A large survey of Australian businesses conducted by the National Institute of Labour Studies at Flinders University and the National Centre for Vocational Education Research reveals some interesting findings about the significant ways in which employment patterns have changed in the last 20 years.
They found that since 1992:
There has been a significant shift away from full-time, permanent jobs, particularly for men:
- Only 20% of all new jobs were for men employed full-time permanently
- Growth in permanent jobs had been concentrated among individuals aged 45-59
- Labour hire has been growing rapidly and now comprises over 3% of all employment
In 1992, 70% of all jobs were full-time and permanent and this form of employment was ‘standard’. However, in the 2000’s non-standard forms of employment have been growing more rapidly than the standard form. For example, between 1992–2005, total employment rose by 32%, but full-time permanent employment rose at only just over half that rate—by 19%.
This trend should have implications for recruitment practices.
Traditional recruitment practices
In the 1980s, 1990s and earlier, most employees worked in permanent, full-time, long-term roles, and people typically applied for jobs using CVs and cover letters, with interviews serving as the main recruitment method. This is quite a laborious process, but quite appropriate as employers were hiring people they intended to work with for a long period of time and employees were willing to spend time updating CVs and crafting cover letters. Employers also relied on the information provided by the applicant and perhaps a handful of referees.
Although employers still commonly use these techniques today, their suitability may be questionable, especially for part-time and casual positions. It is also becoming increasingly apparent that the Internet social media have altered the recruitment world, with employers easily able to question claims made in CVs but doing online searches and online job applications becoming more popular. As we explained in our blog Selecting Job Applicants in the Age of Social Media, many employers now use platforms like Twitter as recruitment tools.
Today’s recruitment practices
In this ever-changing, fast paced world of work, one of the most reliable and practical tools for recruitment purposes is psychometric testing. Psychometric testing can reveal a significant amount of information about a candidate in a short time. A one hour assessment can reveal cognitive ability, personality characteristics, work values, skills acquired, tendency to be honest/embellish, to name just a few abilities and behavioural tendencies.
RightPeople has a wide range of research-based, tried and tested assessment tools that are continually evolving. We tailor our packages to suit your needs—whether you require longer, more detailed assessments for permanent staff, higher-level assessments for managers, or shorter, skill-based tests for part-time or casual roles. If you’re hiring someone for a specific task, such as data entry, you can use a clerical skills assessment to confirm they have the right skill set. For long-term positions, psychometric testing becomes the first step in identifying candidates with the values, attitudes and abilities needed to move forward in the recruitment process.
Once the candidate completes the assessment, we compile a customised report based on the role and the organisation’s needs, and we email it to you promptly to help streamline the recruitment process.
Want to know more about our assessment tools? Contact RightPeople today.
