With 2021 behind us, all eyes are set on the future as the new decade brings with it renewed energy for change and opportunities for Australia’s 13 million employees.

Despite challenging conditions driven by the pandemic, the economy is predicted to see an uptick in 2022 with strong job growth across many industries. Below, we explore the 2022 jobs outlook for Australia, and key recruitment trends for the year ahead.

Key industries and jobs set to boom

Australian jobs are evolving as new technologies emerge, businesses find new ways of working, and as we respond to continued challenges brought about by COVID-19. All this has led to new jobs being created, and new skills being needed for existing jobs.

According to Job Outlook, there is likely to be significant demand in industries where employment has grown strongly in recent years, including:

  • Healthcare and social assistance
  • Professional, scientific and technical services
  • Education and training
  • Construction

Meanwhile, investment in national infrastructure and a growing population means continued growth in the construction and property sector. Building and plumbing labourers, engineers, construction managers and casual labourers will be in high demand as more roads, railways and airports are built in the next five years. Similarly, Australia’s growing population and high demand for trained professionals means the education sector is set to boom, with strong demand across the board.

Demand for employees in the professional, scientific and technical services is also predicted to skyrocket. Fuelled by the global tech revolution, demand is growing for skills in computer system design and ICT. Similarly, management, consulting, legal and accounting professions are in high demand as more Australians embrace entrepreneurship and our start-up culture evolves.

The jobs earmarked to see the biggest growth in demand include:

  • Aged and Disabled Carers
  • Registered Nurses
  • Child Carers
  • Welfare Support Workers
  • Software and Applications Programmers
  • Management and Organisation Analysts
  • Accountants
  • Primary School Teachers
  • Secondary School Teachers
  • Education Aides

Flexible work is here to stay

A report by the Australian Government’s Productivity Commission found that about three-quarters of workers surveyed believed they were at least as productive working from home as from the office. Respondents also said working from home gave them extra time to balance competing priorities. However, completely eliminating the line between home and work was seen as having a negative impact on wellbeing. 

Instead, most employees prefer a combination of remote and in-person work, citing the need for face-to-face social interaction and the perceived additional career prospects that come from working from the office. 

The most sought-after employers in 2022 and beyond will recognise that flexible work arrangements should be tailored to individuals and setting a clear definition of flexible work would be the first step towards nurturing the motivation, performance and engagement levels of employees.

In a competitive market, a proactive approach to recruitment is non-negotiable

With the Great Resignation upon us, proactivity and speed to hire will be a key recruitment strategy as organisations compete for a smaller pool of talent. 

Indeed, hiring managers will no longer have the luxury of choosing between multiple ideal candidates – instead, they can expect candidates to receive multiple job offers and must consider hiring for potential rather than purely experience.

To that end, developing, upskilling and retaining existing employees will be a key strategy for organisations to sidestep the hypercompetitive external candidate market.

If you need support with sourcing and hiring top talent for 2022, talk to the consultants at Michael Page – Australia’s leading recruitment agency.

 

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