Spotlight on Commercial Finance – Recruitment and Salary Trends

Australia

Since the turn of the year, we have seen a marked increase in hiring activities. Although this increase has been significant in comparison to the last 18 months, the recruitment activity that we are currently experiencing mainly consists of replacement hiring instead of new headcount being added. The bulk of this replacement recruitment falls within the newly qualified to mid-level managerial level. There was less movement in the senior executive market, with the exception of a handful of niche roles and an unexpected surge in opportunities around the turn of the calendar year.

Amongst the younger Gen Y candidates, there is definitely a confidence around salary expectations that has not been witnessed over the past 18 months. This is no doubt linked to increased market confidence, although organisations are also beginning to respond to market changes by interviewing candidates who are commanding higher than average salary levels. As the market continues to strengthen, senior executive roles have started to rebound in terms of base salary and total packages.

There is an increased demand for candidates with analytical skills, especially for commercial/ business analysts and commercial managers. Firms are beginning to drive value through conducting extremely detailed analyses of their businesses with the aim of maximising revenue lines whilst at the same time minimising cost. Compliance and reporting teams are also being re-built, having had to deliver equivalent workloads to previous years, but with significantly reduced staffing levels following redundancies and cost reduction strategies.

For PR information please contact Steven Coxall or telephone +61 (0) 2 8289 3100.