Careers

HCA The Newest member of the HROnboard Software Family

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 23:30:00 GMT

Earlier this year, Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia (HCA) went live with HROnboard which helps streamline employee on-boarding and provides candidates an excellent experience.

HCA takes pride in its company culture and HROnboard has helped to demonstrate these values as soon as the employee begins the on-boarding process by providing a simple, fast and friendly experience.

This reinforces HCA’s ongoing commitment to its employees which translates back to it’s customers and suppliers.

Innovations in Apprentice Training

Mon, 21 Apr 2014 14:00:00 GMT

Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia (HCA) has recently introduced several new developments in Apprentice training—the Group Apprentice Induction and the Apprentice Mentor Program.

Apprenticeship Induction Week (January 20-25, 2014)

In January 2014, the HCA Training Department held an apprenticeship induction week in Sydney. The induction is designed to welcome new apprentices and guide them through the first steps toward a long and successful career with HCA.

Group induction is a new component critical to the development of a stronger workforce at HCA. It provides new apprentices with the opportunity to meet their peers, which will be based at other locations in Australia.

This initiative brings together the apprentice group as a team, ensuring national consistency across the induction and training process. This also ensures apprentices experience the same induction to the business, and company policies, relevant to their role.

Importantly, the group induction process ensures all new apprentices receive the same training surrounding general safety in high-risk environments—the safe use of power tools, hazard identification and the correct handling of situations they will encounter during this early stage of their career.

During the induction week, topics covered included our “See You Tomorrow” safety campaign, topics closely aligned with HCA’s Key Safety Promises, as well as a guided tour through the company’s Super Distribution Warehouse, an opportunity to observe the operations this integral parts network.

Apprentice Mentor Program (December, 2013)

Prior to the Apprentice Induction Week, a group of senior HCA employees volunteered to play a role in supporting the Apprentice Program as Apprentice Mentors. They attended formal training as a group at the company’s Sydney Corporate Support Group, which covered several business units from the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment—“Contribute to assessment”, “Provide work skill instruction” and “Mentor in the workplace”.

Research indicates that mentoring relationships promote self-esteem and reduce risk-taking behaviours in mentees (Moodie, 2005). It has also been suggested that within the vocational training process, providing mentoring relationships offers valuable support, which assists in increasing apprenticeship completion rates (Dowling et al., 2005).

Mentors within HCA are current employees who volunteer to take on these additional duties. Their role is to provide guidance and support, ensuring apprentices are provided with opportunities in the workplace to develop practical skills, and do so in a safe manner. This important initiative is designed to strengthen and streamline training at HCA, and has met with a positive response.

Here are some things you can do now to ensure you are successful in securing an Apprenticeship in 2015:

A pre-apprenticeship course—a must for those looking for an apprenticeship in 2015.
Work experience—a great way for you to get an idea of the job while also showing your commitment to the scoring an apprenticeship.
Any type of paid employment—shows you know how to work – you turn up on time, follow instructions and can learn on the job.
Extracurricular activities and achievements—these will set you apart from the others.

Gaining an apprenticeship can be difficult, and it’s what you do know that will either help or hinder your application. Applications for Hitachi Construction Machinery’s 2015 Apprenticeship intake will open in July/August via www.hitachicareers.com.au

What is LinkedIn?

Tue, 10 Dec 2013 13:00:00 GMT

I’m sure by now you’ve heard of LinkedIn and most likely received frequent emails prompting you to sign up. You are probably wondering what it’s all about, assuming it is another version of Facebook, but I’m here to tell you that while they both appear to be similar social media sites, in reality they are very different.

While Facebook is great for socialising with friends and family, uploading photos and videos, and sharing personal information, LinkedIn was designed specifically for the business community and has various features allowing you to present yourself and your achievements as a business professional, to a completely different demographic.

