Getting Started into a new year – the highs and challenges in the current labour market.

When we face a new year – its often good to look back at the year just gone so we can take with us what worked, moving forward and adjust what we can to optimise our business.

2023 was an interesting year across Recruitment & Labour Hire with the general feeling that life and business was back to normal after the pandemic years and with it bought new ways of doing things & new challenges but it’s all part of business life, to adapt and prosper.

I thought I would share with you, some of the highlights and challenges of what we have experienced across Labour Hire & Recruitment in 2023.

Highs:

Emergence of Tech-driven Recruitment:

We have seen a remarkable change in technology-driven recruitment methodologies. In particular, AI-powered candidate screening has provided innovative tools, streamlined processes and enhancing candidate experiences. Bottom line, there’s still an essential need to speak to and meet candidates face to face to really understand the person and their suitability to a role.

Focus on Remote Work:

The conversation and attraction of remote work continues to shape recruitment strategies. Employers have been able to expand their search horizons, tapping into a broader talent pool beyond geographical confines, allowing for greater diversity and specialized skill sets. In saying that many companies are seeing a return to the office due to the many benefits of co-working.

Strong Emphasis on Employer Branding:

With skill-shortages and challenges in finding key staff, we have been speaking with clients about how to utilise employer branding, to attract the best talent by fostering a positive reputation that resonates with prospective candidates.

Challenges:

Skills Gap Dilemma:

The persistent challenge of bridging the skills gap persisted throughout 2023. Aligning skill sets with job requirements has been a considerable hurdle for employers, especially in niche industries.

Talent Retention Concerns:

Retaining talent became as critical as acquiring it. Attrition rates and the competition to retain skilled professionals is prompting companies to revisit their retention strategies and has seen the rise of the counter offer through 2023.

Evolving Expectations of Candidates:

As job seekers’ preferences evolved, so has their expectations around a role and workplace. Flexibility, career growth opportunities, and a strong work-life balance emerged as pivotal factors influencing candidates’ decisions.

Our take-away from 2023:

• We helped 90 businesses build their teams by way of recruitment support in 2023, with 77% of those placements coming from candidates in our database.
• We recruited across Trades & Services, IT & Telecomms, Healthcare, Mining & Utilities, Construction, Manufacturing, Industrial, Hospitality & Recreations, Transport & Logistics, Accounting, Real Estate, Retail & Agriculture.
• 80% of our Placements were Labour Hire & 20% Permanent Placements.

Reach out to us for a chat about how we can support your business in 2024.

Paul Callinan

General Manager

Recruit Personnel