So far, the beginning of 2021 has been a pleasant surprise across the recruitment industry. The current unemployment rate has dropped to 7.68% which demonstrates that the economy is becoming healthier. Based on an article from Labour Force Australia, the unemployment rate in Queensland in January was approximately 7%. Whilst, this is a promising figure there are a new set of challenges that come along with a lower unemployment rate.

Working in the resources industry, we have seen an increased demand for Australian coal, iron ore, sugar and livestock as well as an increase in infrastructure projects in Queensland. Subsequently, this has created an increased demand of top talent for many organisations. Companies are needing this talent faster than ever to keep up with the evolving market.

Hiring new staff, replacing exiting staff or working on retention is a day to day challenge for many employers currently. We have seen a complete transformation of the market within the last several months. We went from a low number of jobs and high number of candidates on the market in December, to a high number of jobs and a limited pool of candidates in early 2021.

We all know that the hiring process can have its delays and hurdles along the way, and this can be very stressful for employers/hiring managers. Due to this, it is now more important than ever to ensure your recruitment process is as efficient as possible. Below are few tips on how to speed up the recruitment process and the benefits of using an agency such as Optimum Consulting.

Utilise your internal network

You should always encourage your current staff members to apply for internal positions and promotions. This will help you with employee engagement, and you will also retain staff members who are looking for a change in their career path.

If there is not anyone suited for a job internally, before going to market, offer your employees an incentive to go to their networks and refer people who might suit your business.

Don’t delay your offer

From my recent experience, if you have found the right person for your business, make that offer with as much haste as you can. The luxury of time we had few months ago is no longer there and good candidates now have multiple opportunities they can pursue, so do not lose that perfect candidate because your process took too long.

Get a recruitment agency involved.

I mean… why not? Internally, your talent pools, day to day interactions, and finding out what is happening can be limited, unless you are very proactive.

Agency based Recruitment Consultants have the knowledge, experience, and resources to speed up the recruitment process and find the rarest talent by using their network and connections.

Build a talent pipeline (long term)

Recently, there has been a trend of HR professionals joining internal HR/Talent Acquisition teams. This is to prepare organisations for what is and will continue to be a candidate driven market. Building a talent pipeline as soon as possible, will set businesses up for success in the long run as they will have a pool of candidates ready to go, when the demand is there.

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