With over 240 days of sunshine a year, and English as its national language, it’s no surprise that Australia attracts global talent. Australia has some unique employment regulations, particularly around leave, but otherwise rather low barriers to understanding the talent landscape. This article lays out some of the key information to bear in mind when considering to grow your operations in Australia.
The market at a glance
Size of workforce
Those who work for pay or profit for at least one hour a week, or who have a job but are temporarily not at work due to illness, leave or industrial action
12.9m
people
Employment rate
The ratio of the employed to the working age
73.6%
Education rate
% of population (25-44 yrs old) with tertiary graduation rates
49.3%
Cost of labor
Average wages
$52,063
English proficiency index (world)
The world's largest ranking of countries and regions by English skills
N/A
Finding the right talent
Social media and online networking sites like LinkedIn are widely used in Australia, including sites like SEEK or Indeed. Employment agencies and newspaper ads are also used, but not as broadly as social media - or even simply word of mouth.
Things to keep in mind
Work-life balance is important to Australians, so pitching and supporting strong work-life balance can be not only an effective method for attracting talent, but also for retaining it. Additionally, Australians tend to have a more laid-back or informal approach to work culture, but punctuality is valued. It is not uncommon for people to wear sandals around the office, but it doesn’t mean that Aussies are any less productive.
Worth noting is the amount of government and regulations - particularly around such things as firing employees and workplace safety - but they should not serve as huge obstacles to entry into the market, simply laws of which to take note.