I was recently asked to recall any memorable appointments made over my time with Sportspeople Recruitment. The short answer was “𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵?” Since 1996, we’ve had the privilege of placing incredible talent across the Australian and New Zealand sport sector, from executives and high-performance specialists to essential support staff. Each […]
Category: Industry Insight
What’s in a name?
In 1996, Sportspeople was launched with big ambition of becoming an athlete management agency. Liz Ellis, a formidable presence on the netball court, became my very first client and I had the privilege of working with Liz, as her Agent, from 1996 and beyond her retirement in 2007. Liz’s profound influence has continued off-court, emerging […]
School sport carnivals are becoming elitist
My 9-year-old grandson was looking forward to his school swimming carnival in 2024, completely aware he may not be competitive, but just wanting to have a go and perhaps cheering on others in his school house. So, it was a real surprise to be informed over the weekend, he and most of the other kids […]
Fixed term Contracts – new rules from 6 December, 2023
Did you know new rules for Fixed Term Contracts come into effect 6 December, 2023 (Australia)? The new obligations include …. fixed term contracts not being longer than 2 years, including extensions and renewals; no longer having the option to extend or renew the contract making it longer than 2 years or extend or renew […]
Pay secrecy still a thing in 2023.
In December 2022 new Australian pay secrecy laws were passed within a broader set of reforms aimed at promoting gender equity. The bill proposed that through the elimination of pay secrecy clauses, employees will be able to determine whether the pay they’re receiving is reasonable and fair in comparison to the pay of the co-workers. […]
November 2023 – change is in the air!
As a full-scope agency, Sportspeople Recruitment has remained busy through 2023 successfully filling roles from entry-level and middle-management, while continuing to be the trusted, first-choice recruiter for employers looking for an executive search partner. Right now we’re working with Netball NSW, NT Cricket, City of Canterbury Bankstown, Dandenong Basketball Association and The Royal Sydney Golf […]
2022 – that’s done!
This time of the year I’m always asked what the highlight was for the past 12 months. I usually struggle with a response as there always seems to be so much that happened, most of which I probably hadn’t anticipated this time last year. Each month, maybe each week in 2022, came with its own […]
Who got that job? Recent appointments in sport and recreation
Congratulations to the following recent appointments where Sportspeople Recruitment assisted in the process:Wallabies Assistant Coach – Lineouts – Rugby Australia – Geoff ParlingJuniors Administrator – Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club – Callie Wood-CollierHead Tennis Professional – The Royal Sydney Golf Club – Mattia StoissaHead of Rugby (Union & League) – The Rockhampton Grammar School […]
Recognising traditional, First Nation place names
Thumbs up to Australia Post for the launch of new parcels marking traditional, First Nation place names. What a simple, yet powerful act during NAIDOC 2021 where Heal Country! is the theme. You know those moments when you read or hear something that makes perfect sense & wonder why it hasn’t been done before? Earlier in […]
Handshake withdrawal
A handshake is just one of the long held habits that appear to have fallen victim to COVID. Before COVID I had relied on a handshake to convey the many stories about the giver of the said shake. Now I’m simply overwhelmed by research indicating a handshake is a primary vector for disease. I can’t […]
IWD 2021 – outstanding women in sport, recreation and health sector.
A big shout out to the outstanding women Sportspeople Recruitment has had the pleasure of placing in the sport, recreation, health & fitness sector. Celebrate women’s achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality. […]
So, that was 2020? A year to remember for sure.
And while it may be contrary to the general theme of posts I’m reading on LI, before we set our sights on the year ahead my sense is we should be celebrating all things 2020. Whatever your circumstances, you’ve made it the end of the year. That’s an achievement in itself. It’s even more impressive […]
Media still failing the public interest test when naming names
Early 2020 I regenerated an article first posted in 2015 – “Media still failing the public interest test when naming names” Media still failing the public interest test when naming names Speculation on who has applied for a role, ill-informed posts by sycophants of people not even under consideration & the reckless act of publicly […]
Find time to thank a coach.
