Australia managed to bypass much of the financial chaos during COVID-19 owing to its strict border control and solid pre-pandemic economic figures. In 2020, the unemployment rate stood at 6.46%; but the resilient workforce (consisting of 13+ million people across six states) in 2022 brought that number down to 3.4% –– a remarkable decrease. As economic factors, including the country’s workforce numbers, continue to trend in the right direction, it has never been a better time to hire.
For business owners in Australia, this is a great time to start sourcing talent. In this article, we’ll show you the steps necessary to find the best job candidates in Australia, tips for recognizing great workers, and the best job search websites and platforms for bringing it all together.
Tips for Hiring the Right Job Candidates in Australia
Depending on the type of business model your company follows, and the specific parameters of your new employee’s role, you’ll need to follow a few steps to ensure that you are hiring correctly and effectively.
Before you hire, clearly define your job
Job analysis is essential. This kickoff step allows you to collect information from your internal organization about the roles, responsibilities, expectations, and necessary skills of a particular job. Once you have this information, you can communicate it to recruiters or directly with applicants in your posting.
Plan a recruitment strategy
Once you have a clearly defined job description, you should set up a recruiting planning meeting with your employees who will be in charge of hiring new staff. This step is usually facilitated by a hiring manager, who is crucial to the planning.
Put together a hiring checklist
Regardless of whether you are making your first hire, or your 500th, a checklist for hiring any employee helps you to keep track of all your recruiting efforts, saving time down the line.
Look for the right candidate for the role
It’s possible to be left with a strong impression of a potential candidate for reasons other than their skills or personality. Hiring the right candidate involves checking every “must” off of your list, not just a few.
Review applications carefully
A cohesive and well-written job description (from you) will make the act of reviewing resumes, cover letters, and job applications all the more effective. Comparing applicants against a list of qualifications, skills, experience, and characteristics means that you’ll be able to have qualified talent come in for interviews.
Save time by pre-screening applicants
Larger corporations typically have a full HR team who leads pre-screening interviews with candidates over the phone, but if it’s down to you, you’ll find that this step is critical for saving you time––and the time of the applicant. Plus, during pre-screens, you can determine whether their salary expectations align with your job. And if not, there is no need for a future interview.
Consider holding the job interview somewhere other than your desk
Chances are, you will find that candidates are much more at ease and natural when being interviewed outside of the imposing office environment. You don’t have to take them to lunch, but for a second or third interview, consider a non-conventional setting.
Be sure to ask the right questions
There’s no better step for gauging a potential hire’s qualifications than in the job interview. Depending on the needs of the role, and how potential answers will gibe with your office’s culture, posing the right question often means the difference between finding an average candidate and a great one.
Throw in a few curveballs.
Without getting too personal, try to think outside of the box––beyond the standard job interview questions. See how potential new hires react to and engage with an unconventional line of inquiry. You’ll usually find that they are more at ease talking about something other than their career.
Always perform background checks and follow up with references
One of the most crucial steps in the entire process is checking work references––including former managers––educational credentials, employment references, and the criminal history of your preferred candidates. Never skip this final step.
The Top Qualities of a Great Employee
- Strong communication
This includes a solid ability to write, speak, listen, and interpret non-verbal communication, including body language. Communication skills are essential for any professional because they impact how you share information and receive instructions.
- Leadership skills
Simply put, employees with strong leadership abilities are most likely to make effective team leaders over time. Leaders can anticipate and solve unforeseen problems alone without having to rely on direction from supervisors.
- Conflict management abilities
Employees must know how to handle disputes and disagreements with co-workers productively and effectively. Long-term issues and resentments between colleagues make for poor working relationships.
- Teamwork
Collaboration is key in just about any industry. Teamwork skills are vital in any workplace with multiple employees, and being able to work together means that work gets done better, and faster.
- Problem-solving skills
Being able to recognize work problems, understand what needs to be done to resolve them, and then execute them flawlessly––these are the marks of an employee with great problem-solving skills. Workers who are adept at problem-solving are highly valued by management and are also considered assets to co-workers.
- Confidence
Employees with confidence in their abilities and qualifications are essential to an active and productive workplace. Confidence allows people to be effective at individual work, as well as on teams because that means that they believe in not only their talents but those of their colleagues, too.
- Interpersonal skills
The types of skills refer to how you relate to and interact with people, whether your co-workers, customers, or clients. Possessing solid interpersonal skills often tends to contribute to an overall happier and healthier workplace culture. They also help employees better understand boundaries, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of their colleagues.
- Dedication
A dedicated employee is, typically, an employee for life. These are some of the most valued people to bring onto your team because they will always be up to the challenge and put the company first. However, it’s important to reward dedication appropriately when possible.
