Jobs up, rates up - candidates down

John McCluskey Director - APSCo Australia, Managing Director - Whizdom Recruitment

May was an interesting month with the first face-to-face conference, Emerge 2021, held in Sydney. It was a cracking event, and it was great again to be meeting in person.

Emerge 2021 provided some really good takeaways for me, especially around marketing from Mike Beeley. I must admit I am usually one to turn off when it comes to self-promoting marketing disruptors or guru’s, but I was totally engaged by the different mechanisms and tools for talent attraction in this candidate short market from Mike.

Some of the other speakers, especially from Gadens and Ready Set Recruit, who spoke around the changes to casual employment and the impacts and considerations for recruitment companies with labour hire/contingent businesses was a huge eye opener and very informative.

If organisations are dismissing this, you are opening yourself up to huge risks to your business and I encourage people to get advice on their contracts and processes going forward.

The timing of the event was pretty much perfect, with Melbourne going back into lockdown just days after.

Now for a quick update on the market in General. We have seen job ads up in record numbers, but candidate responses and availability at record lows. It is a candidate short market nationally, and we all have to look at different methods of attraction for candidates.

As an industry, we must adapt to continue to show value to our clients and promote a value proposition to candidates.

The Canberra market is still strong and with only 3.5% unemployment. T

here continues to be a shortfall in available candidates, with many reluctant to leave existing roles where employers supported them during COVID, which is honourable.

The shortfall in candidates is putting pressure on client rates, particularly with roles requiring security clearances.

We expect this environment will continue over the next 12 months.