The Australian HR recruitment market remains unpredictable. Just when you think it’s all slowing down ahead of the inevitable Christmas and New Year break, we get a burst of demand when some organisations just “have to have”. The shopping list for some organisations ahead of the holiday season has included a Santa sack full of HR professionals to help face the inevitable challenges of 2013. The forward planning demonstrated by this group is impressive – preferring to compete for talent now rather than wait for the New Year’s resolution makers in late January and February.
There seems to be a lot of interest in Australia for ‘good old’ employee relations capability. The legal environment here is evolving all the time and good internal systems and processes are seen as a great way to mitigate risk. The result is ER and strategic ER advice has been very much in demand. Talent development and talent acquisition continues to be a growth area as Australia continues to move down the path of building more in sourced solutions in both these areas at quite a pace. Additionally, senior specialists in workplace health and safety and remuneration and benefits are always in demand and, due to short supply, professionals in these areas almost always find themselves on the ‘most wanted’ list.
Another trend I have seen this year is the growth in HR System implementation and the rise of the HR systems and Metrics Manager, as organisations have a greater demand for reporting and the budget constraints around headcount have become all the more tangible. The response by business here in Australia has been to seek a technology solution. There has been much more recruitment of HR Professionals in this field this year and I expect it to continue to be a cornerstone of the business response to HR headcount challenges in the year to come.
I believe 2013 is going to be a year very like 2012; overall a challenging market but with pockets of joy. We are going to see some organisations grow, expand and become more sophisticated while investing in HR management and talent, whilst some organisations will have their appetites curtailed by the economic rationalists in their businesses. Australia no longer has an invincible economic environment; forecast growth next year according to the OECD for Australia is 3%. Some of the shine has come off commodities and certainly some infrastructure development has been curtailed alongside that. Government spending is down and we, like many others around the world, are truly living within our means now.
There seems to be a lot of interest in Australia for ‘good old’ employee relations capability. The legal environment here is evolving all the time and good internal systems and processes are seen as a great way to mitigate risk. The result is ER and strategic ER advice has been very much in demand. Talent development and talent acquisition continues to be a growth area as Australia continues to move down the path of building more in sourced solutions in both these areas at quite a pace. Additionally, senior specialists in workplace health and safety and remuneration and benefits are always in demand and, due to short supply, professionals in these areas almost always find themselves on the ‘most wanted’ list.
Another trend I have seen this year is the growth in HR System implementation and the rise of the HR systems and Metrics Manager, as organisations have a greater demand for reporting and the budget constraints around headcount have become all the more tangible. The response by business here in Australia has been to seek a technology solution. There has been much more recruitment of HR Professionals in this field this year and I expect it to continue to be a cornerstone of the business response to HR headcount challenges in the year to come.
I believe 2013 is going to be a year very like 2012; overall a challenging market but with pockets of joy. We are going to see some organisations grow, expand and become more sophisticated while investing in HR management and talent, whilst some organisations will have their appetites curtailed by the economic rationalists in their businesses. Australia no longer has an invincible economic environment; forecast growth next year according to the OECD for Australia is 3%. Some of the shine has come off commodities and certainly some infrastructure development has been curtailed alongside that. Government spending is down and we, like many others around the world, are truly living within our means now.
I want to reiterate that there will be great opportunities for good HR professionals in Australia in 2013; though one would have to recognise the competitive nature of the job market. Without doubt there will be an ongoing supply shortage of some specialists in the future and, in this environment, great candidates are always going to be highly regarded and highly sought after.
If you are thinking about returning to Australia, have decided to migrate or you are coming over on a working holiday, feel free to contact me for an informal chat. We operate in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and beyond and will be able to point you in the right direction whatever your focus, expertise and ambitions.
