Recruitment specialist Hays has released its January to March quarterly report into labour and skills demand, examining the ‘current hotspots of recruitment activity and trends’.

 

Public Sector Accountancy and Finance

The report identifies Payroll candidates and Assistant Accountants continue to remain in short supply in the public sector, with skills such as CHRIS payroll in particular demand.

 

Candidates with strong budgeting and forecasting experience are enjoying increased demand as organisations prepare for the budgeting season.

 

Employers are also looking for Management Accountants with good excel and analytical skills who have previously worked with their organisation.The ongoing skills shortage has seen an increase in cross-skilling temporary staff in order to fill internal gaps within organisations.

 

Hays anticipate the following quarter will see vacancies driven by internal restructuring of not-for-profit and State Government organisations.

 

The report also found a levelling off of salaries towards the end of 2011, indicating that an increase in salaries are not expected for some time.

 

The full report can be found here

 

Public Sector Human Resources

As always, the first quarter of the New Year will see an increase in hiring to bring in key personnel to drive initiatives and projects that have been put on hold during last year, in turn driving the demand for highly skilled HR manages.

 

The report found particular demand for change managers and project managers to develop, drive and implement business critical programs. Organisational development consultants will also be in demand.

 

Hays anticipate that the ongoing restructuring of several large State and Federal departments will drive demand for a number of different roles within the market in the coming quarter.

 

“We have seen an increase in the number of available candidates at the $50,000 to $60,000 level, although there is a shortage at the more experienced levels. There is also a shortage of specialist HR professionals,” the report found.

 

The full report can be found here 

 

Public Sector – ICT

The report indicates a continued need for rollout staff as agencies and organisations continue to adapt to Windows 7. Candidates with VMWare skills and business analysts continue to experience strong demand aa the rollout continues.

 

“Within much of the public sector, particularly state governments, there is a freeze on permanent hiring and the focus is instead on temporary assignments. Employers are also offering PSM or fixed-term contracts and we expect to see a steady stream of project based contract roles come onto the market,” the report found.

 

Overall, the report found that employers are increasingly putting more emphasis on communication and interpersonal skills in their hiring practices, while becoming more flexible in the technical skills required.

 

“We have seen a decrease in the number of highly skilled available candidates. The market has shifted and there are now a number of opportunities presented to candidates. Those in demand can have up to two or three offers at one time,” the report concluded.

 

The full report can be found here 

 

 Public Sector – Office Support

The report found an increased demand for executive assistants with a secret or top-secret clearance, with EA’s in the ACT tending to find roles quickly.

 

Hays also found that administrators will be in high demand to cover staff on annual leave, while employers are increasingly looking for candidates with good data processing skills, excellent computer skills and the ability to communicate well over the phone and in person.

 

The report also found that entry-level administrators are in demand to support organizational growth.

 

The coming quarter will see a controlled hiring environment, with vacancies expected to increase toward the end of February.

 

The full report can be found here