LinkedIn Facts

LinkedIn was founded in 2002 – 2 years prior to facebook!
There are over 200 million LinkedIn members, in over 200 countries
65% of LinkedIn users are male – with the biggest percentage of users being 35-54 years old
The top 3 countries (in terms of members are): 1. United States / 2. India / 3. UK
There are currently more than 2,600,000 company pages on LinkedIn
LinkedIn was co-founded by Reid Hoffman who also co-founded Paypal

3 Reasons to Sign Up

Promote your Professional Profile
LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to create a presence in your industry. Much like a resume, your profile outlines your current and previous professional experience, your educational background, your company and its industry, and any websites you are affiliated with. Additionally, your connections can ‘Endorse’ your skills and write ‘Recommendations’ that appear on your profile page.
Impress Prospective Employers
Recruiters and HR professionals are using LinkedIn to headhunt candidates. The more information you include on your page in the ‘Skills’ and ‘Summary’ sections, the more likely you are to appear in their searches based on keywords and location.
Stay Connected
Search for jobs, join groups, research companies and communicate with people in your network. Be the first to hear of news and job openings in businesses you may want to work for or partner with.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up, start networking and build your career today!

Here are some things you can do to stay in touch with us:

Register for Job Email Alerts in our Candidate Centre:
www.hitachicareers.com.au/opportunities-across-australia/candidate_signup
Follow us on LinkedIn for all the latest news:
www.linkedin.com/company/hitachi-construction-machinery-australia
Download our Careers App for iPhone via iTunes or on Android from the Google Play/Android Market.

Brooke Sutton
Recruitment Consultant| Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia
au.linkedin.com/in/brookesutton/

See You Tomorrow!

Tue, 17 Sep 2013 05:46:00 GMT

Hey everybody,

We’re delighted to share with you our latest Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia Careers video: See You Tomorrow.

This video forms part of a larger safety initiative which includes a journey into accrediting our Safety Management Systems to the International Safety Standard ISO 18001 as well as focused effort to keep safety top of mind, all day, everyday.

We’d like to take a moment to individually thank all those involved with the production of this video:

Rebecca Alexander, HR Advisor
Ben Baker, Workshop Fitter – Assembly
Brian Barton, National WHS Manager
Jessica Bramwell, Receptionist
Wayne Baxter, Light Equipment Fitter
Selina Cauchi, HR Specialist
John Cooper, Reman Manager
David Harvey, Managing Director
Earnest Hoarder, Mining Assembly Manager
Jennifer Housden-Hickey, Facility Administrator
Sam Hughes, Trades Assistant – Assembly
Darryl Hure, Storeperson
Vic Jeffris, Service Supervisor
Shaun Kennelly, Workshop Fitter – Reman
Mark Rendall, Trades Assistant – Reman
Jake Ryan, Trades Assistant – Assembly
Anna Salvaggio, SDC Administrator
David Schenken, Logistics Administrator
Jacqueline Smith, OH&S Advisor
Timothy Taylor, Mining Assembly Supervisor
Chris Turner, National HR Manager

Lastly, we’d like to thank our good friends at eBrands for helping us produce this. Ok, that’s plenty from me. Check out the video if you haven’t already!

See you tomorrow!
Eddie Lui | Digital Promotions Manager

Make Your Resume a Winning Sale!

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 05:54:00 GMT

Hi Everyone!

Today’s post is about how to structure a winning sales resume and stand out from the crowd!

We are always on the lookout for great Salespeople, whether it’s to sell our machines, our parts or our service.

Something I’ve noticed lately is that although you spend all day selling, some people struggle to sell when it comes to their resume!

So, I thought I would take some time and give you a few pointers on how to sell you!

Writing a sales resume is very different to other types of resumes for a number of reasons… In most cases, it comes down to the numbers.

Sales roles are essentially the same – What’s not similar are your results, successes and achievements. So, skip the duties of the role and remember to include numbers!

For example, (remembering confidentiality) things like:

Sales volumes (maximum, average or current)
The number of clients or customers you manage
The number of new clients or customers you generated
The dollar or percentage you’ve increased sales
By how much (percentage or dollar wise) you’ve exceeded sales goals

To break it all down, here’s some advice on how to structure your sales resume:

Personal details: We need to be able to get in contact with you, so a mobile number and email address is a must.
An objective or a goal: What are you looking for? What are your career goals?
List your previous employers: You need to tell me who you worked for, how long (from month/year to month/year) and your title (also include your territory if relevant). A good tip here is to also give a summary of the company, products and relevant market you worked in. This will give people an idea of your suitability, particularly if you are applying to businesses with similar products and/or customers!
Education and Qualifications: List any tertiary qualifications or formal courses you have completed.
References: Leave this off completely as everyone knows you will have references. Instead, have a list you can take to interviews or email through when asked.

I hope this helps you put together a winning sales resume and opens a few more doors! Let us know if you have any questions or need more information.

