Artificial Intelligence is dominating headlines and boardroom discussions - but for many businesses, the question remains: how do you make AI actually deliver a return on investment? At Cox Purtell, we believe in cutting through the buzzwords and getting to the practical, actionable insights that make a real difference. That’s why we’re thrilled to be hosting our second Insight Session for 2025 - an informal after-work event where we bring together the experts, you bring your curiosity, and together we unpack some of the biggest questions in business and technology today. A Deeper Dive Into AI This session is designed for anyone who’s looking to embed AI into their team or business and wants to get it right the first time. Together with our incredible panel, we’ll explore: · Understanding AI Models: What are the different types of AI models, and how do you know which one is right for your project? · Build vs. Buy: The decision that can make or break your AI strategy – when to develop in-house and when to leverage existing solutions. · Prioritising Projects: How to evaluate which initiatives will generate the most value for your staff, your business, and your customers. · Regulation and Privacy: Navigating governance in highly regulated sectors like finance, health, and education. · Driving Adoption: Getting your team on board and creating a smooth rollout plan that leads to lasting success. · Proving ROI: How to measure the impact of your AI projects, from cost savings to revenue growth to improved customer engagement. This is not a high-level “future of work” panel. This is about giving you practical steps and lessons learned from experts who have been in the trenches – delivering projects that have generated multi-million-dollar returns for some of Australia’s most recognised brands. Meet Your Moderator & Panel Our evening will be moderated by Jonathan Parsons , Co-Founder & CEO of Calab.ai With more than 16 years of experience in AI and automation, Jonathan has led transformative projects across finance, health, energy, and education – delivering seamless, scalable enterprise frameworks that drive efficiency and profitability. Joining Jonathan on stage is a panel of leaders who live and breathe AI every day: · Dr David Goad – Microsoft Regional Director & Director of AI Savvy A PhD in AI and two decades of experience make David one of the most respected voices in the industry. He specialises in helping organisations turn AI concepts into practical, working solutions across OpenAI, AWS, Azure, IBM, and Google platforms. · Dr Kim Oosthuizen – Head of Artificial Intelligence (APAC), BUPA Kim is passionate about evolving businesses digitally using intelligent applications. Her global experience in operations and technology helps BUPA enable customer and partner success through AI-driven innovation. · Ray Fleming – Founder, Stratentia With over 40 years in tech and senior roles at Google and Microsoft, Ray has guided more than 50 Australian organisations through strategic AI adoption. He’s an expert at translating complex strategies into clear, actionable steps. · Adam King – Partner, JOURN3Y Adam focuses on delivering measurable ROI from AI initiatives. His career spans global media companies, financial institutions, and startups, helping organisations break down silos and unlock the real value of technology. This powerhouse panel is uniquely positioned to give you a 360° view of AI adoption – from technical implementation to governance to cultural change. Event Details Where: The Royal Exchange of Sydney (Street Level) · 1 Gresham Street Sydney NSW 2000 When: October 2025 Schedule: · 5:30pm: Arrive, drinks & nibbles · 6:00 – 7:30pm: Panel discussion & Q&A · 7:30 – 8:00pm: Networking Cost: Free – but seats are limited to 90 and we expect a waitlist. Please let us know early if you need to cancel so we can offer your place to someone else eager to attend. Why You Should Attend This isn’t just about theory – it’s about learning from experts who have successfully implemented AI solutions and seen the results. You’ll walk away with: · Clearer understanding of what AI can do for your business (and what it can’t) · Actionable steps for choosing, building, or buying the right solutions · Confidence to start or refine your AI journey with ROI in mind · Inspiration from peers who are embedding AI in meaningful ways Plus, you’ll get a chance to ask your burning questions during the Q&A and connect with fellow business leaders during networking drinks. Giving Back For every attendee, Cox Purtell will donate $20 to The Kids’ Cancer Project, a charity funding 57 medical research projects across 26 Australian institutes. Since 1993, they’ve contributed over $70 million towards finding better treatments for childhood cancers. By attending, you’ll not only gain valuable AI insights – you’ll help support vital research and make a difference in the lives of children and their families. Reserve Your Seat Seats are strictly limited, and we expect to reach capacity quickly. Don’t miss this chance to hear from some of Australia’s top AI minds, ask questions, and network with other professionals who are thinking seriously about the future of work. Click here to register now.

