There’s no denying the signs – we’re headed once again for an employee’s market. Australia’s ‘miracle’ economy, as it’s perhaps optimistically been termed, looks set to continue to do it’s thing.
There’s no denying the signs – we’re headed once again for an employee’s market. Australia’s ‘miracle’ economy, as it’s optimistically been termed, looks set to continue to do its thing. The Howard Government, still agonisingly close to confirming a majority in the Senate as Human Resources went to press, should now be able to sure up the position of business, both large and small with a mandate to do so from a vast majority of the Australian public.
Social commentator Hugh Mackay has observed since the election that Australians are now preoccupied with backyard renovations and personal wealth. So what we have is a populace that’s far wealthier than it has ever been and probably more hungry than it’s ever been for life’s little luxuries. The economy is such that with record lows of unemployment we are largely able to cater to most Australians in their indulgences.
Obviously this is a good thing, but it does pose a few conundrums for business all the same. With high levels of employment comes a shortage of labour – not just any old labour, but also highly skilled professionals which successive Australian Governments has been pushing us all towards. With this shortage comes the inevitable cliché– the war for talent.
Suddenly companies which through the lean times have had appalling people policies start positioning themselves as employers of choice. Gone is the ‘this is the way that we do things around here and if you don’t like it there’s an army of people out there to replace you’ attitude. Instead, words like values and corporate community start appearing.
The basic concept is an abandonment of the price mechanism for the attraction and retention of talent in favour of ‘other’ tactics – the company as a brand for employees. Now there’s no doubting that some companies have always done this to good effect, however it’s a bit hard to swallow that every organisation suddenly is full of big-hearted philanthropists concerned about your self actualisation.
Moreover, such a values proposition is out of step with mainstream Australia. Genuine concern for society as a whole has been replaced by a prevailing attitude of me first. Perhaps some companies should adopt as their mission statement: we’re not really that nice, but at least you’ll pay off that in-ground pool a little quicker.
