Innovative recruitment model attracts high calibre industry talent

XPAND founder Aaron Williams appointed to The University of Sydney’s SydneyTalent initiative

SydneyTalent, the University of Sydney’s innovative recruitment and employment agency, announces the appointment of industry innovator and recruitment specialist Aaron Williams as Director, Business Development.

As the key founder of award winning recruitment agency Xpand Group, Williams brings a wealth of recruitment and entrepreneurial experience to the thirty-strong team of SydneyTalent as they accelerate the University’s wholly owned entity to the global marketplace.

“I was drawn to the excitement of an innovative start-up business like SydneyTalent because it represents a new era of thinking in recruitment. The finely tuned model which integrates industry benchmarked learning and development programs is unmatched and has received unanimous recognition from business and government,” says Williams.

SydneyTalent represents the 47,000 students enrolled at the University in under and post graduate courses, placing them in pre and graduate employment while they study.

The SydneyTalent offer recognises the intersection of issues currently being faced by organisations. The team lists the following triggers to a new approach to their workforce development:

• Flexibility
• Ageing workforce
• Use of programs to ensure appropriate diversity in an organisation’s workforce
• Addressing specific industry skills shortages
• Avoidance of crisis recruitment

“It has been amazing to see the resilience of the employment market over the past two years. The foresight CEOs and business leaders across the country showed in retaining talent through a wide variety of flexible work arrangements and programs is proof that they are prepared to develop new workforce models.

“This new dynamic and flexible theme is the perfect climate for the SydneyTalent offering where pre-graduate students can provide up to 20 hours per week at market rates while they are studying and as full-time employees during semester breaks,” says Williams.

The SydneyTalent business development team is made up of specialists from key industry sectors who are fluent in each sector’s recruitment needs and issues. Williams recognises that there are many graduate recruitment programs in the marketplace and acknowledges that SydneyTalent’s offering compliments or is an adjunct to progressive pre-graduate and graduate recruitment strategies.

“We are shepherding organisations inside the gate of the University rather than their current position of trying to entice targeted graduates from outside the gate. The early access model which encourages companies to employ undergraduates in course related roles using a fully serviced contract recruitment offering echoes workplace planning requirements right now,” says Williams.

SydneyTalent’s clients already include some of Australia’s top organisations and government departments who are enthusiastic about integrating post graduate and undergraduate employees into their flexible workforce.

The SydneyTalent management team is made up of executives sourced from high profile industry organisations who are recognised experts in their field.

Williams joins the team led by CEO Anne Moore as they look forward to the University’s sponsorship and significant presence at the World Expo in Shanghai later this year. SydneyTalent’s Learning and Development and Business Development teams will play a key role in training the 250+ staff employed at the Australian Pavilion and in representing the University’s recruitment offering to global business with a focus on the Chinese Economy.

“I am looking forward to working closely with our progressive clients who are prepared to challenge the status quo and employ incredibly talented and dynamic students. I am also excited to be part of an organisation which is committed from top to bottom to enhancing the student experience and forging alternate career entry pathways for incoming generations,” concluded Williams.