Big news at Cox Purtell – we’ve just been named the 8th Best Place to Work in Australia in 2025 (in the micro category) ! 🎉 We’re thrilled about the recognition, but more importantly, we’re proud of the culture we’ve built. And the good news is, you don’t need to be a big corporation with deep pockets to create a great workplace. Small businesses have a unique advantage in shaping workplace culture. Here are a few things we’ve learned along the way: Lead from the Top Down Culture starts with leadership. If leaders show up consistently, act with integrity, practice understanding and patience and prioritise their employees' wellbeing, the team will follow. It’s not about fancy posters on the wall or daily KPI's it’s about leading by example. Encourage Open Communication Keep things transparent. Share your wins, your struggles, and your plans with your team. When people understand the “why” behind decisions, they feel included and trusted. Don’t Change the Goal Posts Nothing kills morale faster than constantly moving the target. If you set expectations, stick to them. Consistency builds trust and helps your team feel secure in what they’re working towards. Pay Employees Fairly Culture isn’t just about beanbags and team lunches; it’s also about fairness. Make sure your people are rewarded properly for their work. If commission structures are part of your business, ensure they’re transparent and genuinely motivating. Strong Company Mission Money matters, but it’s not enough on its own. A strong mission gives your business heart and soul, showing your people that you care about more than just the bottom line. Celebrate Often Big wins are great, but it’s the small celebrations that make the difference day to day. Whether it’s a shoutout in a team meeting, a Friday coffee run, or a personal thank-you, recognising effort and small wins keeps energy high and people motivated. Puppies and Pints The little things matter. Perks like a dog-friendly office, social catch-ups, or having the office near an end-of-week happy hour help keep work fun. They help people connect on a personal level, and that’s where culture really shines. You don’t need big budgets, a huge HR team or corporate gloss to build a workplace people love. It comes down to trust, fairness, consistency, and genuinely caring about your team. At Cox Purtell, we’re proud of the community we’ve built and if we can do it, so can you.

When you think about the cost of hiring, it’s easy to focus on the obvious: salaries, recruitment fees, and onboarding expenses. But what many organisations underestimate is just how expensive a bad hire can be. A poor hiring decision doesn’t just affect your budget. It impacts productivity, culture, reputation, and even your organisation’s long-term success. In fact, global research has shown that the cost of a bad hire can be up to five times the person’s annual salary. For a business of any size, that’s a significant and often avoidable blow. So, what are the hidden costs of a bad hire, and how can you protect your organisation against them? 1. Financial Costs The most tangible impact of a bad hire is financial. Beyond the salary you’ve paid, there are additional expenses that often go unnoticed: Recruitment advertising and fees – posting job ads, screening applications, and running interviews all require time and money. Onboarding and training – investment in systems access, equipment, and induction sessions. Termination and replacement costs – once the employee leaves, you’re back at square one with fresh recruitment and onboarding costs. Add these up, and even a short-term mis-hire can cost tens of thousands of dollars — particularly in specialised or senior roles. 2. Productivity Loss Hiring the wrong person often means that performance falls short of expectations. The impact? Projects stall because work needs to be redone or deadlines slip. Managers spend disproportionate time coaching or correcting mistakes. Team members pick up the slack , leading to stress and frustration. While the wrong hire is in place, the right person isn’t. That gap in productivity can be even more costly than the financial outlay. 3. Cultural Impact Culture is the invisible glue that holds teams together, and the wrong fit can disrupt it quickly. A bad hire may: Lower morale by creating friction within the team. Undermine collaboration if they resist the company’s values or working style. Contribute to turnover if good employees become disengaged or frustrated. Once culture is damaged, rebuilding it takes time and energy. Worse still, high turnover and unhappy employees can negatively affect your employer brand — making it harder to attract top talent in the future. 4. Reputational Damage For client-facing roles, the stakes are even higher. A single poor interaction can impact your organisation’s credibility and relationships. Similarly, mistakes in operational or technical roles can lead to service issues that erode trust. In competitive industries, reputation is everything. The wrong hire isn’t just a temporary setback — it can leave lasting marks on how customers, clients, or stakeholders perceive your organisation. 5. Opportunity Cost Perhaps the most overlooked consequence of a bad hire is the opportunity cost. Every day the wrong person is in the role is a day the right person is not. That means missed opportunities for: Stronger client relationships. Innovative ideas and fresh thinking. Increased revenue and growth. The impact is often invisible but incredibly significant — a hidden loss that compounds over time. How to Avoid a Bad Hire The good news is that while no hiring process is foolproof, there are proven ways to reduce the risk of a costly mis-hire: Partner with a specialist recruiter – Industry specialists understand both the technical skills and cultural nuances that make someone the right fit. Go beyond the CV – Skills testing, behavioural interviews, and reference checks all provide a more complete picture. Prioritise cultural alignment – A candidate’s values and working style are often more important than technical ability alone. Move quickly, but carefully – The best candidates don’t stay on the market for long. A streamlined process helps you secure top talent without cutting corners. Listen to expert advice – Recruiters can identify potential red flags you may not notice in interviews or on CVs. The true cost of a bad hire isn’t limited to the payroll. It ripples across finances, productivity, culture, and even reputation. For organisations that want to thrive in 2025 and beyond, reducing the risk of mis-hires should be a top priority. At Cox Purtell, we specialise in helping businesses hire with confidence. Our approach ensures every candidate we recommend is assessed not only for their skills but also for their alignment with your culture and long-term goals. Because the best hire isn’t just someone who can do the job — it’s someone who helps your business grow.  Looking to avoid the hidden costs of a bad hire? Get in touch with our team today.

