Trust, good communication and how to empower your team are just three of the lessons Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist Helen Trip has learned in Ventia's Essential Leader program.

Helen says one of the activities the group of 15 undertook was psychometric testing, to help them better understand how people think and process information.

"As a recruiter, I've found this helpful in working out what candidates are motivated by," Helen says. "I've recently been project managing a large mobilisation of frontline workers, which is quite different to the area I usually work in - corporate, white-collar roles."

Helen says that there were a lot of logistical challenges brought about by COVID requirements in NSW, where the project is based, that she had to manage.

This was a great development opportunity for me, and one that the leadership program helped prepare me for.

Central to the success of the program, she believes, is a willingness to acknowledge that, no matter how long you've been in the workplace, you don't know everything.

"You never stop learning," Helen says. "Even though I've been in recruitment for over 15 years, and I've had leadership roles during that time, this training has opened my eyes to a lot of things."

One of the things she's learned is how important it is to empower your team to make decisions and trust that they know what they're doing.

"I am lucky to have a manager, Lizette Bull, who is great at doing that," Helen says.

A good leader can walk away from their role and their team will continue to perform to a high standard because they've been prepared well.

"We have the confidence to make decisions and not worry that if we make a mistake, it's the end of the world."

Communicating for successful outcomes

When it comes to good communication, Helen has learned that considering how the recipient may perceive the message can be the key to success.

"We don't all process information the same way," she says. "So it's important to tailor your message to the audience and consider how they may take it."

Helen is looking forward to putting into practice everthing she has learnt. 

"It's been interesting to see how other leaders deal with their challenges and the issues they face," she says. "There's a lot of thinking outside the box going on!"