Is your glass half-empty or half-full?

By Anthony Whyte Vice-Chair - APSCo Australia, General Manager - Talent International

Covid continues to throw different scenarios at us, with many of our State Premiers on a different page to that of the Federal Government.

On top of this, our Federal Government continue to struggle by not making decisive or hard decisions, which are expected from the party in power rather than one playing the politics.

Unfortunately, NSW, VIC and more recently our friends in the ACT have been caught up in Covid breaches requiring harsh state lockdowns.

‘Is your Glass half empty or half full? This may resonate with many of you, but which best describes you and your business dealings of today and tomorrow? If you are like me, you will be jumping between the two often several times daily.

At Talent, we have never been busier across all our business lines. Our Solutions and Consulting arms continue to go from strength-to strength as does our agency division, which is inundated with hundreds of permanent and contract opportunities, hence the ‘optimism’.

Like a lot of things, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and here comes the pessimism. Whilst the work is there, the ability to find great candidates is proving a major stumbling block for most recruiters. In days past, a job offer led to a placement, yet now we are looking at circa 60 - 75% placement ratios. The reasons are endless but the major three are:

1. Good candidates have multiple opportunities on the go at the same time and in many cases, multiple offers (the average being 2.7 offers at once) – hence they are in the driver’s seat.

2. Counter Offers – money and financial incentives continue to play a big part in the decision-making process. No company wants to lose its people.

3. Remote work and flexibility –now a must-have as our way of working has changed dramatically due to Covid.

It’s fair to say that the last quarter has again been an interesting one on many fronts.

In summary, Covid isn’t going away anytime soon; the vaccination up-take is slow in some regions but heading in the right direction. Both interstate and international travel will remain scarce, yet the volume of work and demand for staff will continue to grow at rapid pace.

It is therefore imperative as a Recruiter to understand your strengths and have your sourcing strategy on point. For clients who may be losing staff or struggling to hire, understand your company selling points, because if you don’t, you’re well and truly out of the game.

Companies that are well-led; have a clear vision and importantly deliver on this vision will go from strength-to-strength in difficult times. Make sure you’re in this camp, otherwise your business recovery will be slow and painful but hopefully not terminal.