17 Nov CYBER WARNING REMINDER ON IMPORTANCE OF CRISIS COMMS PLANS; CHEFS ARE STILL IN DEMAND, WHITE-COLLAR WORKERS NOT SO MUCH
CYBER WARNING REMINDER ON IMPORTANCE OF CRISIS COMMS PLANS
Judging by the latest warning from the Australian Signals Directorate, it is vital that companies ensure they have crisis plans in place that outline how they will communicate in the event of any major disruption to their business.
In its latest Cyber Threat report, the ASD has reported the number of reported cybercrimes in Australia increased 23 per cent to 94,000 in 2022-23, or one every six minutes. “The professionalisation of the cybercrime industry means cybercriminals have been able to increase the scale and profitability of their activities,” it noted, signalling that the number of cyber-attacks is only set to increase.
The continued fallout from last year’s high-profile cyber-attacks on Optus and Medibank has illustrated the reputational damage companies face from cyber-attacks, particularly if customers are impacted. The ongoing coverage of the more recent Optus network outage and cyber-attack on DP World also shows the media is increasingly interested in rating how companies communicate when faced with significant disruptions to their operations.
CHEFS ARE STILL IN DEMAND, WHITE-COLLAR WORKERS NOT SO MUCH
White-collar job openings have slumped below pre-pandemic levels, while there is still strong demand for lower-paid retail and hospitality workers.
Citing data from the job ad website Seek, the AFR reported: “Job ads for the 20 per cent of the lowest-paid positions – which includes occupations such as administrative assistants, chefs and warehouse workers – were 50 per cent higher than in February 2020.”
On the other hand, the paper reported job advertisements for the highest-paid 20 per cent of jobs are now 15 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.
Seek’s senior economist Matt Cowgill explained: “Tech firms are reasonably sensitive to interest rate changes. It affects their valuations, and particularly for small firms it affects their hiring intentions. Banking and financial services also tend to have less requirement for workers when interest rates are going up.”
COVER LETTERS ARE SO OLD-SCHOOL
CVs and cover letters may soon be slightly old-fashioned ways to apply for jobs.
Hotel operator Hilton is asking job applicants to create 30 to 60-second TikTok videos to let the company know which role they are applying for and how they would ensure guests have a good stay.
Regional HR Mary Hogg said the company had ditched CVs in favour of TikTok to stay relevant among Gen Z workers and better indicate the candidate’s interpersonal skills and ability to perform customer service roles.
She added that the rise in AI also influenced Hilton’s decision. Job seekers use platforms like ChatGPT to generate standard resumes and cover letters, but TikTok and video resumes push applicants to be more authentic and creative.
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