Salary packaging to lure candidates

CareerOne's Editor, Kate Southam, outlined some of the creative steps being taken by a new nursing home in Sydney and their recruitment firm, Skilled Health, to attract  candidates to the notoriously low paid aged health sector. The following item ran as an "Ask Kate" column in The Daily Telegraph.

It's good to see employers walking their talk to attract good people. A nursing home opening in Randwick this October is doing innovative things to attract and keep staff. The Sir Moses Montefiore Home needs 250 workers -- nursing and clinical care staff, admin and clerical people, physios, diversional therapists and recreational officers, as well as maintenance, catering and hospitality staff.

I am writing about it because I'm always advising people to do their research on a potential employer regarding work culture, pay, training and development.
Sir Moses is being really upfront about these things and will conduct open days tomorrow and Monday so people can check out the work environment and ask questions.

The organisation also has an impressive salary sacrifice system open to all staff -- part time and full time -- where they can pay their mortgage, rent, even personal loan repayments out of their pre-tax income.

Those who don't want to do this can have up to $600 in pre-tax earnings paid into a benefits card scheme each fortnight that can then be used to shop. It's not a credit card -- the dollars are there in advance and it's supported by a major bank. Next, Sir Moses has a "learning for life'' philosophy, with plenty of training and development for staff that candidates are welcome to ask questions about.

By Kate Southam, Editor of careerone.com.au.

For more useful tips read the other stories in the Job Hunting Advice section and Ask Kate Column.