Employers must adapt to the skill shortage and embrace change, says Simon Cox from HorizonOne Recruitment following the release of his report into Canberra's employment market challenges.
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Accessing national talent pools and managing geographically dispersed teams is now an essential strategy for tackling Canberra's talent shortages, the report found.
"While many managers may still roll their eyes at the difficulties [remote and hybrid work] creates for them, the approach of hiring the best workers regardless of where they live is here to stay," he advised.
"To attract and retain top talent, you need to give them what they ask for."
Mr Cox recommended staying engaged with potential new recruits and making offers to top candidates within 48 hours of a successful interview as a needed step to keep those candidates interested, while they're fielding multiple offers from other employers.
"Verbal offers, if done in the right way, will lock down that person if they're interested in the role."
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That shift will be particularly difficult for government, he admits, but says some public sector entities are exploring how they can speed up the process. In some types of roles, that includes having background checks done based on a draft shortlist before the final shortlist is decided.
Government could also ease up on citizenship requirements on workers in agencies with lower security risks, he said.
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Harley Dennett
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
