The 2008 Aussie Employment Outlook 10-01 22nd Feb 2008

Another tough year lies ahead for Aussie businesses, with many employers seeking to expand their workforce but facing the same skills shortage. So what are the best steps to take?

Debbie Loveridge, CEO of Vedior Asia Pacific, offers the following creative attraction strategies:

1. The struggle to attract and retain talent

The days of being a nervous, tongue-tied job applicant sweating through an interview to impress are long gone. Employees have the upper hand, with the ‘traditional’ interview dynamic reversed as good talent becomes more difficult to find.

Employers will focus on offering more, and being more accommodating to attract and retain employees. They will offer more competitive remuneration packages, work-life balance opportunities, employee benefits and part-time and flexible working conditions. Even if organisations haven’t previously embraced adaptable working conditions, they will quickly realise the need to do so in order to meet the demands of their current and future workforce.

2. Sell, sell, sell your organisation

In this talent-short environment employers will realise the need to invest in ‘selling’ themselves to potential employees. Throughout 2008, many more organisations will be focusing extra effort, time and money into building their employer brand. They will be implementing innovative attraction strategies, with a strong focus on Corporate Social Responsibility programmes to support employer and employee values and ensure their employer brand stands out from its competitors.

3. Headhunting will continue to rise

According to the 2008 Vedior Asia Pacific Employment Trends Survey (to be released in March 2008), 42 per cent of Australian organisations are using executive search/headhunting more frequently as part of their recruitment process. Once thought of as exclusive to very senior and executive roles, one in five of respondents now use the method for sourcing junior talent. Headhunting will also continue to rise for technical/specialist roles and professions which are experiencing extreme shortages such as accounting and engineering.

4. Watch the online space

The online environment will make an even greater impression on the market. Those who are not yet familiar with MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and Second Life will realise the need to invest in understanding how to use these new social networking tools and then establishing a presence online in order to capture this market. Targeting these networking sites, employers can source and speak to new talent and keep abreast of industry news. Smart employers will make their online networks an extension of their online job boards – making a fully integrated online HR strategy.