FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Strategic HR Appointment Spearheads
Advantage Recruitment Drive
‘Build-your-own-career’
Auckland – 5 July 2000 – Advantage Group Limited (NZSE: ADV) is readying to introduce web savvy New Zealanders to
flexible, self-determined careers. New HR Director Philippa Furlong has one line job description from CEO Greg Cross:
identify great people, then find out how to attract and retain them.
“Part of the current e-commerce land grab is the race to attract and secure excellent talent,” says CEO Greg Cross.
“Advantage offers stimulating, challenging, rewarding ways for people to build up their own intellectual capital. We
want to reward staff that get involved in building their own company. We don’t offer jobs.”
“Throughout e-commerce internationally, demand for talent is extremely high, supply is low and so experienced staff are
at a premium. We recognise this as a critical component to our success. International research shows that talented
web-savvy people look for three things to capture their interest. Firstly, they look to participate in the growth of
their company through stock options. Secondly, they seek a flexible and progressive work environment with limited red
tape. Thirdly they want to work on the best projects using the newest technologies. Advantage offers all these,
including our Employee Share Options Programme.”
“Advantage has operations in five countries and employs some of the smartest, most innovative, most exciting,
best-qualified web people in the world,” says Philippa Furlong. “The biggest challenge facing e-commerce companies today
is attracting and retaining the best staff. To that end, we’re embarking on the global recruitment campaign, in
particular targeting kiwis looking to return home after their OE. Significant numbers of skilled e-commerce people are
attracted by the benefits of the New Zealand lifestyle. We’re also planning an exchange program where our staff can go
on exchange with staff from overseas companies. This gives our people the opportunity to travel and work
internationally, so they increase their marketable skills while retaining involvement in their company.
“Internally, I’ll be heading up Advantage’s ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ programme. We’re constantly identifying the
go-getters, those people that have consistently exceptional performance. Those individuals will be fast-tracked into an
accelerated programme of high level exposure, career coaching and motivational packages.”
“We’re moving to succession planning and career planning,” adds Furlong. “In an industry that has a critical shortage of
highly skilled people we’ll strive to create a culture and workplace environment that gives Advantage ‘cut through’ to
attract the people we want.”
Working alongside CFO Stewart McKenzie, Philippa heads up Advantage’s five-strong HR team, including a full-time
in-house recruitment specialist.
Since January 1 this year we have recruited 82 people and we still have vacancies for another 95 people. That’s 177 new
jobs in what the government likes to refer to as the knowledge economy.
Ms Furlong has considerable experience working to drive innovative HR practises through technology companies. Prior to
joining Advantage, Philippa held senior positions as Human Resources Manager Asia Pacific for Motherwell systems and
Human Resources Manager for M2 Technology Limited.
About Advantage
Advantage Group Limited, an NZSE listed company, is a leading supplier of e-commerce and transaction processing
solutions in New Zealand, Australia and throughout the southern hemisphere. The company has three business units:
point-of-sale equipment, retail solutions and business-to-business e-commerce. Advantage provides hardware, software,
transaction processing and funds transfer capabilities to enable complete e-commerce solutions.
ENDS