Hays Policy & Strategy - April 2008

Public Sector

Hotspots

High demand exists for candidates with government experience in policy development, particularly in the areas of environment and indigenous health.

Project and program managers are in demand due to new government initiatives, while there has been an overall increase in temporary contracts as departments use allocated funds before the end of the financial year to finish outstanding projects.

High demand exists for temporary or contract project managers with strong analytical skills to lead process improvement projects as well as candidates reviewing and drafting operational policies and procedures. Meanwhile program and general management candidates are in demand for permanent and long-term contracts to develop and implement projects initiated through increased Government funding.

Increased demand in government and the NGO sector for candidates with experience in quality improvement, monitoring and evaluation is also evident in light of the need to monitor government funded services as well as a number of large organisations implementing Quality Improvement Systems.

The coming quarter

Government opportunities have been limited over the last few months due primarily to the change of government and this is now set to change with increased vacancies expected over the coming three to six months.

Salaries

It continues to be a competitive market for quality candidates and this is reflected in temporary rates as well as permanent salaries. Not-for-profit organisations are aware of the need to compete with Government salaries.

Candidate trends

In the current market candidates are considering more than one role and strong candidates can often choose between roles. Having said this, candidate availability has increased since contracts were not renewed at the end of last year because of funding uncertainty associated with the change of government.

This increase in quality candidates has been very positive news for public sector employers and has resulted in turnover declining as candidates understand fewer vacancies are currently available.