Reports reveal why Gympie council jobs remain empty

Gympie council’s ongoing struggle to fill multiple vacancies and stop the loss of staff remains a serious problem for the organisation, with 50 departures in the past six months.

A revolving door of senior staff, including former CEOs Shane Gray (left) and Bernard Smith (right), was among the reasons Gympie Regional Council was struggling to recruit new staff, new reports claim.

A revolving door in leadership positions and bad press have been flagged by job candidates as reasons why they hesitate to join Gympie Regional Council.

New reports into the council’s ongoing struggle to hire new staff, to be presented at Wednesday’s meeting, have listed these among several reasons why the organisation has struggled to fill dozens of vacancies in the past few years.

The council’s attrition (staff turnover) rate is about 20 per cent, one of the reports says, compared to a target of “eight to 10 per cent”.

Seventy per cent of employees interviewed upon their departure stated “a better opportunity or a better paying opportunity as the main reason for leaving”.

Fifty employees have left since the start of April 2022 and in mid-2021 the council had more than 100 unfilled positions.

The reports say this is now down to 64, with hiring underway for 27 of those jobs.

Fifty staff members have left Gympie Regional Council since the start of April 2022, adding to concerns amid revelations in mid-2021 the organisation had more than 100 vacant jobs.

It is now taking an average of 80 days to recruit new staff, a figure comparable with nearby councils.

In 2016, 32 days was the expected turnaround on hiring.

Potential candidates are doing their own research online, the reports say, with the “high historical turnover” of senior executives and “negative traditional and social media posts” raising concerns.

Significant hurdles remain following the Covid pandemic too.

In one instance the council was forced to advertise for a plumbing inspector three times before filling the job.

The first two applications resulted in no candidates, the report says.

When a candidate was found they then struggled to find somewhere to live in the region, ultimately winding up in a share home at Tin Can Bay.

Bad press on social media was listed among concerns by job candidates when looking at the available positions open at Gympie Regional Council. Photo: Brett Wortman

Pay packets for senior executives were another problem.

The report said the council’s total remuneration packages were “demonstrating a $30,000 per annum … discrepancy in some senior roles compared to other (councils)”.

Recruitment by those same councils – there are reportedly more than 200 vacant jobs with neighbouring councils advertised on Seek at the moment – is hampering hiring efforts too.

“It is still an employee’s market, meaning the best talent is snapped up quickly by organisations who are ready to act swiftly or are seen as less risky by potential employees,” the report says.

The council is now advertising for a new CEO, 10 months after the departure of Shane Gray.