State is experiencing transport contracts flux as costs are passed on
Some may fail to see South Australia as a logistics recruitment demand focus but the analysts at Hays say the market there has opened up somewhat.
Firms are looking to fill lower-to- middle-manager roles, such as logistics, shift operation and inventory managers and import/export coordinators, but there are some for shop floor roles, mostly reach stackers.
“In South Australia, many manufacturers and defence firms have been forced to reassess their contracts in response to increases passed on by transport companies,” the authors of the Hays Quarterly Report of hiring hotspots and recruitment trends say.
“This has led to some key movements in the industry, which in turn has generated job opportunities as smaller firms grow rapidly to deliver their service.
“Employers continue to focus on temporary assignments when they recruit, although positions at the supervisor and above level are usually offered on a permanent basis. Most vacancies are reactive and are the result of contract wins.
“It is also becoming common to engage a candidate in a three to six month temporary assignment before offering them a permanent role.
“Overall, the quality of available candidates is decreasing as the top talent secures roles.”
More broadly, in the procurement space, there is demand for particular skills but prospective employers are approaching the task conservatively.
“Even when they intend to create a permanent role, employers will often recruit initially on a temporary basis while they wait for headcount approval,” Hays says.
“In most cases, the temporary candidate will be offered the permanent role, provided they have proven to be the correct fit.”
Purchasing and contracts experience is valued here, while employers in Western Australia’s mining and oil and gas industries are looking for candidates with SAP, Pronto or Oracle skills.
“Indirect category managers are sought to assist in strategic development for new projects. We are also seeing demand for category management expertise in the financial services industry in response to transformations,” Hays says.
“Both generalists and specialists are sought, with the key requirement being demonstrated true end-to-end category management methodology and experience.”
Meanwhile, looking at recruitment as a whole, Hays regional managing director Nick Deligiannis believes that while the jobs market demand is growing somewhat, employers can still afford to be choosy.
“Given the release of new financial year budgets, vacancy activity will increase further as employers recruit the skills they need to drive their department forward,” Deligiannis says.
“But the days of employers recruiting people just because they have the right technical skills are over.
“If you want a new job this financial year you need to match all the requirements on an employer’s wish list. Anything less and you won’t get an interview.
“For jobseekers, this means you need to highlight how your skills match the job description and be able to demonstrate your suitability in an interview through examples. Researching the organisation and speaking to your recruiter about the role will help you prepare for this.”