Aussie jobseekers going global in search of better-paying roles

Australia has been plagued by widespread skills shortages yet jobseekers are turning to global companies.

Australia is struggling through one of its worst-ever labour shortages – but workers are complaining there are not enough jobs.

More than a third of Aussie workers believe there is a lack of jobs available, new research from employment marketplace SEEK reveals, with a similar number reporting they are actively looking for roles to apply for.

As the cost-of-living crunch continues, poor salaries appear key to local job concerns, with those looking for new employment reporting they are not paid enough in their current role.

But there are also fears a new job may pay even less – leading 13 per cent of workers to stick it out in their existing employment, the research shows.

With one in five businesses looking for more staff, Aussies are now pinning their hopes on getting more money from a global employer, according to separate research from employment industry leader G-P.

Almost 80 per cent of Australian workers are looking for roles with a multinational company. If many are successful, the nation’s skills crisis could deteriorate further, G-P Asia Pacific general manager Charles Ferguson warns.

“It’s going to make the constraints of the workplace more challenging,” he says.

Global opportunities

Australia has been plagued by widespread skills shortages in recent years, the likes of which have not been experienced since the 1960s.

The latest ABS figures reveal there are 390,000 job vacancies throughout the country, with Australia second to Canada in having the most severe labour shortages in the developed world.

As well as more pay, Aussie workers believe a global company will offer a more diverse workplace and the option to travel abroad, Ferguson says.

He has no data to support suggestions workers could be paid more by multinational firms.

But Ferguson says the staff benefits on offer are far superior and, in terms of subsidised healthcare and the like, could be used to offset living costs.

“There’s room for Australian companies to broaden their point of view around how to craft and curate new kinds of benefits,” he says.

“I’m not just talking about just those kinds of benefits that have monetary value but things like flexible work and access to mental health services and (the ability) to work from home.”

Amiria Mackinnon works for US-based company HubSpot.

‘Stretched and grown’

Amiria Mackinnon has not looked back since joining US-based HubSpot three years ago.

Working from Sydney, Mackinnon leads the software company’s brand and awareness marketing in Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia.

She also enjoys a host of employee benefits, including unlimited leave, flexible work arrangements and ongoing learning opportunities.

“I was at a point in my career where I recognised I was needing a little bit more of a challenge and I really wanted to grow and develop,” says Mackinnon, who feels she would have struggled to find a similar job opportunity at an Australian company.

“(At HubSpot), I definitely found what I was looking for very nicely packaged up. There’s the professional development and the exposure (to mentoring from highly experienced marketers) but also flexible work arrangements and the (employee) benefits.

“I’ve been stretched and grown more in the last three-and-a-half years (at HubSpot) than in my cumulative 12-year (marketing) career to date.”

High demand

A recent fall in job advertisements may be contributing to fears of a lack of local employment opportunities, says SEEK head of customer insights and strategy Aimee Hutton.

But there is still strong demand for talent.

“While there has been a downward year-on-year trend, this shows how truly extraordinary the ‘Great Job Boom’ of 2022 was, when we saw more job ads than ever before,” Hutton says.

“Job seekers shouldn’t consider this to mean there aren’t enough job opportunities out there. We are seeing a low moderation of that extremely high demand – with job ad volumes remaining 17.1 per cent higher than September 2019.”

The perceived lack of jobs may also be due to the “increasingly complex and more diverse” needs of candidates, says Hutton.

“There is no denying that many Australian workers have been rethinking what they look for in their job in recent years and this could certainly be playing a role in how people are feeling about the job hunt,” she says.

She says in addition to pay, workers now desire a better work-life balance and are seeking specific work environments and management styles in their next job.

But many workers are failing to identify their needs before applying for roles, leading to a decline in overall job satisfaction, she says.

“Taking the time to assess what you want out of your next job before you kick off your search is an important step – and one that is often missed,” Hutton says.

“Try talking to friends, family or a career mentor to help you unpack what the right job looks like for you – that could be things like location, hours, company culture, career development or flexibility.”

Employee sentiment

• Just 57 per cent of Australians are satisfied with their current job

• 36 per cent believe there are “not enough jobs out there”

• 32 per cent of workers are actively looking for roles to apply for

• Of those looking to change jobs, 34 per cent say their main job search trigger is not getting paid enough

• 13 per cent of those holding off on changing roles cite concerns a new job may pay less than they already receive

Source: SEEK