In a recent podcast interview I was asked to identify two people who I felt had the greatest influence on my career. That’s always a hard question to answer and probably one of the reasons I’ve asked the same question thousands of times when interviewing candidates for a job we’re recruiting. My reply was Dierdre […]
Can there be an upside for sport post-COVID19?
With so much change over the past 3 weeks, my brain hurts thinking how quickly COVID19 impacted on the wider economy generally and the sport sector specifically. I’ve been asked a lot of questions about my view on the shape of the sport management sector post COVID19. The short answer is, like others, I really […]
The Herald Sun’s decision to close comments is a win for the trolls.
Last week I read The Herald Sun had switched off comments on articles about AFLW stating the measure was taken “because of the constant trolling, harassment and disgraceful commentary by some members of our community.” I can’t help but think this is a huge mistake and more importantly, hope it doesn’t set a precedent other media follow. […]
Media still failing the public interest test when naming names
Back in 2015 I felt compelled to write a piece as a comment on what I saw as misplaced, irresponsible and blatantly incorrect media speculation on pending executive appointments in sport. We have all seen the great misinformed claiming “reliable sources” naming names but invariably getting it horribly wrong. What is overlooked is the likely […]
CEO carries the public burden of key decisions whether right or wrong.
You will have been living under a rock not to have heard about the Rugby Australia – Israel Folau unfair dismissal claim. It is not my place to comment on what really went down at RA Headquarters, so I’ll leave that to the misinformed. My interest has been focussed not on what decisions have been […]
CEO carries the public burden of key decisions whether right or wrong…
You will have been living under a rock not to have heard about the Rugby Australia – Israel Folau unfair dismissal claim. It is not my place to comment on what really went down at RA Headquarters, so I’ll leave that to the misinformed. My interest has been focussed not on what decisions have been […]
Sportspeople Recruitment
Anyone watching the jobs come and go through the Sportspeople Jobs Market may have noticed the Sportspeople Recruitment activity at an all-time high with 19 retained recruitment assignments over the past weeks across the full spectrum of community based organisations, state and national peak bodies, government and other industry associations and a far afield as […]
New Talent A Key To Future Success
Sportspeople Recruitment is well established as the leading recruiter across the sport, leisure, fitness, events, coaching and aquatic sector in Australia and New Zealand. When you take a look at our client list you’ll see it’s the breadth of experience that really stands us apart from other recruitment agencies operating in the sector. And for […]
Thinking about moving to Australia or New Zealand?
Job seekers often ask Sportspeople for tips on finding work when relocating to Australia or New Zealand. When posting a role with Sportspeople the employer has the option of selecting the “… legally entitled to work in Australia / New Zealand” footnote. This is open for some interpretation as a person with a Work Visa […]
CEO of the Household
Over the Christmas – New Year break my wife and I had the opportunity to spend two wonderful weeks with our children and grandchildren. Included in this cohort was our daughter, her husband and four young children (newborn, 14 month old twins and 3 year old). A fun time was had by all (I have […]
We all want to be liked.
Wanting to be liked is a basic human trait and conversely, we usually don’t enjoy the experience of rejection. At Sportspeople Recruitment we understand the emotional investment every candidate makes when they decide to apply for a role and how important the job will be to their future. That’s why we spend a lot of […]
Awareness of inequality is not enough.
So, there I was reading Helen Razer’s piece, “Species of Stupidity” in the latest copy of The Big Issue (No 470 24 Oct-6 Nov, 2014) in which she proposed that in the context of the mental health debate at least, “awareness and talk” alone was “cheap”; when it struck me the premise was equally relevant […]
Jobs of the Future
Members of the Sportspeople Recruitment team are fortunate to be regular invitees to speak at conferences, seminars and career workshops. One of the common questions, particularly when speaking with an undergraduate group, is our take on the where the jobs will be in the future. That’s a bit of an open ended question so it […]
A month is a long time in sport.
