As we enter our second quarter for 2021, I’m sure many of you are like myself and wondering where the first three months went! The temp recruitment market has been busier than ever and we have started to see the volume of opportunities back to the levels of pre COVID (March 2020), which is really pleasing to see.
Whether you’re looking for work or looking to hire temporary or contract staff for your own business, here are some of the trends I’m currently seeing in the temporary market:
Skill Shortages and Flexibility
We are currently working in a candidate short market, meaning that we are experiencing a shortage of candidates across several industries including Finance, Human Resources, IT and Marketing. This is due to a number of factors, including the lack of working holiday visa workers in the local markets, the lack of skilled migrants entering Australia, as well as candidates with in-demand skill sets being paid above market rates resulting in little movement in the job market. This has increased the demand for temporary staff to plug skill gaps, and with skill shortages also impacting the temporary recruitment market, this has meant we’ve had to think outside the square when filling temporary placements. Sometimes “thinking outside the square” will mean asking questions such as; “Can this role be done in a part-time capacity?”, “Is job-share an option?”, “Is there flexibility to work remotely or in a hybrid capacity?” These questions can help to determine how we can solve your resource problems and deliver against your job brief.
Availability
The more availability you have to work, the easier it is to be able to place you in temporary employment. Whilst I know that personal commitments don’t always allow everyone to be available for full time hours, can it be possible to commit to this in a short-term capacity? This is a conversation I’m having regularly with candidates. Temping can certainly offer flexibility, but it’s about looking at flexibility in a different way as well. If your ideal scenario is working part time, can part time work be three weeks on and one week off? It’s about working with what is on offer and making this type of employment work for you. It’s about knowing what your options are and the spin-off benefits that can come from temporary work. I’ve witnessed on several occasions’ candidates committing to short-term full-time hours when it’s not ideally what they are seeking. However, because of their work ethic, commitment and general work performance, the candidate often ends up in the driver’s seat. The employer is keen to keep them on past their initial assignment and they then have more power to negotiate their ideal work scenario. You’ll find many companies are more than willing to be flexible on working hours if you’ve proven yourself in the job first.
Pre-Employment Checks
Another growing trend is for temporary workers to have completed pre-employment checks before commencing in their assignment, with the most common requests being for a clear police check with no disclosures and a current Working with Children Check (WWCC). Whilst these requirements are determined by the host employer, in recent times we have seen candidates miss out on temporary placements simply because they do not hold a valid WWCC or current clear police check. My recommendation for those seeking to work in a temporary capacity is to obtain both of these pre-employment checks in anticipation for securing work. There is an initial cost outlay to obtain these; however, it can be the difference between securing work or not, or in some cases a loss of wages (which could be up to 2 weeks) if the host employer is prepared to wait for you to obtain these. Once you’ve obtained these, be sure to promote them on your resume too!
End of Financial Year Looming
With the end of the financial year less than 3 months away, companies are now focused on deadlines and delivering against budgets, projects and company business objectives. Whilst there is typically an end of financial year frenzy in the lead up to June 30, this is usually contained within the finance sector; however, this year there is demand across a number of industries focused on end of financial year deadlines. I believe this has been driven by COVID and the lockdown periods in the later part of 2020 where the focus became more about survival and navigating through as a remote workforce. With many organisations now returning to the office in some capacity and some sort of normality returning to our everyday lives, the focus is back on starting to look forward to the future again and meeting deadlines as a priority.
If you’d like to know more about the benefits of temping and the current market or calibre of candidates that we are currently working with, please feel free to contact me on 0427 539 233.
Disclaimer: The material contained in this publication is of a general nature only. It is not, nor is intended to be, legal advice. If you wish to act based on the content of this publication, we recommend that you seek professional advice.
