Insights

​Why job ads are attracting fewer candidates….

There seems to be a very common misconception in the Australian job market at the moment – and that’s that there are so many candidates looking and applying for jobs right now, that roles should be easy to fill. Well, nothing could be further from the truth!

Job ads are slowly returning to pre-COVID levels and according to SEEK data, by November 2020, there was an increase of 8.6% month on month. The frustrating thing for employers and recruiters alike, is right now, this positive trend isn’t being matched by a similar overall increase in applications.

So, what is causing this disconnect and what can we do about it?​

Job security

COVID-19 impacted our working lives dramatically, so much so that job seekers’ priorities shifted. Almost overnight, job security became the number one priority for so many people – it even outweighed getting a pay rise – which has traditionally been such a high priority for candidates.

SEEK reported that 31% of Australian’s who said they were planning on leaving their current job decided to stay because of COVID-19. That took a lot of good candidates out of the market and from a recruiter’s perspective, it became harder to approach people, as so many didn’t want to even consider a move at such an uncertain time.​

JobKeeper

There is no doubt that JobKeeper has been a blessing for many businesses and employees however, for many candidates JobKeeper has provided a psychological ‘security blanket’. It has allowed many to focus on caring for children and family – relieving them from the need to seek a new role.

With JobKeeper coming to an end on 31st March 2021, we expect this to change – but for now, many may be just monitoring the market, but aren’t quite ready to apply yet.​

New Year

We generally find that the new year can have an impact on job applications as plenty of people are still on annual leave, and immediate issues – such as getting children settled in school, take priority of career change/advancement.​

Border closures

Previously in Australia, immigration has brought a supply of international candidates into the job market – especially ones that are looking for temporary work assignments.

With much stricter visa requirements for Australian companies, border closures for international travellers and fewer Australian citizens returning home – there are fewer international candidates applying for Australian jobs. This has had a serious impact on the temporary job market.

Success in finding the right candidate may now require employers to approach things a bit differently. Job seekers are being more selective when choosing which roles they apply for, so you may like to tailor your recruitment strategy around what attracts people (Australian job seekers) to a role like yours. In light of the current climate, revamping your Employee Value Proposition to highlight what makes your role, and the company, an enticing place to work should be the first step.​

Ensuring you have a great job ad and are using all your resources has never been so important. Be pro-active and don’t always wait for the candidate to come to you…. Here at BWS Recruitment, we approach our network of passive candidates (those that are not actively looking for a new role) as part of a broader strategy to find the right talent for a particular role – especially those roles that are hard to fill. Businesses may also consider searching directly for talent, reaching out to their networks, reaching out to previous applicants, and looking internally among existing employees to promote.