In September, unemployment in the Parramatta region reached 6.7%, among the highest rates in the country. That matches what we are hearing from HR professionals and employers every day. There is good talent available and demand for HR Advisors and HRBPs with strong ER experience is holding up. But the market has become much more selective.
The numbers reinforce what both sides are already feeling: more people looking, more scrutiny of headcount and slower decisions. That does not mean the market has stopped. It means both sides need to be more deliberate about how they approach it.
Senior HR candidates are feeling it
The biggest shift we are seeing is competition at Senior HRBP, HR Manager, Head of HR and HR Director level. There are exceptional senior HR professionals in the market right now, people with strong leadership backgrounds, significant ER and IR capability and transformation experience. But there simply are not as many senior opportunities coming to market.
Businesses are also looking very carefully at structure and costs before automatically replacing a senior role. When someone leaves, the conversation increasingly goes:
- Do we replace the role?
- Do we need it at the same level?
- Can we restructure the team?
- Can somebody internally step up?
- Could we use a contractor while we decide what the longer-term structure looks like?
We recently supported an HR Director who was seeking a similar role after redundancy. It took five months, with many conversations and interviews, to secure a permanent position.
We have also placed several Senior HR Business Partners in contract roles. None of them had considered contracting before, but the permanent market proved highly competitive.
A longer job search in this market does not necessarily mean there is something wrong with your experience.
Are we becoming too cautious?
Businesses are understandably trying to reduce risk. They want the right industry background, ER depth, leadership exposure, systems experience, cultural fit and sometimes experience in an almost identical role. But the more boxes we add, the smaller the talent pool becomes.
There is a difference between reducing hiring risk and trying to eliminate every element of risk. The latter can leave businesses searching for a "perfect" candidate while strong people move elsewhere.
In Western Sydney's manufacturing, FMCG, logistics and transport businesses, the brief gets specific fast. Blue-collar workforce experience, strong ER, investigations and restructures, awards and enterprise agreements, and someone who can work with the leadership team and still be visible on the floor. Add salary, location and cultural fit, and a large applicant pool suddenly becomes very small.
Candidates can fall into the same trap. At senior level it can be tempting to look for the next role that closely resembles the last one. But sometimes the next good career move looks different. A contract role. A slightly smaller organisation. A different industry. A transformation project. A role with a different title but more interesting work.
What each side can do
For HR candidates
A CV that lists HR responsibilities is not enough. Tell businesses what you have achieved. Did you reduce turnover? Lead a restructure? Improve an ER framework? Build capability in a leadership team?
Stay connected with your network, speak with recruiters who work in your market and reconnect with previous leaders and colleagues.
The right contract assignment can give you exposure to a new industry, keep you active in the market and could develop into a permanent role.
Decide which things really matter to you and where you have some flexibility around title, industry, location or working arrangements.
For employers
Separate the non-negotiables from the things somebody could learn. Does the person really need your exact industry background or ten years experience, or do they need the capability that usually comes with it?
Good HR professionals still have options. If someone meets the brief and feels right, keeping them waiting for weeks can mean losing them. It can also affect your employer brand.
ER matters continue. Leaders still need support. Compliance obligations remain. If a permanent appointment is not right yet, a temporary or contract HR professional can provide the breathing space the team needs.
The best person for the role may be a Senior HR Advisor ready for their first genuine HRBP opportunity, or an HRBP from another industry who brings stronger ER capability than someone with direct sector experience.
The good news
We continue to see demand for HR Advisors and HR Business Partners, particularly people with strong operational HR and employee relations experience.
Practical ER capability remains highly valuable. So does the ability to move between strategic and hands-on HR.
And across Western Sydney's manufacturing, logistics, FMCG, healthcare, community services and other operational businesses, people who understand frontline workforces continue to stand out.
The market is not closed. It has just become more particular.
Whether you are hiring or looking
Whether you are considering your next career move or defining a role before going to market, our HR recruitment specialists are happy to talk it through.