Good Luck!

Garth Quinn

Recruitment Manager| Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia

Five Quick Tips for ‘Virtual’ Job Interviews

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 13:00:00 GMT

OK, here’s the scoop… virtual interviews can be awkward. Add the fact that technology can be downright unpredictable; it can also be stressful and, in some cases, intimidating.

But the truth is virtual interviews (phone or phone / video interviews) are pretty commonplace these days. And with technology becoming more and more pervasive, along with increased workforce mobility, virtual interviews are going to get even more popular.

Sadly, we’ve seen some great quality candidates just crash and burn on these types of interviews because they really didn’t seem to know how to handle it. If you can’t handle or prepare for a virtual interview, how are you are you going to handle leading a teleconference or a high-stakes meeting?

We’d rather not see you lose out on a role because a virtual interview setting knocked you off-centre, so here’s five tips that will help you win:

It’s an interview not a call: Obvious, but needs to be said. Prepare just like you would a real interview. We like you, we’re interviewing you! Impress.
Play the part: This may sound weird, but we can actually hear you smile through the phone. So smile. Sit up straight. Do all the little things you would normally to project confidence and experience. Somehow this transcends through the phone. If you have too, dress the part, so you’re in complete interview mode. This is a no brainer if your phone interview has a video hook-up.
“Control your environment”: Interview in a private quiet space. Kick the dog, the cat, and the rest of the household members out of your interview space. If it’s a video interview think about your lighting, background, what’s on your table and whatever else we can see.
Test your technology: Where possible use a landline for a phone interview and if you are using your computer’s camera, do a test with someone to check its working properly. Have back-ups if possible. You’ll want to be thinking about what we’re talking about rather than worrying if your camera or something else is going to act up.
Be patient and clear: Being patient in Virtual interviews is important, ensure the other person has finished speaking. Don’t forget, sometimes there’s lag / synch issues. Two people continually speaking at once can be really annoying! When you speak, speak slowly, carefully and clearly.

Despite the added complexities of virtual interviews, they can be used to your advantage. It allows you to get (virtual) face time with people you mightn’t have gotten if a traditional interview had to be scheduled. This means you can have the right people answer your questions (so think some up!).

Best of all, it allows you to seek out roles in locations you may not have previously considered or included in your job search. In the past you might have had to shell out on some flights and accommodation to get to the interview, making it risky and expensive.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia is a national company, with work available in every pocket of Australia. If you’re thinking about a role here, don’t feel restricted to your current location. Check out our job opportunities across Australia or get your CV inside our system so you’re always in the mix. Good luck!

Garth Quinn | Recruitment Manager
Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia

First Day Survival Guide for Your New Job

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Hi All,

I’m Madeleine Mendoza from HR. Part of my role is to ensure people are properly inducted here at Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia.

Starting at a new company, like ours (especially if you’ve come from a smaller one) can be overwhelming. It’s going to be busy, very busy. There’s a lot of inductions, paperwork, training and people to meet. The scale often takes people by surprise.

To help with your preparedness during your first week, we’ve put together this quick survival guide.

Before the Big Day:

1) Double check – Your actual job location. Your work location may not be the same place as where you were interviewed. Also, you probably interviewed with a few people, so double check who you’re reporting to. Write the name down if need be. You may even want to contact your new manager directly to confirm.

2) Take a test drive – The last thing you want is to turn up late on your first day at a new job. Take a test drive, during peak hour if possible, so that you know how long it will take you. You’ll also get familiar with the route.

3) Get enough sleep – If you need to adjust your body clock, do it a few days before you start. There’s likely to be abit of anticipation with your new role, and you may not be as sharp as you’d like to be if you haven’t had enough sleep.

4) Get up to date – you’ve probably done some degree of research about the company having come past the interviews, but refresh yourself. Find out the latest goings on (check out our website, magazines and updates). You’ll be in for lots of inductions, from safety to company history to policies. It makes a difference when it’s not all new again.

The Big Day!

1) Dress smart – You’ll want to fit in, so dress accordingly. Don’t overdo it, but definitely don’t under do it either! If you’re unsure what’s appropriate, ask.

2) Eat breakfast – it’ll do you a world of good and help keep you on the ball!

3) Attitude - Remember you’re stepping into a new environment where people are already comfortable and likely to be friends. You’re going to want to fit in, make sure you’re upbeat, enthusiastic and personable. You don’t want to be the downer!

