Permanent procurement positions and overall contractor roles held steady in Q3, with an increase in demand for procurement contracting talent with risk, assurance and governance skills, according to Cozens Mabel.
The specialist Australian recruitment firm revealed a shift in Sydney-based procurement and supply chain experts looking to move to Queensland, with increases of around 15 percent in new placements where candidates have been sourced from other states over the past six months.
“Recruitment across permanent roles remained fairly steady for us again over the quarter, showing very similar hiring patterns to this time last year,” said Company Director Ilsa Cozens.
“A range of factors support these numbers, including many organisations utilising new FY budgets to kickstart a range of strategic uplift plans, supported by both permanent and contingent labour hires.”
Ilsa notes that proposed changes to international migration rules may impact the types of candidates coming to Australia in the future, but organisations that are prepared to engage overseas talent are seeing some really strong candidates coming through at present.
“Whilst relocation presents certain hiring risks, including last minute cold feet (especially where sourcing from overseas), where these risks are carefully managed throughout the recruitment process then organisations can really tap into a talented, skilled and broad candidate pool,” she added.
When it comes to contracting, standout sectors included healthcare, FMCG, mining, energy and education over the last three months, driven by low unemployment rates combined with strong levels of contractor engagement and retention.
There has been a steady increase in demand for strong systems knowledge and technology experience over the last 12+ months, as organisations look to support a range of strategic initiatives.
“Data quality is crucial to all organisations and underpins the success of so many procurement and supply chain strategies. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives also relies on having the right capabilities in place,” said Ilsa.
“Candidates with experience across the key systems and technology used in the procurement or supply chain lifecycle remain in high demand, but we have also seen an increase in demand for candidates with experience in the design and implementation of data governance frameworks and protocols as many organisations look to upskill in this important area.”
Focusing specifically on supply chain, supply planners have been in demand, with steady requests for supply chain managers across all industries, particularly those with automation skills.
Connect with Cozens Mabel to learn more about available candidates.
