Job vacancies open up but volatile market continues

The number of job vacancies rose 3.2% in 2010, with food, transport and logistics experiencing strong demand, according to IPA Recruitment.

IPA Recruitment chief executive Tricia Phillips says the employment market will remain volatile in 2011 in Australia’s ‘two-speed’ economy.

Not surprisingly, Phillips expects mining and associated industries to be the main drivers for jobs growth, with the pursuit of resources generating employment growth in this market.

“Equally, business associated with the mining and resources market will also continue to enjoy an upturn,” she says.

According to Phillips, quality of candidates will remain the biggest issue for employers in 2011.

“As employers drive up the volume of candidates that approach the organisation, they must deal with the counterproductive aspect that this can create a longer recruitment process to find the right quality,” Phillips says.

“Businesses need to make the recruitment process smooth and stick to a clear timeline – candidates will often judge an employer by the recruitment process.”

Phillips says the start of a new year is a common time for people to rethink their career goals and begin searching for bigger, better roles.

“It is important that employers make retention a priority in January. Employers need to engage staff and look at training and development options for 2011,” Phillips says.

IPA Recruitment issued its top tips for employers in 2011:

1. Think about your workforce planning. Have you considered how a skill shortage will affect you?

2. Assess your training needs for the future as this may assist you in avoiding any gaps later on.

3. Look at your workforce demographic. Will you see a number of people potentially retire over the next two years and is your business prepared for the loss of IP?

4. Do you have a key message that you would like all candidates to understand? Are you sure that all of the people interviewing in your business are trained and clear on the key message?

5. Review how you attract your candidates. Using a variety of tools will help.

6. Competitor analysis is a great benchmark. Make sure you keep up-to-date on any innovation or significant change that may make your competitor more attractive as an employer.

7. Monitor your turnover. Exit interviews can give great insights into areas for improvement.