Australia’s business environment is focused on growth this year, which means business leaders everywhere are looking for talent to help them seize new opportunities and reach their potential. It’s time to hire, but – at the same time – Australian employers are also facing one of the most challenging candidate-short markets the country has seen in decades which is threatening expansion plans and continued success. Talent solutions provider Robert Half discusses how companies can attract top employees in today’s highly competitive recruitment market.
Candidates are in the driving seat
As demand for specialised functions remains at an all-time high, especially within the fields of finance and technology, professionals such as financial analysts, developers, and cyber-security specialists are highly sought after. Job vacancies are exceeding pre-pandemic levels putting talented candidates firmly in the driving seat. The competitive recruiting environment means many companies are at risk of high staff turnover which can be costly to businesses – financially and otherwise. Elevated staff turnover can result in critical skills gaps which delay or disrupt strategic projects, poor workforce morale, loss of knowledge, and skyrocketing recruitment and training costs. Proactively building a talent pipeline and investing in succession planning and professional development will help set companies up for success.
A strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP) matters
With jobseekers in control and the most highly skilled candidates often receiving multiple job offers, counteroffers and generous salaries, companies are under pressure to review their hiring strategy to secure the right skillsets at the right time. To attract and retain top talent, companies must develop, and promote, a strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP) which recognises candidates’ motivations and meets their expectations in a new world of work.
Aside from competitive remuneration, jobseekers are assessing employers for their impact and contribution to communities; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) policies; and health and wellbeing initiatives. With pandemic disruption encouraging professionals to seek out employers whose values are most closely aligned with their own, flexible working and career progression have also become highly sought-after workplace benefits.
Cutting down the time to hire
Even with the right workplace policies and values in place, the time it takes to hire, which is the time from publishing a job ad to extending a job offer, is crucial to successfully securing top talent. Especially in the tech and finance sector where new niche skills are widely recognised as the key to unlocking growth potential, companies must act fast to avoid missing out on their preferred candidate.
Leveraging expert support to access the best talent
Developing a clear hiring strategy capable of cutting through in a changing and highly competitive marketplace is essential, but it’s also important to partner with the right expert support who can help you gain access to the best candidates. Robert Half has over 70 years’ experience as the world’s largest specialised talent solutions provider for finance, technology, and business support staff.
Specialising in sourcing and placing candidates on both on a contract and permanent basis for several decades, Robert Half understands what it takes to help companies find the skills they need to succeed and expand. Despite the competitive hiring landscape, we’re continuously growing our network of high-quality candidates by engaging the passive market – those who aren’t actively looking for a new role – and pre-screening talent for critical skills and competencies.
As your dedicated advocate in the job market, Robert Half can help you attract the right talent to achieve your business goals and, importantly, cut the time it takes to hire for your role whether you’re looking for an early-to-mid-career employee, filling a C-suite role, or considering our flexible short-term staffing options. By working with Robert Half, you’ll benefit from an expert consultant who is highly experienced in your sector and can offer a tailored service based on an in-depth analysis of your hiring needs and company culture.
Importantly, with one of the largest candidate databases in the industry, our experts will guide your business at all stages of the hiring journey and decision points to ensure you find and secure the best match in the shortest possible time.
