Hays Office Support - April 2008
Hotspots
Experienced legal secretaries are in high demand, but rare, and organisations are offering increased incentives to retain their staff in this area, with bonus schemes, profit share and flexible working hours all ensuring the market of available candidates is low.
Other hotspots exist for candidates with financial services experience, and experienced receptionists. Similarly, there is increasing pressure on employers to offer more benefits to their staff to retain these skills, particularly since other employers are offering a higher salary level in an attempt to attract them away from their current employer.
High-level administrators are required due to internal staff movements. Most employers prefer immediately available candidates, and they are very selective about the quality of candidates they will consider.
Customer service professionals are another necessity, with employers looking for certain experience in this field within their specific industry. Senior administrators often apply for customer service vacancies, although these candidates do not have the necessary experience.
Career receptionists and data entry clerks are still required. These candidates do not remain in these roles for long, instead seeking career-advancing opportunities outside these functions. Candidates looking to focus their career in either of these areas are rare.
Finally, specialised areas such as medical typists, fleet administrators, and candidates with construction and property industry experience are also commonly sought after. In general though, there is a shortage of candidates with these specialist backgrounds.
Brisbane has witnessed an increasing area of demand with the legal support arena, in particular within property divisions for quality corporate experienced secretaries. Property is a booming area within the legal sector, and the more solicitors a firm can attract, the more experienced support staff are required. Litigation experience remains a constant area of demand, as there are many avenues to pursue for suitable candidates.
The coming quarter
The need for office support seems to becoming increasingly urgent, both on a temporary and permanent basis, as there is a general increase in the recognition of the direct benefit of greater productivity achieved with the right level of support.
Temporary vacancy activity is expected to increase over the quarter as employers recognise the benefits of short-term support at times of peak workloads.
We also predict a specific need for specialist support staff with particular emphasis on industry experience over the quarter. This has been evident in markets such as legal/project secretarial.
Salaries
Salaries are predicted to plateau over the next quarter, differing from the increases over the previous two quarters. Non-financial benefits are still rising and are frequently more important to candidates, and this is becoming a prominent differentiator between industries and individual companies.
Employers are however still offering higher salaries for the highest quality candidates, particularly for personal and executive assistants.
There has also been an increase in candidate salary expectations at the entry to intermediate levels. With demand outstripping supply, salaries for these candidates have increased, not necessarily with an increase of skill set.
In general though, candidates have started to become more realistic in relation to their salary expectations. Over the last 12 months, candidates were often aiming for salaries that were offering more than their skills and experience justified, however this seems to have stabilised.
Candidate trends
There has been an increase in the availability of senior executive assistants seeking their next permanent or temporary role,however these candidates often bring with them high salary expectations and it is consequently difficult to source a role that offers the right package for them.
Candidates for temporary roles are often ignorant of the market and are asking for a higher hourly rate than they should receive. Recruitment consultants need to educate them about current market rates and encourage flexibility in terms of hourly rate in order to secure a suitable role.
While there has been an increase in candidates for roles, there remains a shortage of those with suitable experience and skills and many candidates are haphazardly applying for roles they are not suitable for.
The primary motivator for permanent candidates in seeking a new role seems to be an increase in salary, while temporary candidates are often looking for work/life balance and a role that can add to their skills. Some candidates who traditionally would seek a permanent role are instead opting for temporary/contract positions to gain exposure to a new industry and increase their skill set.
Employer trends
Employers need to be aware of the speed of the market with permanent vacancies being filled in timeframes usually associated with temporary roles.
Candidates are changing jobs more frequently and any one candidate may have several offers presented when making their next career move, along with a counter-offer from their current employer in some cases. Given that average tenure has reduced, with many office support candidates not remaining in a role less than 18 months, it is becoming essential to demonstrate stability in your CV. With good jobs growth expected, employers are increasingly seeking candidates with a demonstrated level of stability in their previous roles. The potential loyalty of candidates with an unstable resume, who have changed roles regularly, is doubted when the availability of vacancies is so high.
