Google AI
The Times Australia
Small Business News

.

HR Managers Get Creative on Recruitment Struggles


The tight labour market in Australia is forcing HR managers to get creative with how they source and nurture talent within companies.

With most industries nationwide citing staff shortages and difficulty recruiting for vacant roles as key factors limiting productivity, it is clear that for businesses to thrive, drastic action is needed.

This has caused HR managers and recruiters to start rethinking how they go about filling roles.

Historically, some companies had an excellent reputation for being places employees could work to grow their careers. Employees of these companies have been able to ‘start in the mailroom,’ as the cliché goes, and work themselves up to key positions within the company leadership.

However, for the most part, Australian companies have always been keen to bring in new blood, with recruitment heavily focused on attracting outside talent. This has the benefit of introducing fresh ways of doing things which can drive innovation and promote excellence.

However, in today’s tight labour market, old ways of recruiting and managing staff just aren’t working anymore.

This is driving a rethink about the value of existing staff – and maybe that is a good thing!

Filling the gap

HR managers tasked with filling roles within organisations are finding that there is a war for good talent.

Not only is it difficult to attract applications, once applicants are invited to an interview, it’s difficult to even get them through the door. Record numbers of applicants simply don’t turn up for their interviews.

As frustration sets in and companies limp along with key roles vacant, it is often the existing staff who pick up the slack. In many cases, these staff have been filling in for more senior roles but have been overlooked for promotion because of a lack of relevant qualifications.

This is why responsive HR managers are starting to look at ways to upskill these high potential existing staff members, facilitating their promotion into more senior roles that help keep things ticking along.

Through partnering with Registered Training Organisations, staff can quickly obtain qualifications that enable them to step into new roles effectively.

Workplace training courses in everything from business to health give staff practical skills, while enabling them to fast-track their progress through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Post-graduate qualifications with RPL are available to help staff step into management roles.

Human Resource management has always been about keeping the good ones and recruiting the best ones. But when finding new recruits is a challenge, we can work with turning good to best!

Property Times

Protecting High-Value Homes Before Sale: A Practical Guide for Sellers Who Want Zero Surprises

Selling a premium home is rarely just about listing and waiting. At the top end of the market, buyers are more cautious, more informed, and often supported by advisors who scrutinise every detail. That changes the game for sellers. Presentation sti...

realestate.com.au attracts the buyer for 9 in 10 listed homes that sell on the platform

New PropTrack data reveals the impact realestate.com.au has on property sales, with the  platform helping Australian buyers find ‘the one’  realestate.com.au has today unveiled new data that demonstrates the role the platform plays in  Australia...

The Times Launches Dedicated Property Advertising Platform

In a significant expansion of its digital media offering, The Times has formally launched TimesAdvertising.com.au—a dedicated platform designed to connect property owners, agents, and developers with one of Australia’s fastest-growing online news...

Rental growth reaccelerates as cost to tenants reaches record high

Australian renters are spending a record share of their gross median household income on housing costs, as a chronic shortage of rental stock drives rents higher across the country. Cotality's Rental Review Q1 2026 shows national dwelling rents in...

Food & Dining

Supermarket Prices Are Up — and So Is Dinner at a Modest Eatery. Why?

For many Australians, the weekly grocery shop and a simple night out for dinner have quietly become two of the most noticeable pressure points in the household budget. What used to be routine—filling a trolley or grabbing fish and chips—now require...

Homemade Food: Cheaper Than Takeaway, Healthier Than You Think — and Easier Than Ever

As the cost of living continues to bite across Australia, households are taking a harder look at everyday spending. One of the most immediate pressure points? Food. The convenience of takeaway and delivery has become part of modern life — but it ...

Mother’s Day, The Lodge Dining Room

Her Day, The Lodge Way This Mother’s Day, The Lodge Dining Room presents a refined take on high tea. Guests are invited to indulge in a seasonal menu that moves between savoury and sweet — from tuna tartare with Oscietra caviar to warm truffle ...

You’re hungry. There’s a McDonald’s ahead. Should you go there?

What are the unhealthy options? It’s a familiar moment. You’re driving, working late, travelling, or simply too tired to cook. Hunger sets in. Then you see it—the golden arches of McDonald's ahead. The question is immediate: Do you pull in—or...

Business Times

Job scams create hiring risk for Australian businesses

By Lauren Anderson, Workplace Expert at Indeed Job scams are no longer the obvious, poorly written emails many Australians...

Eumundi Markets: One of the Sunshine Coast’s most powerful busine…

As Queensland prepares for Small Business Month in May, Experience Eumundi is highlighting the critical role the iconic Eum...

What It Takes to Be a Board Member on a Major Public or Private C…

Board seats carry prestige, influence and, in some cases, substantial remuneration. But the reality is less glamorous tha...

The Times Features

The Quiet Luxury of Ink: Rediscovering the Joy of Writi…

In an age dominated by screens, taps and instant communication, the simple act of writing by hand ...

Owning a Restaurant: Buying One or Braving the Challeng…

Owning a restaurant has long been one of the most alluring—and misunderstood—paths in small busine...

Supermarket Prices Are Up — and So Is Dinner at a Modes…

For many Australians, the weekly grocery shop and a simple night out for dinner have quietly becom...

In 2006, The Devil Wears Prada Became One of the First …

When The Devil Wears Prada premiered in 2006, it was marketed as a sharp, entertaining adaptation ...

Protecting High-Value Homes Before Sale: A Practical Gu…

Selling a premium home is rarely just about listing and waiting. At the top end of the market, buy...

Eumundi Markets: One of the Sunshine Coast’s most power…

As Queensland prepares for Small Business Month in May, Experience Eumundi is highlighting the cri...

Club Med Expands Exclusive Collection Portfolio with a …

Club Med, the global leader in premium all-inclusive holidays for 75 years, and Central Group Capita...

Cost of living increases worry Farrer residents

COST OF LIVING ‘CRUNCH’ HITS FARRER HARD, THE NATIONALS HEAR During a visit to Albury this week...

What's On: Two Psychics and a Medium – Australian …

HIT LIVE SHOW TWO PSYCHICS AND A MEDIUM EMBARK ON  AUSTRALIAN TOUR — AND NO TWO NIGHTS WILL BE T...