4) Pen and Paper – make sure you bring a pen and some paper. You’ll be provided some anyway, but it never hurts to have your own handy in case you want to jot something down before you’ve made it to the stationary cabinet.

5) Snacks – chuck a couple of snacks in your bag, and a drink bottle, just in case you’re too busy to get to the kitchen because you’re being shuffled from place to place!

6) Clarify your role and expectations – Make sure you get a chance to discuss your role, expectations, projects and KPIs with your manager. It shows you’re thinking about your role. It will also help you manage expectation and prioritise according to business needs.

7) Think about some questions - For example “what’s the one objective you’d like me to most improve within the first six months (year, three years, five years)?”

There you have it! Do you have any other tips? Or questions? Let us know in the comments below.

Madeleine Mendoza

HR | Hitachi Construction Machinery

Part Lego Enthusiast, Part Treasure Hunter, All Parts!

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Hi everyone!

I’m Ben Petersen, from the Parts Department at the Corporate Support Office here at Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia. I’m here to share some insight into what its like working in Parts.

When I was a kid, my parents bought me sets of Lego. They were easily my favourite toys! I spent hours, days on end, putting those little brightly coloured blocks together. First, I’d follow the instructions and make all those castles, space bases and pirate islands or whatever else was printed on the box.

But the real fun came afterwards! You see, after I made the sets, I’d take them all apart; then, I’d make the coolest looking cars and trucks I could imagine with what was in front of me.

Finding exactly the right piece, turning ordinary Lego blocks into something that I had dreamed up in my head was just unreal. Figuring out the blocks I needed and making them into something that kind of looked like a Lamborghini or Mack was just magic!

If you’re nodding your head right now with memory burn, if you used to get the same sort of satisfaction, then you might just enjoy a career in Parts. Finding exactly the right Lego piece and fitting it so it makes something awesome is pretty much what we do here.

Everyday’s a treasure hunt! We look for the right pieces and we figure out how to get it as fast as possible. What’s more, the scale of operations at Hitachi is just jaw dropping. Instead of working with Lego pieces from a few different boxes, these days, I’m hooked into a fully integrated, global parts network, completely catalogued and ready to go inside Distribution centres the size of football fields. Seriously!

We literally search every corner of Earth to find parts and get it quick smart to arrive in a package, box, truck or container for our customers! Then, when it arrives, we build it, we make it new again, we complete it, we re-animate it!

Right now, I’m loving it! Actually, I reckon everyone here is secretly jealous of the Parts Department! Why wouldn’t they be? I’m like a big Lego playing, treasure hunting kid! Its fun and it’s satisfying. If you’re thinking about a career in Parts, start here.

Cheers
Ben Petersen | Parts

Everything you need to ace a job interview

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Hey everyone,

We’re back with another a blog piece! This time on how to deal with pre-interview nerves and how to ace the actual interview itself.

1) Obliterate Pre-Interview Nerves

Change your mindset from pre-interview nerves to confidence with these three simple insights:

You’re a winner: We’ve selected you out of hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of applicants! You’re pretty much in the top five!
It’s a meet a greet: This isn’t a grill, in fact, if you think about it, it’s closer to a meet and greet at a barbeque where you tell us some interesting stories from your past worklife!
We want you to do well: If you do well, we’ll want to hire you, you’ll get to work with us, a job’s been filled, we’ve got more hands on deck, everybody wins, high five!

2) No Brainers

Get these no brainers right, and the interview will be off to a great start!

Be punctual: come early, don’t leave anything to chance.
Be professional: be nice to everyone you meet from the moment you step in.
Be attentive: take an interest in what is being said.
Be confident and clear: get to the point and be truthful.
Be prepared: be knowledgeable about the company, your potential role and what you want you to do here.
Dress the part: dress appropriately for the interview.

3) Ace the interview

The distance between someone who comes prepared and someone who doesn’t is miles apart. Here are some tips to beat the pack:

Relatable Experience: Think about and have some experiences prepared, beforehand, which are directly relatable to the position. When you answer questions, use these experiences and provide examples to support you and how you’ve learned new skills or developed existing skills.
Strengths, weaknesses and goals: Know your strengths and weaknesses; it’s a pretty common question. Don’t be corny, avoid clichés. It’s important to have some goals as well. This way, we know you’re thinking about a career and not a job.
Questions: Having questions ready shows that you’ve thought about the company and the position. Here are some good examples:

What is the next step in the hiring process?
What are the day-to-day responsibilities of this position?
How is an employee evaluated and promoted?
Do you offer any training programs to your staff?
What are the company’s plans for future growth?
Why do you like working here?
What is the culture of the organisation?