What makes a great recruitment partner in 2025? Discover what clients expect from recruitment agencies—and how better hiring strategy leads to real business ROI

10 Surprisingly Unusual Questions Recruiters Actually Get

When it comes to recruitment, extending an offer is only half the battle. Getting it accepted? That’s where the real magic happens. At Cox Purtell, we’ve refined the process from first brief to final handshake. The result? A 100% offer acceptance rate . That’s not luck – that’s strategy. It's built on a combination of data, empathy, and experience, ensuring that both candidates and employers reach the offer stage fully aligned. So, how do we do it? 1. Nailing Salary Expectations Misalignment on salary is one of the most common reasons offers fall through. That’s why we put salary discussions at the centre of our recruitment strategy from the very beginning. Rather than make assumptions, we have open, honest conversations with both candidates and employers. We help each party understand what’s reasonable, competitive, and most importantly – fair. The numbers speak for themselves: 96% of our clients are satisfied with how we support salary expectations. We’ve helped 100% of our candidates secure offers they’re happy with. We guide both sides through any negotiation, ensuring alignment on salary, benefits, and progression opportunities. This means that when an offer is made, it's already been internally accepted – emotionally and practically. 2. Transparent Communication Throughout Trust is built with consistency, and consistency comes from great communication. We believe in radical transparency – keeping both candidates and clients informed every step of the way. From application to offer, we provide clear timelines, honest feedback, and continuous updates. 98% satisfaction in communication and transparency. 98% satisfaction with regular updates. When people are well-informed, they feel confident in the process – and confident people say yes. 3. Precision in Matching A good hire isn’t just about technical skills – it’s about fit. We invest time in deeply understanding what both sides want. For candidates, we look at more than just the resume. We explore motivations, preferred work styles, values, and long-term career goals. For employers, we dive into the team culture, role evolution, and business direction. 97% of our clients believe the candidate was suitable for the role. 95% felt the role was suitable for their organisational needs. It’s this two-way understanding that leads to matches that last – and offers that get accepted. 4. Cultural Alignment Culture fit is the glue that holds successful placements together. Skills can be taught, but values and working style are what make someone stay. We ensure both sides walk into the hiring process with a clear understanding of each other's cultures. 98% of clients felt the candidate was a good culture fit. 93% of candidates said the company culture fit them. This mutual understanding turns an offer into a long-term opportunity – and makes the “yes” a no-brainer. How We Know It Works Our performance data comes from Recruiter Insider, a third-party platform that independently collects feedback from both clients and candidates throughout the recruitment journey. This allows us to measure the impact of our process objectively – and continuously improve it. The Result? Long-Term Success We don’t just stop at getting offers accepted – we follow up to see how our placements are performing months down the track. After 12 months, 100% of hires are still considered beneficial, long-term members of the team. Candidate experience and skills are meeting or exceeding expectations, with 100% development noted at the 12-month mark. When recruitment is done right, everyone wins – today, tomorrow, and well into the future. Ready to Hire with Confidence? Our process is built for outcomes. With a 100% offer acceptance rate and long-term retention to match, we don’t just fill roles – we build careers, teams, and trust. Let’s talk about how we can deliver the same results for you.

