Kara Bouchier

• Developed and enhanced strong client relationships that created work pipeline for the business.
• Increased candidate placements by developing and implementing targeted recruitment strategies.
• Achieved high retention rates by placing candidates in roles that aligned with their skills, interests, and long-term career goals.
• Drove business development efforts for my desk by identifying potential new clients within target industries or markets.
• Arranged face-to-face meetings with prospective clients to understand their requirements and preferences.
• Coordinated interviews between clients and candidates to ensure seamless scheduling and communication throughout the process.
• Collaborated with hiring managers to develop accurate job descriptions and identify key qualifications for open positions.
• Conducted comprehensive candidate screenings to assess skills, experience, and fit for specific roles.
• Networked and built relationships with potential candidates and industry professionals to identify potential candidates, stay informed about industry trends and gain insight into skills and qualifications in demand.
• Collaborated with managers to identify and address employee relations issues.
• Created job postings and job descriptions for boards.
• Negotiated competitive packages on behalf of clients and candidates to ensure successful placements.
• Managed recruitment process to keep candidates informed about application status and meet organisational recruitment goals.
• Conducted interviews with candidates to evaluate potential employees' qualifications.
• Operated and maintained applicant tracking and candidate management systems.
• Conducted background checks, reference checks and other pre-employment screenings, identifying candidates to meet hiring criteria.
• Expanded the company''s talent pool by actively sourcing candidates through networking, job boards, and social media platforms.
• Assisted with day-to-day operations, working efficiently and productively with all team members.
• Presented prospective and existing clients with rate proposals, terms of business.
• Coordinated WHS for new and existing clients.
• Conducted and organised pre-employment assessments for new and existing candidates inline with client an business requirements.
• Worked effectively in fast-paced environments.
• Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
• Cultivated interpersonal skills by building positive relationships with others.

In my role as the Store Manager for both the Chatswood and Paddington Boutiques, I held responsibility for overseeing the daily operations of the stores, nurturing the training and development of our teams, and discerning the needs and desires of our clients to effectively advance the company's objectives.

To successfully achieve KPI’s and targets my responsibilities included -

• Managing direct sales reports to the National Retail Manager
• Recruiting, training, supervising and appraising staff
• Dealing with customer queries and complaints
• Building strong client relationships through communication and follow up
• Setting/Meeting budgets and encouraging staff to do so
• End of day reconciliation
• Rostering and timesheets
• Liaising with Head Office
• Working closely with e-commerce and customer care team.

Home to over 70 luxury designer brands as Floor Manager I was responsible for managing a roster of 20 staff, with over 11 personnel who would directly report to myself each day at the Westfield, Sydney Femme Store

To ensure the team delivers a high level of service to a diverse client base, my role is to set them up for success by –

• Providing ongoing training to both new and existing staff; developing a shared understanding of what it takes to achieve their personal best.
• Leading a team that works well in a fast-paced environment, while developing a culture that ensures we rise to the challenge and constantly adapts to change.
• Setting goals to ensure budgets and KPI’s are met.
• Overseeing stock management.
• Demonstrating the importance of a well-presented store as a contributing factor to meeting both client and managerial expectations.
• Through effectively managing the floor, we provide our Store Manager with the confidence that our brand is well represented; providing our clients with the high fashion experience they deserve.

Pond Pty Ltd houses boutique fashion and homeware brands across its Sydney based stores

Reporting to the General Manager, my responsibilities as Fashion Store Manager of Pond Mosman included –

• Achieving overall sales targets; analysing financial and sell through reports
• Conducting and supervising day to day operations
• Staff recruitment, training and leadership
• Assisting the General Manager with e-commerce duties
• Managing direct reports to assist in achieving sales targets
• Rostering and timesheets for all stores
• Inventory management for all stores
• Visual merchandising

With a chain of fashion stores throughout Australia, Witchery was an opportunity to develop the sales and customer service skills essential in my furture roles.

Although in contrast to my more recent roles, as Complaints Manager & Field Customer Support Consultant at Telstra, I was placed in a fast paced, demanding call centre environment

Fielding calls via headset and managing from start to finish multiple complaint cases, the role provided a basis for my customer service and organisational skills; with patience and resilience being crucial components of my performance.