As recruiters we are often asked how the job market is performing. Various surveys show that employers are now more confident to hire, and the general consensus at our annual Hays Salary Guide launch, which was attended by over 125 employers last month, was that the ACT will experience a slowdown but it will remain in good fiscal shape.
This sentiment was echoed at a recent IPAA event. And according to findings in our 2014 Hays Salary Guide, 41% of employers see a more positive economic outlook on the horizon while 66% expect their levels of business activity to increase.
The challenge ahead for employers then will be navigating the paradox in our employment landscape – namely a shortage of highly skilled and experienced professionals and an oversupply of candidates without the necessary skills or experience.
Candidates too will need to navigate this market and ensure their career develops in the direction of skills shortages rather than candidate oversupply.
This paradox has remained a distinguishing feature of the ACT’s employment market for some time. Even during the global financial crisis demand and supply never correlated perfectly.
Thus there remains a shortage of the right type of labour in many sectors. This will only intensify as employers from other east coast capitals begin to compete for the top talent.
In most demand in the ACT are top tier legal professionals and those with employment law experience. Executive Assistants with clearances, Business Services accountancy professionals, CA or CPA qualified Financial Analysts, Civil Engineers, strong Credit Controllers, Property Managers and Payroll experts are also all in high demand but short supply in Canberra.
For more insights on the skills in demand, or current salary trends, please contact me.
Our 2014 Hays Salary Guide is now available and reveals salary and recruiting trends for over 1,000 roles in 14 locations including Canberra. It is based on a survey of over 2,500 employers as well as placements made by Hays.
Request your free copy today http://www.hays.com.au/ salary-guide/request-copy/index.htm.