Uncovering Leadership's Commitment to High Performance: A Candidate's Guide Off the back of Cox Purtell's Insight Session on "Culture That Fuels High-Performing Teams," this week, I've been reflecting on a crucial aspect of the job search: how can candidates, during the interview process, truly gauge a company's leadership commitment to fostering a high-performance environment? After all, an interview is a two-way process, and you want to find out about your future employer, as much as they are trying to find out about you! It's one thing for a company to talk about high performance, but it's another for its leaders to actively cultivate the culture and systems that make it a reality. The recent panel, featuring insights from Karl Treacher (The Culture Institute of Australia), Rebecca Moulynox (Great Place to Work), Tica Masuku (Spaceful), and Ben Meneses-Sosa (Senior Engineering Leader), underscored that high performance isn't just about hitting KPIs. It's about sustainable, people-centric success built on a foundation of trust and psychological safety. As Ben Meneses-Sosa aptly put it, "It's not about debugging code, it's about debugging teams." This resonates deeply – technical outcomes are intrinsically linked to non-technical enablers like purpose, safety, and clear values. So, as a candidate, how do you dig deeper than surface-level statements during an interview? Here are a few thoughts on what to explore: 1. Probe for Specific Examples of Leadership in Action: Instead of asking generic questions like "Do you have a high-performance culture?", try to elicit concrete examples. Consider questions like: "Can you share an example of how leadership has supported a team through a particularly challenging project to ensure both wellbeing and successful outcomes?" "How does leadership actively foster psychological safety, and can you give an instance where this was crucial for innovation or problem-solving?" “Culture tends to reflect the character and style of its leaders. How would you describe the leadership style here, and how does it translate into daily team interactions and decision-making?" Listen for responses that go beyond buzzwords. Are they talking about processes, or are they sharing stories that demonstrate genuine commitment? Karl Treacher highlighted that "culture health begins with relational trust." Look for evidence of leaders building that trust through consistent, inclusive, and curious behaviours. 2. Understand How Performance is Defined and Supported: High performance needs to be more than a slogan; it needs to be embedded in how work is done and how people are supported. Ask questions that reveal this: "Beyond individual KPIs, how does the company measure and recognize team performance and collaboration?" “How does leadership here empower employees and teams to take ownership and initiative?" "What kind of coaching or development opportunities are in place to help individuals and teams continuously improve and perform at their best?" Inquire about how the company invests in its culture and its people. Is it a tick-box exercise, or is it a strategic priority? 3. Assess the Environment – Physical and Cultural: Tica Masuku’s insights on "topophilia" – the way people feel about a place – were fascinating. While you might not get a full office tour during an initial interview, you can still ask about the work environment: "How does the company approach creating a work environment (whether physical, virtual, or hybrid) that supports collaboration and focused work?" "How are values communicated and reinforced within teams on a day-to-day basis?" Ben Meneses-Sosa mentioned ubiquitous communication of values, even down to posters in bathroom stalls, and peer-nominated awards – these are tangible signs. Remember, as Karl Treacher warned, "Every reputation scandal starts in culture." A leadership team that is serious about high performance is also serious about building a healthy, ethical, and supportive culture. The Bottom Line for Candidates: Your interview process is a two-way street. It's as much about you assessing the company and its leadership as it is about them assessing you. By asking thoughtful, specific questions, you can gain valuable insights into whether a company’s leadership truly champions a high-performance culture where you can thrive. Look for leaders who are not just talking the talk but are actively walking the walk, fostering trust, psychological safety, and a genuine commitment to their people's success. After all, a culture where people thrive is the bedrock of sustainable high performance.

CULTURE that fuels high-performing teams