Recruitment Blog

What shifts are we seeing in the recruitment and talent acquisition sector?

Sarah Linney

Content Marketing Manager at JobAdder

The latest JobAdder Global Industry Report is now live and we’re seeing significant shifts in the recruitment and talent acquisition sector.

As seen in previous quarterly reports, job growth has continued to rise, demonstrating strong job growth across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the US and Canada.

Unfortunately, applications are declining and days to place are rising, showcasing the ripple effects of candidate shortages across the globe.

Recruitment thought leader, Greg Savage, states that we’re seeing a swift change in the employment dynamic.

“The bounce-back in hiring demand has been stunning, the rapid return to candidate shortages was unexpected and the resulting challenges are very real indeed. In many areas, companies simply cannot hire the skills they need. Candidate behaviour, aspirations and job ‘wish lists’ have shifted in numerous ways, some very unexpected.”

“There is definitely a supply issue, with closed borders [in Australia and New Zealand] not helping, but there has also been a change in candidates’ willingness to apply, as they are being approached daily. In-demand potential job-changers are being very selective, as you would expect.”

In Australia, JobAdder agency users were posting an average of 54.42 jobs in Q3 2021, a slight increase from the average of 54.20 in Q2 and a significant jump from the average of 47.13 in Q1 2021. Recruitment thought leader and trusted advisor Greg Savage states that this result should be viewed within a wider context.

“This result must be seen in the context of severe lockdowns in both Victoria and New South Wales, two states which account for more than half of the Australian economy. So, for jobs created to rise, albeit slightly, in that environment is a powerful indicator of the underlying strength of the Australian job market, and the high possibility of a significant spike in hiring in Q4, as lockdowns ease.”

In New Zealand, agency users were posting an average of 50.73 jobs in Q3 2021. This was a slight dip from the previous quarter with an average of 52.96. However, we still see impressive year-on-year gains in this market, rising from 28.40 in Q3 2020 to the aforementioned 50.73 in Q3 this year.

The US saw a significant increase from 39.31 in Q1 2021 to 53.25 in Q2 and 55.56 in Q3, hitting a higher number than both the Australian and New Zealand markets. In the UK, the upward trend has continued, it just hasn’t mirrored the growth seen in the US. UK agency users were posting an average of 39.77 jobs in Q1 2021, 45.25 jobs in Q2 and 48.30 jobs in Q3.

Our Q3 2021 Global Industry Report – Recruitment and Talent Acquisition reveals more data and insights, including applications per job rates and days to place across the globe. Download the free report now.