Why a pay rise could be sliding into your DMs

As the unemployment rate sits at a 48-year low, Australian businesses are going more direct in a bid to get ahead of the pack when it comes to hiring top talent.

New data shared with The Sydney Morning Herald from recruitment firm Robert Half shows a staggering 98 per cent of business leaders are reaching out to employees who are not actively seeking new opportunities.

And those approaches are coming in the shape of private messages on LinkedIn, as companies ditch the traditional methods of finding new staff members.

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“In 2019, headhunting was reserved for the senior end of the market, or a backstop where niche talent was required,” Robert Half director Nicole Gorton said.

“In this market, we are seeing it as a primary strategy across all sectors and levels of seniority.”

One of the most attractive aspects of using the platform for recruitment is just how easy it is.

"There’s very little cost in sending requests to somebody," Gartner HR research and advisory vice president Aaron McEwan told the SMH.

Strong candidates likely to get the 'whole package'

Yet McEwan said as the practice became standard, employers would need to up their offering to stand out from the crowd, particularly in areas with critical skill shortages.

Whether that be higher wages or adding extra perks to achieve the "whole package", top talent could often find themselves in the driving seat during negotiations.

Australia’s official unemployment rate fell to 3.5 per cent after 88,000 jobs were added in June.

According to the SEEK employment data last month, job ads pulled back slightly in June but were still 23.3 per cent higher, year on year, and 52.4 per cent above June 2019 levels.

“With skills shortages locally and overseas, international economic uncertainty and rising operational costs, businesses in all industries are under pressure,” SEEK ANZ managing director Kendra Banks said.

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