgraded our premises
We expanded the services our business offered

It was a fabulous time for thinking, re-shuffling, expanding the realms of possibility and creating a plan of attack for what was going to prove to be a challenging business environment.

Accomplishments

2007-11-02T22:05:00.001+13:00

Key Skills are very proud to announce that they have not only been nominated for a Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award for Small Business but they have just been announced as finalists!

The award ceremony is on Wednesday 7th November 2007, it is awaited with great anticipation by all!

Watch this space!

Key Skills were pipped to the post in the end by Buzz cafe, a business that has been firmly established as a top class eaterie in Wellington's Hutt Valley for many years, we were very proud to be in the same league.

About Key Skills

2007-10-04T15:21:00.001+13:00

Key Skills is Wellington’s newest trade and industrial recruitment company. Their fresh approach utilises a method of reverse marketing where they find the skilled people first, then the position.

Their aim is to make finding a new job/employee as relaxed and hassle-free as possible. They are mobile consultants who meet clients and candidates wherever convenient, often in the relaxed surroundings of one of Wellington’s cafes.

Key Skills unlock opportunities in the following industries:

Construction (Civil, Commercial and Residential)
Facilities Management
Architectural Services
Building Services
Engineering
Logistics and warehousing
Trade and Industrial
Manufacturing and production
Infrastructure and utilities
Temporary, Permanent and Contract
...and many more, just ask!

Key Skills is owned and operated by Ailsa McGavin and Beccy Lane. They have extensive experience in the recruitment business both within New Zealand and overseas. In recent years they have been well known as senior consultants/managers recruiting for Wellington’s industrial sector.

Beccy and Ailsa are known for their, passion, expertise, customer service and humour.

For a friendly, no obligation chat call today on 04 920 1695 or visit www.keyskills.co.nz to register your interest.

Interview tips (candidates)

2007-10-04T14:28:00.001+13:00

1. Dress one level up from how you would dress when carrying out the job, and no matter what you wear make sure it is all clean and freshly ironed.

2. Always provide a firm handshake, without breaking the fingers of your interviewer.

3. Put yourself in the interviewers shoes, what can you bring to their business, how will you improve their company?

4. Never speak negatively of past employers

5. Clean hair, teeth, fingernails and shoes!

6. On time generally means 5 minutes early, if you are not sure on the location then suss it out on the night before your interview, always have a contingency plan for the occasion when public transport lets you down.