The 15 Best Job Sites for Hiring the Best Job Candidates in Australia
Recruitment agencies and job search platforms are ideal areas for sourcing job seekers in Australia. Many of these agencies post full and part-time candidates, but others specialize in representing those looking for temporary, short-term, and/or part-time employment.
GrabJobs is the best option for hiring part-time Australians. It is a cost-effective recruitment solution that automates sourcing, screening, and interviewing of candidates––and includes over 5,000 companies using the job platform to simplify their hiring process. Auto-generated job seeker profiles mean that users can begin applying for new jobs in under a minute, making it great for employers looking to hire quickly and easily.
Subscription: Free and Paid Options
One of the planet’s most popular job search engines for job seekers and employers alike––in fact, about 1 in 4 Australians are registered users––LinkedIn is a ubiquitous tool for finding full and part-time employees based on trusted connections. It also features numerous tools and subscription-based add-ons that make hiring so simple. As a LinkedIn user, you can either advertise a part-time vacancy with your company for free in your newsfeed or pay to have it reach more users.
Subscription: Free and Paid Options
A market leader in online employment marketplaces, SEEK’s influential presence spans 10 countries in Latin America and Asia Pacific––including Australia and New Zealand. Interestingly, SEEK has been ranked one of the Ten Best Places to Work in Tech in Australia.
Subscription: Free and Paid Options
Adzuna is a popular global site that helps employers expand their outreach to a broader audience. The site integrates with newspapers, ensuring that job ads will appear in front of the right candidates wherever they are and whatever medium they’re using for their job search.
Subscription: Paid Options
This service is job seeker-centric, which means that the emphasis is on candidates looking to find work. CareerOne provides services for employers looking to hire and even curates your job description into an immersive experience to help them make the right choice when applying.
Subscription: Free and Paid Options
Another popular global (and free) job search site, Indeed Australia not only places qualified candidates in roles suited to their skills and experience––but also provide crucial tools for jobseekers like salary guides and company reviews. Simply upload your resume to Indeed’s platform and companies reach out to YOU, making the stress of finding work that much simpler.
Subscription: Free and Paid Options
Lloyd Connect is a Melbourne-based, award-winning recruitment agency and platform for Australian job seekers. Consisting of a dedicated team of recruitment industry professionals, Lloyd Connect delivers high-quality candidates to employers while taking great pride in being the agency that builds long-lasting relationships.
Subscription: Free and Paid Options
Adecco has been a trusted name in workplace recruitment for decades, and they maintain their prestige by using expert job recruitment agents to pair candidates with positions perfect for them. Famed for their annually published Salary Guides, Adecco has cornered the market by connecting Australian employers and employees and providing staffing solutions.
Subscription: Free and Paid Options
This global job search organization is highly popular in Australia for candidates looking to enter or re-enter the workforce. Randstad’s team of qualified job search professionals helps candidates find rewarding and relevant positions in a variety of different fields and industries, making them ripe for the picking by companies.
Subscription: Free and Paid Options
This employment network is funded by businesses and organizations that are contracted by the Australian Government. Job seekers who are currently on government subsidies or support can use this free service to find work through the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
Subscription: Free
CareerJet is a global job search engine operating in dozens of countries around the world, including Australia. Employers can quickly and easily find relevant candidates in just about every sector and at every level of experience by placing targeted ads.
Subscription: Paid Options
One of Australia’s go-to sites for temporary, one-time, and part-time employment work, Gumtree is a massively popular free marketplace for connecting qualified job seekers with positions across dozens of fields and industries. Gumtree also comes with an app, making finding a job that much easier.
Subscription: Free
This popular and effective hiring platform allows business owners in Australia to source, screen, and hire people from around the globe. Employers can advertise their job position(s) for free by signing up for an account while gaining instant access to a talent pool that includes millions of candidates.
Subscription: Free
This popular site gathers millions of monthly visitors worldwide and features connections with thousands of business partners. Employers can create an account and post positions that are assessed by candidates from a diverse pool from across Australia and the world.
Subscription: Paid Options
This popular, Australia-based search engine is a default source for many job seekers––which makes it a great marketplace for employers looking for qualified candidates, fast. Jora users can search through career opportunities, all sourced from many job sites from all over Australia, while also accessing their blog and partner sites for additional resourcing.
Subscription: Free and Paid Options
Find the best job candidates in Australia Today
There you have it! A compact guide for business owners looking to hire great employees in Australia. Now that you know the correct steps to take, the ultimate tips for hiring the right candidate, the qualities of great employees, and the best resources and platforms in the country for finding new staff, you’re ready to take that next step toward making the most of your entire organization.
