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Talent Trends 2021: Australian Salary Guide
The events of the past year have been unprecedented in modern times, calling for creative and unique solutions to countless business challenges. As Australian organisations have come to terms with the new normal and have pivoted to meet the needs of a much-changed market, so too has Page Personnel.
This year, instead of publishing our usual Salary Benchmark report, we see that there is a demand for something more than salaries.
That’s why we’ve created Talent Trends 2021, a new report that goes above and beyond salaries, encompassing trends and data around general recruitment, flexible work arrangements, digital workplace changes, diversity, inclusion, and more.
We surveyed 12 Asia-Pacific markets, and received responses from more than 5,500 businesses and 21,000 employees, many of which were directors or CXOs. You’ll also find information around specific hiring trends in Australia for 2021.
Our findings are fascinating and insightful, and should remain a reliable source of market sentiment for multiple industries across Australia and the Asia Pacific region for 2021.
Australia's Key Statistics
45% |
of surveyed participants who are currently employed anticipate looking for new job opportunities in 2021 |
72% |
of survey respondents state remuneration and benefits as their top consideration when accepting a job offer |
90% |
of employees say their companies have room for improvement when it comes to employee experience |
Report Highlights
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1. Future workplace trendsExplore the top priorities for business leaders across Australia in 2021. Find out what employees are thinking about flexible work arrangement in the wake of the pandemic, where businesses are investing in technology and digital tools, and discover how performance assessment is evolving. |
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2. People-first strategiesAttracting and retaining high potential talent is a top priority for all recruiters and businesses. This report shares some of the best strategies to achieve these goals, from a mental health and wellbeing focus, to excellent leadership communication. |
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3. Salaries and bonusesIs your company’s salary package competitive in the current market? And what are top talent looking for and expecting when it comes to salaries and bonuses? The Talent Trends 2021 report provides this crucial information. |
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4. Attracting and retaining top talentSalaries aren’t everything when it comes to keeping your top talent. Find out what employees and business leaders had to say about current strategies for attracting and retaining talent in the current market. |
Average remuneration increase for potential new hires in 2021
| Functions | (%) |
| Banking & Financial Services | 1 |
| E-commerce / Internet | 3 |
| Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) | 2 |
| Healthcare & Life Sciences | 2 |
| Industrial & Manufacturing | 1 |
| Natural Resources & Energy | 2 |
| Professional Services | 2 |
| Property & Construction | 2 |
| Retail | 2 |
| Technology | 2 |
| Transport & Distribution | 1 |
Australia Salary Benchmark 2021: Embracing disruptions and the road to recovery
COVID-19 threw a spanner in the works during what was supposed to be an exciting new decade. Despite the severe disruption to our local economic activity, Australian businesses found some silver linings by controlling what they could in 2020 and seizing opportunities where possible.
At Page Personnel, during the height of the pandemic, many jobs we were recruiting for were paused, but we began to see signs of confidence around the country in July. The quick containment of the virus, along with the shift to remote working, meant that many businesses continued with their hiring activities and plans sooner than anticipated, albeit remotely. Furthermore, the government’s 2020/21 federal budget is reason for optimism – $677 billion worth of spending measures were announced, with many of the major policy initiatives helping to create new jobs.
Our Talent Trends 2021 report reflects key market insights for the next 12 months ahead of us. It focuses on hiring trends for Customer Service, Finance and Accounting, Logistics and Office Support.
Acquiring and retaining high potential talent will be crucial to allow for future growth. We saw many businesses look to prevent employee cuts and redundancies as much as possible during the pandemic, having learnt from these lessons off the GFC. Instead, ensuring your teams remained robust and ready to take on the market when the time was right was a key priority during 2020.
While temporary work and contracting opportunities were established in Australia well before COVID-19, we saw its acceleration due to the pandemic’s impact on hiring plans. As it became an attractive and viable alternative to permanent jobs amid the uncertainty, we expect a continuation of its popularity and it remains an ongoing area of focus for us.
Importantly, Australian businesses are looking ahead with optimism and are very focused on both retaining and adding high potential talent to drive future recovery and growth.
This is usually the time of year when we release our much-awaited Salary Benchmark Report, a guide for employers and employees alike for salary expectations across a plethora of industries and regions in Australia. However, recent events have created an environment where we felt we needed to provide something that better meets the needs of businesses and jobseekers in the current climate. We felt this new report should better reflect the lessons we have learned from the past year, and what changes we might expect in the coming months as a result.
The Talent Trends 2021 report provides our insights intro recruitment, flexible work arrangements, workplace attraction strategies, salary expectations, promotions, and more. With a challenging year behind us, we are beginning to see positive signs ahead.
Customer Service has understandably evolved greatly over the past year. In 2021, as much as 90% of employed customer service professionals expect new job opportunities. As for accepting a job offer, those employees stated that the three most important considerations are location/travel requirements, flexible work arrangements, and the salary package.
In the finance and accounting sector, the pandemic brought about a booming market for interim hires who were brought on board for their flexibility. Yet as market confidence improves, there are increased numbers of roles in the sector. Remuneration and benefits are the top consideration for finance and accounting professionals looking to take up new roles in 2021.
As for logistics, this industry wasn’t dealt as much of a blow by the pandemic as other sectors. With fast-moving consumer items and e-commerce enjoying a moment in the spotlight, logistics personnel were under pressure to meet the increased demand. This influx saw new solutions and strategies emerge, such as co-warehousing and other flexible warehousing options.
As Australia and the world enters a new phase of these unprecedented times, it’s increasingly important for top talent to know their worth, and for employers to attract and maintain the best candidates. Talent Trends 2021 seeks to fill that gap and help businesses step forward into the new year.
