Australian Businesses Better Positioned to Tackle the Skills Gap Than Global Competitors

KellyOCG survey points to agility as differentiator for Australian organizations, identifies key challenges for business leaders

SYDNEY. (July 21, 2021) – Australian businesses may be in a better position than global competitors to tackle the talent crisis, thanks to their willingness to recruit contingent workers and their focus on training current staff, according to the KellyOCG 2021 Global Workforce Agility survey.

The survey of more than 1,000 senior executives across 13 countries found Australian businesses are more likely to hire temporary staff and less likely to hire permanent employees following the pandemic. They are also more focused up- or reskilling current staff than many global competitors. While a number of businesses, in particular small and medium businesses (SMBs), have been impacted by border restrictions and the pandemic, the research also found that the majority of Australian businesses increased revenue during the past year.

Australian businesses focus on a fluid workforce, but lack a clear view of right talent mix.

• Australian businesses are less likely to hire new permanent staff than global counterparts (36% in Australia vs 45% globally) and more likely to hire temporary workers (52% in Australia vs 48% globally).
  
  
• They are more focused on up- or reskilling current staff (60% in Australia vs 49% globally).
  
  
• Much like their global competitors, however, less than half of Australian executives (48%) say they have a clear view of the optimal talent mix required across all business areas, with 22% saying they have skills gaps they don’t know how to fill.

Australian businesses experience a divide between diversity, equity & inclusion and business strategy.

• Australian business leaders say that better employee satisfaction and loyalty (56%), retention (45%) and a more collaborative culture (41%) were all benefits of improving DEI.
  
  
• However, while most Australian businesses say they are focused on improving their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, they are less likely than global counterparts to prioritise workplace culture (30% vs 37% globally).
  
  
• In addition, 73% of Australian business leaders report that their DEI strategy is focused only on permanent talent and does not include contingent workers.

“Australia is potentially facing another six to 12 months of border closures, which is only exacerbating the skills crisis,” says Peter Hamilton, vice president and regional director, APAC, at KellyOCG. “The battle for talent is fierce as the economy recovers from a challenging 18 months of setbacks. We are seeing organisations tackle this challenge in smart ways by taking a more fluid approach to building their workforce. This allows them to tap into a much more diverse talent pool and close capacity gaps in more innovative ways.”

That recovery may be held back, however, by some internal challenges. The KellyOCG survey found that 45% of Australian executives do not believe their leaders have the skills to manage the workforce they want to build.

Additional insights from the study:

The KellyOCG study categorised organisations into ‘Vanguards’ and ‘Laggards’. Vanguards report that employee wellbeing and productivity have significantly improved during the pandemic. These leaders, making up about 10% of global respondents, are taking a more strategic, long-term approach to improving the resilience, agility and wellbeing of their workforces compared with the Laggards – respondents who reported a decline in employee wellbeing and productivity during the past 12 months.

Specifically, the data uncovered four key dynamics of the Vanguards’ response to the pandemic that are helping them build a more agile and resilient workforce, and a more profitable business.

• Vanguards amplify workforce fluidity. They are more likely to have a comprehensive strategy for bridging skills gaps by employing new talent, bringing on temporary labour (63%), and implementing re-skilling initiatives (52%).
  
  
• Vanguards are building a better employee experience. Nine in 10 (91%) Vanguards say improving the employee experience is as high a business priority as improving the customer experience.
  
  
• Vanguards are improving DEI. While many still only pay lip service to DEI programs, Vanguards are around twice as likely as Laggards (67% vs 35%) to have fully developed DEI strategies in place for both permanent and contingent talent.
  
  
• Vanguards understand that adopting leading-edge technologies is critical to managing a workforce in flux. Many have already begun implementing new technologies to alleviate workload pressure and enhance efficiency (64% vs. 48% of Laggards), and nearly half are using technology to gain visibility of workforce utilization and to improve the recruiting process.

Read the full report and additional insights.

About KellyOCG:
KellyOCG® connects companies with the talented people they need to fuel and grow their business through our unrivaled global talent supply chain and leading workforce solutions including Managed Service Provider (MSP) and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO). We combine decades of people industry experience with proprietary insights and a continued focus on technology to produce world-class programs that meet an organization’s unique workforce needs and can start them on their journey to total talent management. Our ability to anticipate what’s next for talent solutions drives us to challenge the status quo making us a trusted partner for our global client portfolio, which spans leading industries across North America, APAC and EMEA. Visit kellyocg.com or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.

About the survey:
KellyOCG surveyed over 1,000 senior executives, 20% of whom are in C-suite or board member roles, across 13 countries – Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and US – and 10 industries. In the UK, the survey covered 89 senior business leaders across the country, including at C-suite and Board level.