Many years ago I recall attending a function where The Hon. George Souris was announced as NSW Minister for Finance and Assistant Treasurer. George had been the NSW Minister for Sport and I’d had the pleasure of working very closely with him, his staff and the Premier’s Office over the period where NSW successfully bid, […]
Where is the sport management voice?
The strength of the Australian sport management talent pool has been widely recognised for many years, with the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games a notable catalyst establishing the profession as world leaders. Over the past 20 years there has also been an exodus of this talent overseas, pursuing coaching, high performance and management roles with national […]
No Place For Discrimination In Recruitment. So, why does it still happen?
For me at least, Thursday 24 June, 2010 will be one of those “where were you when…” moments. While I did get up and watch the Socceroos’ valiant effort as they attempted to claw back a spot in the World Cup knock out round, it was Julia Gillard’s appointment as Prime Minister of Australia that […]
Does Parenthood Disadvantage your Career?
One of the great privileges of doing what we do at Sportspeople Recruitment is getting to know our candidates before we refer them for a role. Given the importance of “work” and “career” in the lives of these candidates, the screening and interview process allows them to openly share their experiences, talk about their personal […]
Finding Balance in Your Career
For those of you who can actually find the time to sit back and read the newspapers, not just the Sports and Employment Section, you might have read Daniel’s Petre’s Father Time (Macmillan – 1998). Petre’s theme is simple and one which rings true in the sport context. “Take a successful senior male executive with […]
Work/Life Balance
Whenever I read about an “unexpected resignation” of a profile public figure, it is a timely reminder of the pressures of high office and the impact not only on the individual, but in particular the family unit. I recall writing an article on finding balance in your career way back in 1999. At the time […]
Graduates need hard office skills to prepare them for their first job
In the past and as a representative of the sport sector I have attended the UTS Business School review of its specialist Management programs, including the undergraduate and post-graduate programs. Enhancing employment potential was identified as a key driver in the design and content of all courses, ensuring UTS can continue to develop graduates who can meet […]
Are Double Degrees Better In This Economic Climate?
With an oversupply of candidates and a relatively small supply of jobs, the sport, fitness and aquatic sector is a tough nut to crack. One of the best tracking sources for graduate destinations and salary trends is found at the Graduate Careers Council of Australia website. The Graduate Careers Council of Australia places sport, fitness […]
Is One University Better Than Another?
Sportspeople Recruitment was recently contacted by a job seeker interested in undertaking a University course in sports management. Specifically he was asking whether the University at which he completes the Degree will have any bearing on his job prospects. He went on to ask whether employers look at the Degree conferred and whether they might […]
Moving from Talk to Action – How Your Business Culture Can Engage and Retain Great Employees
Culture within a sport organisation is not purely a set of boundaries that provide a picture of what is acceptable behaviour for employees and what defines ideal behaviour. It exists as those underlying channels by which organisational values are built from strategy, evolved out of debate and conflict, measured against failure and success and embraced […]
If Men Are From Mars And Women Are From Venus, Get Set For Gen Y To Rule The Universe
With the first batch of GenY fast approaching their 40th birthday, we are finally starting to see the influence of this generation on the workplace. The most famous GenY of all, Mark Zuckerberg, has already made a significant and lasting impression on the way people connect and share information. GenY have lived through the age […]
Media fails the public interest test in naming names
I’m always intrigued by the amount of speculation surrounding high level appointments in sport. While I understand the nature of water cooler discussions and the fact casual gossip in the workplace is commonplace; publicly naming candidates has the potential to harm or even ruin careers. And the sad thing is, based on my experiences at […]
Vale Deirdre Hyland
A long, long time ago when I was just 29 years old, I was appointed as National Executive Director of Netball Australia. In 1985 we didn’t have the lofty title of Chief Executive Officer, but essentially that’s what I did for 3 years and what I regard as one of the most enjoyable and rewarding […]
