Clients, welcome to our new website and our blog.  The goal is to help you stay on top of those things that are taking place in the Australian work place that have bearing on the way you recruit for your business.  For this reason, a snap shot of the current market seems like a good place to start.

Overall, the Australian work place is in a state of evolution and flux.  It is generally accepted by everyone that we have possibly seen the end of those days where people held a 'job for life'.  The mood has swung from a focus on employment to broader discussions about engagement. 

The regulatory landscape has changed dramatically. The introduction of and subsequent dismantling of Workchoices has left many employers out of pocket and confused about new compliance requirements.  Many are working through the new IR framework and tackling the complexities of operating under tandem systems, especially where existing contracts and agreements were signed under Workchoices.

Prior to the Global Financial Crisis, there was a massive trend toward the use of external workforce resource.  This is evidenced by the fact that the fastest growing category in the employment market over the past five years has been contract professionals.  Australia is one of the leading western countries for contractors as a percentage of the workforce (estimated 28% of Australian Workforce is temporary, part-time or contractors, that is1.9 million workers.)  Although contractors are often the first to be cut when economic conditions are volatile, the sharp contraction in available contract roles eased, as quickly as it arrived, and conditions have improved.

Generationally, Australians are becoming accustomed to the idea that they have a portfolio of skills that can be offered to any number of 'employing clients', which is further evidence that 'contract culture' has become part of our employment idioms. It is a popular notion with Generation Y but the impact of the GFC has once again turned eyes to the benefits that come with engaging the skills and experience of mature workers.   Generation Y has grappled with the idea that the offer of a job may not be awaiting them when school is out or University is completed. On the other hand, Baby Boomers have been proving their ability to steer their way through the challenges of an economy at the brink of recession.

Immigration laws have also impacted on our choices as employers.  The fact is that 1:5 people in your business over the next ten years will likely have English as a second language or speak with a different accent.  This has real implications for the way you develop your HR culture and will also affect other areas of the business such as training. 

The climate change debate is also fuelling discussion about what is needed to skill the country and prepare our workforce for tackling business in a carbon constrained economy.  "Greenskilling" and "Green Collar workers" are two concepts that didn't exist only a few years ago and today, they are emerging as important issues for employers to understand.

Stay tuned!