Trades Recruitment – Market Commentary June 2023
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Market commentary-
In the past quarter, there have been improvements in application levels across Trade roles, providing some relief to the recruitment landscape. Companies are becoming more innovative in their recruitment strategies, offering incentives such as sign-on bonuses and changes to traditional work structures. These changes, including set shifts and work-life balance prioritization, have contributed to an increase in candidate mobility. With a large number of job advertisements across various platforms, candidates have an abundance of options to choose from, and these incentives have proven effective in attracting quality candidates.
Industrial Electricians – We have seen an increase to candidate availability over the past three months, particularly for roles offering market value rates. There is a trend of domestic electricians seeking opportunities in industrial settings. Afternoon and rotational shifts present challenges in recruitment, as most candidates are preferring day shift work. Domestic electricians are generally willing to accept lower rates to gain industrial experience.
Maintenance Fitters – We have experienced a slight rise in applications for day shift roles in recent months, though the overall levels of applications remain relatively low. We are seeing that Maintenance Fitters within our network are more likely to consider new roles when dayshift is on offer along with higher end market rates.
CNC Operators – There is a high skills shortage, with application levels at an all-time low. However, CNC Machinists have been somewhat easier to attract, as many companies opt to invest in training to address the skills shortage. Market value rates for CNC Operators have increased, but this hasn’t appeared to assist in application levels.
Welders and Boilermakers – These tradespeople have shifted from predominantly permanent roles to now considering casual positions. Candidate interest levels for these roles are at a satisfactory level. However, welders tend to prioritise higher rates, which has led to challenges in staff retention.
Field Service Technicians – We’ve seen an adequate level of candidates that are open to opportunities. However, we have noticed a gap between the rates on offer and what candidates are considering market value. Companies often include overtime, allowances and incentives to make the salary offer more attractive. However, candidates have voiced that they are focused more on the base rate rather than the earning potential. This has presented challenges across the board for successful placements of Service Technicians.
Heavy Vehicle Mechanics – We’ve experienced a low level of candidate availability. However, there is a high influx of light vehicle mechanics looking to transition into heavy vehicle roles. Many clients are offering training to upskill these candidates in order to assist with the skills shortage.
