Being a young recruitment executive encouraging innovation in a centuries-old industry is a role that James Toth, managing director of Kona Recruitment and one of Insurance Business Australia’s Rising Stars for 2022, takes in stride.
Toth recently spoke to Insurance Business about industry trends and the best practices that he applies in his company, which he describes as “an outcome of purpose over profit rather than productivity”.
As a recruiter, he takes a broad perspective on hiring by considering “not only the immediate need or the immediate requirement in the business, but also the greater implications of that hire,” said Toth. He likens his role to that of a broker who constantly monitors the developments in a fast-moving market.
Keeping one’s finger on the market’s pulse means understanding what professionals need, such as the “shift in expectation to remuneration and flexibility” that Toth has observed over the last few years. He has also realised the need to educate people who may have been away from the job market for some time or may need help in finding senior-level employees.
Kona Recruitment emphasises what it can do for companies instead of looking at the market in terms of clients and non-clients. “If we can advocate for an entire industry trying to help companies, even if they’re not within our client portfolio, that’s going to be, from a long-term perspective, beneficial for us too,” Toth said.
Aiming to be more than a traditional recruitment agency, Kona promotes true brand partnership. The company stays aware of its market position and is not overly concerned about the number of clients it has served.
“I do think it steps away from the current conventional recruitment standard, but it is going to be the expectation moving forward as we enter this world of connectivity where you’re not just hiring from your local competitor. Maybe you’re hiring interstate and you need to lean on someone with local market knowledge. I think that’s really where it’s going to rise in prevalence,” he said.
Flexibility is another attribute of Toth’s business model, and when it comes to this issue, one of the big changes he has seen is the work-from-home arrangement. Although not all companies allow their employees to work from home, he sees this development as “a greater shift in the culture around what it means to go to work” – something bigger than the industry.
Technology plays a part in this shift by enabling connectivity so that people can share information online and work fewer hours in the office. He believes this approach helps people reach their potential while maintaining a balance between life and work.
“It’s not about when you’re here. It’s about what you do when you’re here that really counts,” Toth said, adding that the industry needs to catch up on this cultural shift. This appears to be the reason behind Kona Recruitment’s four-day work week. This new policy challenges the mindset of both employees and customers, but Toth believes it has led to balance and will ultimately result in sustainability.
“It’s my commitment to [my employees] that I’m trying to build a culture that doesn’t expect them to focus on productivity and instead focuses on the outcomes from that productivity,” he said.
