borderless talent: how to leverage your public sector job search.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional office workplace and the environment were the norm and remote working was rare. But over the past year, amid local and national lockdowns, coronavirus restrictions and social distancing measures, businesses have had to adapt quickly and adopt a new way of working.

This is especially true of the public sector which, while the rest of Australia’s industries were struggling, was given the task of stepping up and supporting Australia’s struggling economy.

As a result, a new trend emerged: borderless talent and recruitment. 

Job seekers and businesses are no longer forced to look in their own backyard for their next job or hire.

The introduction of flexible and remote working means the opportunities are endless and searches can be widespread.

benefits of borderless talent for job seekers

Whichever way you look at it, the pandemic has driven a new era of true talent globalisation. With the archaic workplace model replaced by a new hybrid workplace, where remote and flexible working is not only the norm but expected, many businesses have the benefit of no longer needing to hire in their own backyard. 

The new borderless talent and recruitment trend poses significant benefits for businesses and workers, but those perks also extend further afield even to job seekers looking for a new role in the public sector.

limitless locations

Because as a job seeker, the rapid business adaptation to a remote and flexible workplace means the world is now your oyster. Instead of being restricted to looking and applying for roles within a certain distance of your home, the new virtual office means job seekers can literally apply for any suitable position in any location.

The considerable benefit of having a border range of job opportunities that aren’t limited by geographic location is especially helpful for job seekers living in rural communities and small towns where there may not be many positions available to choose from, or perhaps even none at all.

The nomad-style of working would also benefit people who move frequently, such as military spouses or even those workers who want to avoid high-rent high-mortgage areas and live further away from their local CBD.

more inclusivity

Remote working and borderless talent recruitment also enable companies to embrace diversity and inclusion in their business and hire people with different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

This allows a broader range of job seekers to look for roles that suit them. 

For example, the added flexibility would benefit working parents, caregivers or those with disabilities who might need a more flexible situation.

money and time savings

Job seekers looking at several roles might find they’re lucky enough to get a suite of interviews, and that number only adds up as they progress through the recruitment process.

Attending several interviews in the process can not only be costly in terms of finances but also consume a lot of time. But within a borderless recruitment process, with virtual interviews and meetings becoming the norm, money and time savings is one less thing for job seekers to worry about.

how to align your personal brand to borderless talent

step one

When it comes to your personal brand and how to present yourself in a world of borderless talent, the first thing you need to do is work out what type of remote work is right for you.

Keeping these four things in mind will help to ensure you’re able to identify exactly what you’re looking for and will help to answer questions from a prospective employer during an interview.

1. How much stability do you want? Do you want to be a full-time salaried employee, a contractor or work on a freelance basis? 
2. When do you want to work? Are you willing and able to work the traditional 9-5 or are you looking for more flexible hours in addition to working remotely?
3. What type of work and company culture do you want? In a world of borderless talent, the opportunities are limitless, and with it comes a limitless range of company missions and values. It’s important to identify what kind of remote situation will work best for you.

step two

The second step, which is the most important, is to understand what employers look for in remote workers, and then pitch yourself accordingly.

As you would have identified when thinking about the type of remote work you want, there isn’t a one-type-fits-all approach to a borderless workplace.

So, when applying for a remote job, you need to be able to understand and identify, what sets you apart as the perfect remote candidate for the role, not just the perfect candidate.

Then you need to present those characteristics to potential employers.

Communication, trust, flexibility, ability to work independently, honesty, and capability are probably a few key terms that would flag well with some employers. But it's important to identify what exactly that employer is looking for and then highlight that in your resume, and again in any following interviews.

Here are three key things to think about when it comes to aligning your personal brand:

1. Do you have experience working remotely and therefore understand the challenges?
2. Are you self-motivated and capable of working autonomously?
3. Or on the flip side, are you able to keep constant and clear communication lines open, checking in as often as the business expects?
4. Are you flexible? Businesses looking at borderless recruitment are offering flexibility as a key perk. Therefore it's also important that workers are able to offer flexibility in return. That could be in the hours worked or in the work arrangement itself.
5. Are you organised? It goes without saying that if you’re not working in an office environment on a day-to-day basis, it's important that employers are able to trust that you won’t lose your way without traditional management and a traditional workplace.

how to amplify your job search and leverage a borderless talent world

The traditional method for finding a new job - looking for job listings, connecting with contacts, leveraging social media and using search platforms - are a great start. But there is more you can do to leverage the borderless talent world in Australia’s public sector.

1. Network - If you want to work remotely, you’ll need to also network remotely on social media sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. This is a great way to showcase your skills and connect with hiring managers. Making sure your profile reflects the experience and willingness to do remote work is vital.
2. Join online groups and accounts - there are a whole host of groups, sites and accounts dedicated to job seekers looking for borderless workplaces. Particularly on Facebook and LinkedIn.
3. Look on remote job sites - The arrival of a borderless talent world means many job sites now give the option to target work-from-home roles specifically. This can be condensed further into each sector. For example, Indeed has a page dedicated to remote or flexible hybrid government jobs. Similarly, Seek’s job search filters allow to include ‘remote’ as a keyword and can also be classified by sector.
4. Speak to a recruitment specialist - Randstad’s long-standing relationships with public sector businesses and job seekers across local, state and federal governments will help put you in touch with the right people.

the options are limitless

Gone are the days when flexible working arrangements meant being able to work from home occasionally, or working different hours. Job seekers are workers who are now able to enjoy the perks of borderless talent and flexible working throughout the public sector.

And being a job seeker in the new modern world of borderless talent presents some huge advantages. By aligning your personal brand with potential employers and amplifying your job search to leverage the upcoming trend your job search options are limitless.