Banks need to fight skills shortage: Hays
The recruitment of temporary staff within the banking sector is still an underutilised employment strategy, as employers are not realising the benefits of a flexible workforce, according to recruitment experts Hays.
This statement came with the release of a new survey by Hays, which found the number of organisations in the banking sector hiring contract staff on a regular basis rose to 20 per cent in 2010, up from 16 per cent last year.
The senior regional director of Hays Banking, Jane McNeil (pictured), said a flexible workforce of both permanent and temporary staff is not just a way to avoid permanent headcount or cut costs, but it is also a way to “tap into new skill sets to help minimise the impact of future skills shortages”.
“Given emerging skills shortages, it’s about the ability to access specific skills and broadening the pool of talent, rather than restricting your search to only candidates looking for a permanent role,” McNeil said.
“Temporary and contract workers can fulfil both short and medium term needs, with assignments ranging from just a few days or weeks up to many months and even years,” she added.
According to the research, 47 per cent of the almost 2,000 employers surveyed use temporary staff for special projects, while 33 per cent use them either only in exceptional circumstances or never.
Recommended for you
The central bank has released its decision on the official cash rate following its November monetary policy meeting.
ASIC has cancelled the AFSL of a Melbourne-based managed investment scheme operator over a failure to pay industry levies and meet its statutory audit and financial reporting lodgement obligations.
Melbourne advice firm Hewison Private Wealth has marked four decades of service after making its start in 1985 as a “truly independent advice business” in a largely product-led market.
HLB Mann Judd Perth has announced its acquisition of a WA business advisory firm, growing its presence in the region, along with 10 appointments across the firm’s national network.

