State Of The Recruitment Market

I thought some positive news during lockdown in Sydney might brighten your day, and it's good news for candidates .... we are very short of talent.  This won't come as a shock to employers who have been hiring lately, but many of our candidates are pleasantly surprised to learn how buoyant the market is.  Let's remind ourselves of current market conditions.

• Our unemployment rate dropped again recently and currently sits at 4.9%.  This is the lowest unemployment rate we have seen since December 2010.
• Job vacancies are 60% higher than pre-COVID levels.
• We have very little immigration.
• University graduate numbers are down.
• Many organisations have suffered during the pandemic, but plenty have done very well and some have had record years.  During 2020, though financially sound, many firms refrained from hiring.  Now they find they can no longer sustain production while under-resourced and they are scouting for talent.

We regularly field calls from clients who are struggling to fill roles themselves, which is where our candidate database comes in.  Through us, clients can access candidates who:

• aren’t active in the market
• have no interest in responding to recruitment advertisements
• will consider a tap on the shoulder, for an ideal opportunity

Our candidates know we call them regularly to update their database record.  We do this so we know exactly what their next “ideal role” looks like.  70% of our roles are filled from our candidate database, so smart candidates know it’s worthwhile returning our calls to keep their file up to date.

Candidates, if you are worried about the risk of changing employer, you can rest assured.  We only work on an exclusive basis and we insist on a thorough recruitment brief, that means we won't waste your valuable time by working with clients who aren't fully committed.  We are all experienced recruiters and we value transparency, so if we discuss a role with you that we ultimately think isn't right for you, we will tell you.  In addition, we won’t work with companies who aren't doing well financially, have a bad culture, treat their staff poorly or have a high staff turnover, which vastly reduces your chance of joining the wrong organisation.

My advice to candidates is, if you are in a role you’re not enjoying, don't feel trapped, there are good career opportunities for the taking.  For clients trying to access talent, we will be able to assist you.  To get more information, or just have a confidential chat, call us on 02 8765 9700.

On a personal note, I hope this blog finds you safe and well.   I’m aware so many of you are fed up with lockdown and are waiting intently to see infection numbers trend down.  Let’s hope that happens soon.  For my part, I’m now fully vaccinated and I hope supply will soon allow vaccination for all who choose to get a shot.