Solving the Talent
Shortage in Australia

34% of Australian employers say they can’t fill open jobs. That’s the lowest since 2006.
The Australian talent shortage figure compares to a global average of 45%. Now in its 12th year, the ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage research is the largest global human capital survey of its kind.

Read on to see what's driving this skills gap and discover a new approach to the talent shortage: build, buy, borrow or bridge to ensure your workforce has the talent it needs to remain competitive in the digital age.

Share this

34%

of employers in Australia report
difficulty recruiting

Shortage in Australia Over Time

Globally, we found that more employers than ever are struggling to fill open jobs. In Australia, the latest data reveals that the number of employers reporting a lack of skills as a major impediment to hiring has trended down over the last five years, and is now sitting well below the global average at 34%.

Watch to Find Out More About the Global Talent Shortage

Talent Shortage by Company Size

In Australia medium and large companies (50-249 and 250+ employees) have twice as much difficulty filling roles as micro firms (less than 10 employees).

Small organisations (10-49) are feeling the pinch too, with 32% struggling to attract the skills they need.

Which Roles Are Most Difficult to Fill in Australia?

Skilled Trades followed by Sales Representatives and Engineers are the hardest roles to fill in Australia.

Top Drivers of Talent Shortage

Lack of applicants, lack of required hard skills, and lack of experience are the top drivers of talent shortages in Australia. As companies go digital and roles transform, finding candidates with the right blend of technical skills and human strengths, such as communication, collaboration and problem solving, is more important than ever.

Color key

Lack of applicants
Lack of experience
Applicants lack required hard skills

Applicants lack required soft skills
Applicants expect higher pay than offered
Applicants expecting better benefits than offered

An issue specific to my organization
Other/don’t know

Leveraging the Talent Shortage Research

Winning in the digital age demands faster, more targeted approaches than ever before. To keep pace in today’s Skills Revolution an effective talent strategy should comprise a blend of four key elements: build, buy, borrow and bridge.

Build

INVEST IN LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT TO GROW YOUR TALENT PIPELINE

Buy

GO TO MARKET TO ATTRACT TALENT THAT CANNOT BE BUILT IN-HOUSE

Borrow

CULTIVATE COMMUNITIES OF TALENT OUTSIDE THE ORGANISATION

Bridge

HELP PEOPLE MOVE ON AND MOVE UP TO NEW ROLES INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE ORGANISATION

What Does Success Look Like?

Learn how ManpowerGroup has helped organisations from around the world address their toughest talent shortage challenges.

North America: A Unique Combination Delivers a Successful Volume Recruiting Strategy

One of the world’s largest food and beverage companies was struggling to fill several thousand roles in a short period of time.

New Zealand: End-to-End Support Enables IT Firm to Source Hard-to-Find Talent

A leading provider of IT products and services experienced challenges recruiting highly specialised talent.

[ADD COUNTRY NAME]: orem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor case studies need separate captions.

Let’s Discuss Your Talent
Shortage Challenges

An organisation’s unique challenges around talent shortage requires a personalised approach. As workforce experts, ManpowerGroup Australia finds work for millions of people every year across 80 countries, helping hundreds of thousands of companies attract, assess, develop, and retain skilled workers.

Find out how we can help your organisation find and retain the best talent in this digital age.

Solving the TalentShortage in Australia

34%

of employers in Australia reportdifficulty recruiting