Recently, Hays compiled a set of the most important talent trends in Australia for 2016, which included advice from recruitment experts who have explored the impact of technology on the recruitment industry.
The relationship between these top recruitment trends and client organisations are important to understand for effective talent management in 2016.
The rise of the flexible workforce
Employers will seek to hire new workers under long-term contracts and temporary arrangements to ensure a flexible headcount.
There is modest growth expected in public agencies, but mainly for contract and temp workers.
Job candidates should remain receptive to temporary and contract jobs marketed by a managed service provider or other agency so as not to limit their job opportunities.
A greater emphasis on STEM professions
Employers want to hire more candidates with knowledge and experience in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Companies, universities, and government agencies will engage in more search and development, thus adding more STEM jobs.
The influence of big data
With the heavy focus on data analytics in 2015, more employers will make decisions based on their data trends. They will consider how to grow and hire more in response to trends. Workers can respond by adding more skills in the area of interpreting data analytics.
A focus on workplace diversity
Employers, especially in financial services, are considering the importance of having recruits from both genders.
Having more female candidates, for example, is important for the banking industry, mining, and oil and gas where males traditionally hold the higher paying jobs. In IT, employers also want to recruit fresh candidates from higher education programs and encourage females to select careers in technology. There is an upward trend in the number of indigenous workers becoming employed in metropolitan areas, especially in Perth.
More concentration on security
Organisations must determine how to keep their data safe. They will need to respond quickly if they are hit with a cyber-attack. They will want to upgrade their security systems and rely more heavily on cloud and wireless technologies. People who know how to work with firewalls, provide cyber security, and engineers with certifications CISM and CISSP will be in greater demand.
Increased demand for digital and mobile applications
Organisations are only as effective as their ability to reach their user base. They will make more mobile apps for consumers and business partners to use. People who know how to develop these applications for web and mobile or have user experience/user interface expertise will need to be hired.
Marketing and research professionals will be hired to help employers understand how customers interact with different websites and apps. Workers must understand apps and how they can express a company’s brand.
A move to Development and Operations
With the term ‘Dev Ops’ on the rise, employers will need to work faster to roll out software, which creates a need for DevOps professionals and engineering managers specialising in software development and application deployment to increase their skill set. They must prepare to assist their employers with meeting the demand for better software.
The importance of the Customer Experience (CX)
With a heavier emphasis on CX, organisations will place their target consumer at the centre. The customer focus will drive all operations. Employers may use a contractor to hire individuals who can craft appropriate messages for the customer and communicate to them across all marketing platforms.
The need for adaptable recruits
Employers will keenly examine each candidate’s ability to respond to change. This will include a shift from competency-based questions in interviews to questions involving how recruits respond to changing scenarios.
The responsibility of HR to drive content marketing
Inside organisations, HR experts will work to create engaging content for their targeted recruits. They will use blogs, social media accounts and videos to express the unique culture of the organisation. People seeking jobs should create a CV that expresses how they match a particular organisation and job role.
The appeal of healthcare careers
More healthcare organisations in Australia will have an increase in vacant jobs. Employers must explore how to hire the best healthcare workers, particularly in regional and rural areas. People looking for career changes should consider a healthcare job because health facilities are popping up all over Australia to serve an aging population.
The overhaul of recruitment outsourcing
Recruitment outsourcing (RPO) will change dramatically as more employers will look to outside agencies to assist with their hiring. Smaller agencies that hire fewer than 100 people per year even look for RPO assistance, particularly for careers in pharmacy, engineering, and the life sciences. Both public and private employers will increasingly use managed service provider (MSP) agencies to hire blue-collar workers.