Need more information?

If you’re interviewing here, then here are some handy links to check out:

This website! You’ll get a good feel of what it’s like to work here and what we do here, don’t forget to check out our video
Our corporate website for more information about our company, our products and our history.
Our digital magazine. Also, follow us LinkedIN for daily updates.

There you have it! Everything you need to ace an interview with us. Good luck!

Garth Quinn | Recruitment Manager
Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia

Five Resume Musts for Trade Applicants!

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Hi everyone,

My name is Huey Le, I’m part of the Internal Recruitment team here at Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia and I specialise in filling trade roles.

It’s my job to help all you fitters, mechanics and tradespeople out there get a job here!

Being a global OEM means we get a lot of applicants! I’ll usually get 100+ resumes a day. Unfortunately, this means I’ll probably spend less than ten seconds checking your resume before I have to make a choice on whether I keep reading or move on to the next resume.

Get these five resume musts right and your resume will stop me in my tracks:

1. Personal Details

If I can’t reach you, everything else is pointless. Put all your contact info right up the top. Include your name, current phone number and, if you have one, an email address.

2. What do you want?

Be bold and to the point. What’s your career objective? Or, in other words what do you want (not just for now, but also in the future)? This way we make sure that the role you’re applying for and the training you’re going to get will match. We may even have another role going that might interest you! If you don’t have a clear objective or can’t do this, don’t waffle, skip it.

3. Skills/Qualifications/Permits

Many jobs require a certain trade speciality and a work permit. If you have them, and/or others, keep them all in the one place so we don’t miss any! Include your profession, trade qualifications, licences, certifications and permits. Your licences and qualification should be specific and needs to match with the job requirements.

Having a trade qualification doesn’t necessarily mean your resume will be at the forefront, workers who have a ‘soft’ skill and are able to communicate that effectively in their resume will also be looked upon favourably as well.

4. Work History and Machine knowledge

The work experience section is your chance to prove your level of skills and accomplishments. A job title alone tells us exactly what you did in your current and previous roles.

However, it’s your achievements and related equipment experiences that will distinguish yourself from others. If you have worked with machinery before, include it. Be specific. What type of machine(s)? Include model numbers.

5. Work references

Although it isn’t necessary to include your work references on your resume, it’s important that when you give out someone’s name as a reference, you have permission to use them as a reference. Secondly, the reference needs to be your manager or direct supervisor, not a work colleague.

There you have it! Don’t forget, your resume is like your own personal ad! Write it well!

Let us know if you have any questions or need more tips in the comments below.

Good luck!

Huey Le
Internal Recruitment Advisor | Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia

Meet Our Internal Recruitment Team

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Hi everyone,

I’m Garth Quinn and I work alongside Huey Le and we’re part of Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia’s Internal Recruitment Team.

I’m very pleased to write this blog update so that we can give you an insight into how we approach recruitment here. Our approach includes the below activities:

The development of this website: We’re really proud of our careers website. It’s our aim that this space becomes your first port of call when you want to check in, search and apply on openings at Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia. Bookmark this site and stop by often because we’ll be adding content all the time!

Ensure that we’re connected: Feel free to connect with either myself or Huey or just register yourself so that we’ve got your details at our fingertips as soon as a job opening comes up.

Encourage Internal Promotion: There’s a great culture of career growth here and with our constant expansion there’s plenty of opportunity for people to stretch their wings. We feel it’s a great way to reward our people and another excellent reason why you should consider a career with us.

Social Media: Follow our company on LinkedIN for employment related updates as well as updates on all things Hitachi Construction Machinery, John Deere and Bell.

Our company takes great pride in having the very best machines in the market. So, it’s our job to make sure that we’re also attracting and keeping the best talent to support our fantastic customers who own and/or operate our machines because we know “People are the heart of our machines”.

Feel free to contact us 02 8863 4800 if you want to speak to us directly or if you’ve got any suggestions regarding the content you’d like to see here just add a comment below.

Cheers

Garth Quinn

Recruitment Manager | Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia