What are the benefits of working for a global company like Progressive Recruitment
It has been eight years since I joined Progressive Recruitment – part of the larger SThree Group and to-date, I consider myself very fortunate to be able to work in a diverse environment with colleagues coming from different corners of the globe. I firmly believe that working for a global firm like Progressive Recruitment has equipped me with a breadth of opportunities and made me more globally agile. A clear advocate on the benefits of global mobility is Lausanne Lau, Senior Consultant at Progressive Recruitment who recently transferred to the Melbourne team from the Singapore office. Lausanne further shares below her insights on how working for a global company like Progressive Recruitment has benefitted her career and lifestyle.
1. You will have the international experience that will equip you with a wider range of skills and knowledge
The business environment today can most definitely be described as one that’s global and interconnected – especially with the advent of technology. This is why the majority of medium to large companies often look to expand their operations to other countries in order to augment their customer reach. At Progressive Recruitment, we appreciate the wealth of knowledge that our employees with international experience bring to the table as we see their value-add by way of competitive advantage for the business in both local and global marketplaces. We applaud our employees’ ability to adapt to a new environment and the tangible benefits arising from the collective exchange of international learnings with colleagues. Feedback received from our employees is that the global opportunities that Progressive Recruitment offers has enabled them to thrive in a diverse environment where bringing along their own ideas and perspectives have been encouraged. The fact that they are exposed to a wider pool of colleagues from different disciplines has also provided them with a broader set of skills.
2. You will embrace a different workplace culture in every country
Workplace culture varies from country to country and even global companies would have cultural differences in each country they operate in – notwithstanding the brand’s corporate values and principles. A clear example is how many countries view the workplace culture in Australia as one that can be quite laid back. However, anyone who has worked in Australia would attest that the Australian workforce in fact works longer hours in comparison to some other countries. According to the ‘Better Life Index’ conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Australia currently ranks 10th out of 38 member and partner countries in terms of employees working 50 hours or more per week. The long business hours are mainly due to the workplace culture that Australians rarely push back on extra work even when they have a lack of capacity. Lausanne further expands on this:
“People in Australia value productivity in the workplace and this highly complements the work-life balance and family-oriented culture of most businesses here. Just like most organisations, Progressive Recruitment encourages its employees to work flexibly as long as the work is done to a high standard. During the holiday season, it is also very common for businesses to impose a firm shutdown between Christmas and the New Year just so their employees can have some down time to rejuvenate and recharge. I was also surprised that as a general rule, all full-time employees in Australia are entitled to 20 days of annual leave per year. I definitely appreciate how the Australian government looks out for both employers and employees whilst establishing rules and regulations that make the workplace a fair place for all”.
3. You will have the opportunity to travel and work in another country
Most people I know have at some point in their life, considered moving overseas for work. The reasons vary but mainly relate to the experience of working in a new environment, building cultural awareness and opportunities to explore a new country. Having been with Progressive Recruitment for over four years, Lausanne shared that working for a global firm like ours has provided her with many opportunities to move internally to other countries such as Australia in order to be closer with her family. Progressive Recruitment fully supported this decision and subsequently created a role for her in the Melbourne office as a Senior Consultant. Similarly, Daniel Batts, our Global Learning and Development Specialist has also experienced the benefits of global mobility having kick-started his career with SThree in London. Daniel has been with SThree for close to 5 years now and his journey with us has led him to Sydney where he is responsible for leading the design and delivery of SThree’s Global Leadership Development Program. This goes to show that we fully support our employees in their career paths with SThree no matter the location. Our aim is to keep expanding our global presence from our current 40 offices worldwide in order to provide our employees with a wider breadth of opportunities on an international scale.
4. You will be more culturally sensitive and learn how to efficiently build relationships in the workplace
Many businesses across the world would confirm that cultural sensitivity in the workplace is becoming highly relevant in today’s world – especially with globalisation where companies outsource jobs or recruit professionals from other countries. Being culturally aware and sensitive will not only help colleagues from different backgrounds to work better together, but will also put the company in a more favourable position when dealing with international clients. At Progressive Recruitment, our workforce is a true melting pot of cultures and is evenly split with 50% local and 50% international employees coming from South Africa, the UK, Mauritius, Singapore and Sri Lanka to name a few.
Lausanne further added that “working for a global firm like Progressive Recruitment has enabled me to experience the real benefits of being part of a diverse workforce after relocating to Melbourne, Australia. My first observation was Australia’s strong focus on work-life balance and employee welfare. At SThree specifically, this included a generous employee benefits program such as health cover, wellness initiatives and maternity benefits for mothers returning to the workforce. Under this program, I was able to benefit from 16 weeks of fully paid maternity leave and reprise my role on a flexible working arrangement so I could smoothly transition back to the workforce without compromising my duties at home”.
Interested to join a global company like Progressive Recruitment?
Working in a global company has its numerous advantages that we will be more than happy to speak with you about. However, it is also worth noting that the most important factor to consider when looking for your next role is to work for a company that will support you in reaching your goals and help you achieve the career progression you aspire to have. At Progressive Recruitment, we fully support our employees’ career with us and will work hand-in-hand with them to achieve their next milestone.
We are currently growing our team in Melbourne and are looking for consultants across all business levels. If you are interested in pursuing a career in recruitment, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0424 135 452 for a confidential discussion about our current opportunities. You may also click here to find out why our people love working at SThree.
