Calibrating The Market – Quarter 1 2011-12

Helicopter View

 The start of the new financial year finds many companies and candidates concerned about the global outlook as well as uncertainties in the Australian Economy.

As a result we are seeing a reduction in applicants from traditional sources such as job ads.

Whilst the overall outlook is hesitant there are a number of organisations looking to substantially increase their professional teams based on strong order books particularly infrastructure projects throughout the country. This is proving tough as candidates in general are uncertain and tending to stay where they are. “The Devil You Know”.

Calibrate continues to be able to source hard to find skill sets due to our long history in the market and our exceptionally well networked consulting team. At Calibrate we continue to make 0ver 60% of our placements through our own networks and web site.

Proving it is who you know that is the main driver.

For further information on how to improve your chances of securing a better job, or of finding and retaining talented technical professionals, please contact Tony Horrocks directly on 61-2-94316514

Manufacturing Desk

Carbon Tax and the Potential Effects on Manufacturing in Australia:

We need to think this through

As it stands, there is no doubt the carbon tax will have a detrimental effect on the manufacturing industry. It will increase production costs, reduce staffing levels and make Australian manufacturers less competitive. We are likely to see less investment in new technology and plant. Gradually the percentage of Australian manufactured product versus overseas product will decrease. Small to medium sized manufacturers will suffer and be offered little support. This will lead to significant job losses and gradually the closure of manufacturing plants in Australia with no net benefit in reducing carbon. Australian carbon taxed products will be replaced by product from overseas which has no carbon tax.

We’ve experienced rushed government policy and legislation previously, and witnessed its negative effects on the community and industry. The carbon tax is the most complicated plan and impost on the community and economy to be developed by government to date; it should at least be considered thoroughly rather than simply rushed through.

For further information on how to improve your chances of securing a better job, or of finding and retaining talented technical professionals, please contact Matt Gorrie directly on 61-2-94316508.

Infrastructure and Mining Desk

• Investment in iron ore projects set to double in Australia causing a significant increase in requirements for geotechnical, rail and mining specialists
• Recent state government announcements for successful parties securing rail projects in Victoria and NSW have caused a current demand for rail design and tunnelling specialists in both States.
• Federal budget allocation for regional area health, education and transportation infrastructure includes 63 major health infrastructure projects, and continuing road upgrades have caused a demand in roads and highways design specialists in NSW, QLD, TAS and SA.

For further information on how to improve your chances of securing a better job, or of finding and retaining talented technical professionals, please contact Sylvia Morton directly on 61-2-94316505.

Software and Digital Media Desk

Over the first six months of 2011, the software engineering sector has continued to experience skills shortages amid solid demand from employers. There have been some job losses, notably due to the relocation of Altium to Shanghai and R&D retrenchments at Symantec. However, leaders of the main industry bodies continue to lament the lack of attention given to IT skills shortages by federal government.

Locally, the NSW government has launched some initiatives designed to stimulate IT investment with the introduction of the ICT Governance Framework, and grants of $30M to mobile technology projects announced at CEBIT.

The digital media sector continues to be marked by talent shortages and high staff turnover. Experienced Producers, Project Managers, UX specialists, and .NET developers are in particular demand and this is placing upward pressure on salaries. The media sector in general has a staff churn rate approaching forty per cent, and in the technical area this is exacerbated by salary discrepancies relative to other sectors.

For job seekers, it is very much a “two speed” environment. Those with no local experience and poor English skills may find it difficult to secure their first job. This will be less of an issue for candidates who have worked with high profile, international employers or obtained good results from highly ranked universities. Additional advantages apply for those who have specialist technical or industry experience. Recent surveys suggest that local IT professionals are experiencing more frequent job offers, improved working conditions, and better salary reviews in 2011.

For employers, focus on staff retention and attraction strategies should be high on corporate agendas. Areas like technical training, work/life balance, office amenities, internal promotional opportunities, location, company image and branding, and keeping pace with technical change are all important to job seekers. Partnering with specialist recruiters who work in an organisation’s niche sector is one option that can help reduce time to hire periods for skilled staff.

For further information on how to improve your chances of securing a better job, or of finding and retaining talented technical professionals, please contact Daryl Hubber directly on 61-2-94316507.

High Technology and Research Desk

The demand for Software developers, Business Analysts, Project Managers and Technical Consultants within the digital communications technology space continues to grow. This is driven by the requirement for key IT and Telecommunications products within the Smart Grid initiative – which will deliver a more innovative and reliable Electricity supply to the benefit of consumers.

For further information on how to improve your chances of securing a better job, or of finding and retaining talented technical professionals, please contact Paul Hollington directly on 61-2-94316512.

ICT Desk

• The strength of the Australian dollar makes IT-related purchases far cheaper creating demand for Project-related IT professionals.
• Project and IT managers within the banking and finance sectors are in high demand to oversee core business data systems.
• Senior business analysts in retail banks, insurance companies and superannuation providers to streamline business applications and customer databases.
• .NET developers in the commerce and industry sector as companies shift to Microsoft platforms to develop web-based applications.
• Upward pressure in the Telecoms sector from the NBN and suppliers.