Chris Hart

Chris Hart, (B.Ec., FAICD, AFAHRI) is the Principal of Hart Consulting Group Pty Ltd.Chris has had over twenty five years experience in human resources consulting, providing assistance to a wide variety of organisations across all industries at all levels of staff from senior management to award employees.

In addition to Chris, there are a number of consultants who can provide practical advice and undertake research, which meets our clients needs.

Canny workers are scoring instant 30% to 40% pay hikes by taking advantage of the super-tight employment market to change jobs, according to remuneration consultant Chris Hart.

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Your money: Sharp tax tactics Have your say"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many people who feel overlooked by their employers," says Hart, managing director of the Hart Consulting Group.

He points to figures released last month showing unemployment at a 32-year low and economic growth at a three-year high.As well, corporate profits unveiled in the latest reporting season were almost double analysts' expectations."Surely the environment to get a higher-paying job can't get much better than this," says Hart.

Although Hart specialises in big packages for business leaders, he believes the carefully honed techniques that succeed for the top end of town are also effective lower down the executive and professional ranks.

His advice for job hunters is to understand their true worth in the market, ensure that their employment agreement stipulates that pay will rise in line with performance, and to pick their next employer with extreme care.And don't forget the remuneration trimmings that can make the new job even sweeter.Here are some experts' tips:

GOING RATES Geoff Matthews, a director of the Talent Career Group, advises job-seekers to study surveys to know the going pay rates and to speak to counterparts about their incomes.People should also understand whether they're in an occupation with high demand for their skills, and seek appropriate pay.Matthews and Hart say the booming sectors include mining, infrastructure, construction, accountancy and law.

BEST BOSSES Investigate the prospective job and the employer, says Hart.Look for an attractive career structure and an employer that is, ideally, a market leader in a fast-growing sector.These factors are more crucial than a fistful of dollars.

GREED ALERT It's no use convincing an employer to pay big money the business can't sustain, says Hart.This will set you up to be sacked later, or treated with simmering resentment."Big dollars can come back and bite you."

PERFORMANCE Don't accept a fixed package of cash, car and superannuation.Experts say ordinary job-seekers should negotiate hard for performance-based pay, just like senior executives.Outside the high-bonuses finance industry, Hart says, employees might negotiate an annual bonus that potentially lifts their base package by 20% to 35% if agreed performance hurdles are met.Then ask to be included in the employer's executive share scheme, based on longer-term performance targets.

GOLDEN HELLO Even outside the top executive ranks, employees earning around $100,000 a year can sometimes negotiate sign-on fees.Don't expect a mammoth golden hello at this income level, Hart says, but new employees might receive a useful $5000 to $10,000-plus compensation for bonuses forfeited with the job change.

LITTLE EXTRAS This is an ideal time to negotiate many smaller, non-cash benefits as part of an employment deal."Consider asking for a laptop computer, home internet connection, mobile phone and five weeks' annual leave instead of four," Hart says.Maybe a nine-day fortnight would suit lifestyle needs, or perhaps flexible work hours to spend more time with children or grandchildren.

EXIT STRATEGY Employment agreements provide for favourable terms if the employee is sacked, Hart advises.Seek three to six months' notice or payment in lieu of notice instead of the usual one month.

Canny workers are scoring instant 30% to 40% pay hikes by taking advantage of the super-tight employment market to change jobs, according to remuneration consultant Chris Hart.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many people who feel overlooked by their employers," says Hart, managing director of the Hart Consulting Group.

He points to figures released last month showing unemployment at a 32-year low and economic growth at a three-year high.As well, corporate profits unveiled in the latest reporting season were almost double analysts' expectations."Surely the environment to get a higher-paying job can't get much better than this," says Hart.

Although Hart specialises in big packages for business leaders, he believes the carefully honed techniques that succeed for the top end of town are also effective lower down the executive and professional ranks.

His advice for job hunters is to understand their true worth in the market, ensure that their employment agreement stipulates that pay will rise in line with performance, and to pick their next employer with extreme care.And don't forget the remuneration trimmings that can make the new job even sweeter.Here are some experts' tips:

GOING RATES Geoff Matthews, a director of the Talent Career Group, advises job-seekers to study surveys to know the going pay rates and to speak to counterparts about their incomes.People should also understand whether they're in an occupation with high demand for their skills, and seek appropriate pay.Matthews and Hart say the booming sectors include mining, infrastructure, construction, accountancy and law.

BEST BOSSES Investigate the prospective job and the employer, says Hart.Look for an attractive career structure and an employer that is, ideally, a market leader in a fast-growing sector.These factors are more crucial than a fistful of dollars.

GREED ALERT It's no use convincing an employer to pay big money the business can't sustain, says Hart.This will set you up to be sacked later, or treated with simmering resentment."Big dollars can come back and bite you."

PERFORMANCE Don't accept a fixed package of cash, car and superannuation.Experts say ordinary job-seekers should negotiate hard for performance-based pay, just like senior executives.Outside the high-bonuses finance industry, Hart says, employees might negotiate an annual bonus that potentially lifts their base package by 20% to 35% if agreed performance hurdles are met.Then ask to be included in the employer's executive share scheme, based on longer-term performance targets.

GOLDEN HELLO Even outside the top executive ranks, employees earning around $100,000 a year can sometimes negotiate sign-on fees.Don't expect a mammoth golden hello at this income level, Hart says, but new employees might receive a useful $5000 to $10,000-plus compensation for bonuses forfeited with the job change.

LITTLE EXTRAS This is an ideal time to negotiate many smaller, non-cash benefits as part of an employment deal."Consider asking for a laptop computer, home internet connection, mobile phone and five weeks' annual leave instead of four," Hart says.Maybe a nine-day fortnight would suit lifestyle needs, or perhaps flexible work hours to spend more time with children or grandchildren.

EXIT STRATEGY Employment agreements provide for favourable terms if the employee is sacked, Hart advises.Seek three to six months' notice or payment in lieu of notice instead of the usual one month.

For further information regarding the Funds Management Remuneration Survey, please contact Chris Hart, e-mail: surveys@hart.com.au

For further information regarding the Retail Distribution Remuneration Survey, please contact Chris Hart, e-mail: surveys@hart.com.au

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Remuneration consultant Chris Hart, of the Hart Consulting Group, says the market for CEOs and directors is increasingly driven by the demands of the individuals themselves, due to the lack of qualified applicants.

This is partly the fault of business's failure over the years to invest in training and skills development."CEOs have the whip hand," Hart says.

Strategy is seen as the key business talent that CEOs deliver, Hart says.Most other functions of a company can be outsourced.
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Hart says there is also now a shortage of non-executive directors, with tougher corporate governance standards making the job harder and leaving directors with greater liability if things go wrong.