Approximately 380 people from the recruitment industry across Australia and NZ came together at the Regent Theatre to celebrate significant contributions to the industry. “When two members of our organisation are recognised by the industry at large, it is a moment of great pride and celebration” said Pam Dew CEO of Bayside Group.

Awards won:

• Outstanding Contribution Award Winner: Robert Blanche
• Young Recruitment Professional of the Year: Sean Blanche  

The Outstanding Contribution Award is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the growth and success of the recruitment industry, demonstrating a capacity to inspire and a willingness to foster industry development. It recognises contribution to the industry as a whole, at a local, national and/or international level and acknowledges achievements and commitment to the recruitment industry. 

Robert is one of two Owner/Directors of the Bayside Group and became a member of the RCSA in 1986.  He has held a number of positions on the Board, over a ten year period, and was President of the Victorian/Tasmania chapter for four years.  Having remained a Council member since 2000, Robert currently chairs the Victorian OH&S sub-committee and is a Life member of the RCSA. 

The proactive work Robert has driven on behalf of the RCSA through his strong leadership, solid industry networks and his extensive involvement across various committees has been instrumental in evoking positive change across the recruitment industry. With a strong ability to foster constructive collaboration, the changes and reforms initiated by Robert have resulted in substantial growth for the RCSA, and have been pivotal to raising the standards and reputation of the recruitment industry at large.

The Young Recruitment Professional Award was launched in 2011, and this accolade is part of RCSA’s commitment to encourage and celebrate the contribution of young professionals (up to the age of 35) for excellence in recruitment.   It is an integral component of the RCSA PEARL (Professional Emerging and Aspiring Recruitment Leaders) Program, presented to an emerging young recruitment leader or professional whose leadership excellence and professionalism inspires and develops the potential of others in the industry. 

Sean is the General Manager of Bayside Personnel and an Executive Director of the Bayside Group of Companies. He joined Bayside Group in 2006, after four years as a mechanical engineer. Within three months of joining the company, he was entrusted with the task of building his own department, and 18 months later moved to Queensland to run the Brisbane office followed by a further move in July 2010 to Sydney.  His leadership and mentoring abilities, combined with his commitment to providing quality services to both clients and candidates nationally have been instrumental in his success. Sean has since completed an MBA and a Directors Course (GAICD) and continues to represent the recruitment industry nationally, speaking at industry and university forums. In 2011, Sean was invited to feature in the new book 'Different Thinking' as one of Australia's 20 inspirational recruitment leaders. http://www.differentthinking.co/.

Bayside Group recognises that Australia faces significant skill shortages, particularly in the areas of engineering, science, healthcare and specific business related professions. As a specialist recruiter, we understand the challenges faced by employers and recognise that this issue will intensify over the next 20 years.

“We believe that by working together with professionals, employers, universities and industry bodies, we will be able to more effectively meet the requirements of the private, public and not-for-profit sectors in the future,” says Robert Blanche, Joint Founding Director of Bayside Group.

“The number of people who change careers while studying or in their first five years in the workforce is increasing. Therefore, it is critical to Australian industry to encourage and engage young engineers, scientists, healthcare and business professionals.”

The idea for the Bayside Group’s Indigenous Scholarship at RMIT University came from employee suggestions and discussions. According to Blanche, the whole team is very proud of this Scholarship and are eager to support and mentor students in their chosen profession.

“Our vision is about “partnering in the future of people” and this initiative fits in perfectly with this ideal.”

As Bayside Group is committed to partnering with its community and, in particular disadvantaged groups, Joint Founding Director John Wilson said that a scholarship for indigenous students was a natural fit for the company.

“Due to a lack of opportunity, indigenous Australians are under-represented in the specialist fields for which we recruit. Luckily, we are in a position to broaden career opportunities for indigenous Australians by supporting the development of skills sets in areas where critical shortages are evident,” Wilson explains.

Beginning in 2011, the $7,500 scholarship will be awarded to the chosen student at the beginning of their second year of study and will be paid in each of their subsequent years of study.

“Our selection criteria for candidates will include, but not be limited to, the student’s alignment to our company’s values and their commitment to the community,” he said.

Through the scholarship, we hope to partner with a student by providing work placement support within our business, as well as within a client business. At the end of the student’s studies, Bayside Group will assist the graduate to find a position with one of our clients and provide support in the transition from study to full-time work.

This scholarship is a small step towards aligning with individuals who don’t have access to broader career choices.

To find out more information, click here.

As a long term client of our specialist recruitment brand Techstaff, aligning with MCRI as our official charity is a natural progression of our relationship.

As part of our fund raising efforts for the institute, we entered a team through Techstaff into their annual Melbourne FOXTEL Lap fundraiser.  On Friday 12 November, Techstaff and Bayside Group employees swapped their suits for shorts and ran to raise money for MCRI.

When our kids are sick we often take for granted that doctors and nurses will know what to do to make them better. We forget that past research discoveries have made this possible. That's why the work of MCRI is so important to find cures for conditions affecting many Australian kids.

MCRI discovers ways to prevent and treat conditions affecting babies, children and adolescents, helping them lead happy, healthy lives by researching common childhood conditions including:

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Mental illness
• Cerebral palsy
• Premature birth
• Arthritis
• Asthma & Auto Immune Disorders
• Genetic Conditions
• Obesity

For further information on our community activities, click here.

The Bayside Group was established in Melbourne in 1976, with Bayside Drafting Australia.  From very modest beginnings (our first office was a backyard bungalow), Bayside Drafting experienced significant growth and quickly developed technical recruitment capabilities in order to meet project deadlines.

As a result, Bayside Personnel was launched in 1978 to recruit the best engineering and technical professionals. This was the first of our six specialist brands (refer to timeline). Throughout the years, we have obtained invaluable knowledge about workplace safety and continue to set recruitment industry standards today.

Our ability to integrate I.T. systems with our drafting and recruitment clients resulted in the introduction of NineWire in 2009, providing I.T. Business Solutions to clients across Australia.

The Bayside Group has evolved on the basis of key founding principles; niche expertise and strong customer relationships.  Two of the three founders, Robert Blanche and John Wilson, remain involved in the business today as Owner/Directors.

Click here to read more about our milestones and achievements.