Community & Business
1 March, 2022
The job tide has changed
THE job-hunting table has flipped, as employers struggle to find staff skilled or experienced enough to fill certain positions and employees enjoying more freedom of choice in their job options.
For years, hopeful workers have scrambled for open positions, competing with a host of other applicants but now according to QITE, that is not the case anymore.
QITE general manager Jillian Trout said the “tide has changed” in favour of job hunters who now had more options for employment and many were making changes in their industry, career or location.
“People have got more choice, so if you’re wanting to change your industry, career or move, you know that you’re probably quite secure in doing that and you would pick up a job if you have any kind of skills,” she said.
“People know and have started to work out that they have got more choice as an employee, whereas in the past that hasn’t always been the case – people would take any job they could get because they wanted that job and that job security.
“I think the tide has changed a little bit and employers haven’t necessarily understood that so much.”
Mandates and vaccinations have also had an impact on jobs, especially those that require workers to be double vaccinated or wear a mask.
According to QITE, there are currently 60 open jobs available on the Tablelands across several different industries from childcare, hospitality, disability support and more.
Some of these jobs have been hard or nearly impossible to fill either due to a lack of skills and experience or, Covid-related issues with wearing masks or being double vaccinated.
All NDIS or disability positions have also been very difficult to fill due to the requirements needed, as well as chefs and cooks due to an ongoing skill shortage.
“Certainly some jobs are being filled a lot quicker than others – we are really struggling at the moment with disability and childcare workers,” Ms Trout said.
“Some disability jobs that are going are really wanting people to have a blue card, police check, disability card, first aid, CPR, open driver’s licence and be fully vaccinated, before they even get their foot in the door.
“That’s not necessarily going to be for everyone.
“And jobs that require people to have a ticket to operate an excavator, forklift, or loader, or those that require truck licences, are the jobs we are really struggling to fill.”
The current work climate has been described as an “employees paradise” as high skilled or experienced workers can barter for jobs because there are simply more available.
“If you’ve got a skill set and you’ve got tickets, you know that you can kind of barter for what you are going to get paid,” Ms Trout said.
“Admin and general labouring we seem to be able to fill a bit quicker, it is definitely where there is a skill set needed or certain experience that we are having trouble.
“If someone needs five years’ financial experience in an admin position, that’s going to be a little bit trickier to fill than just a normal receptionist type role.”
The Mareeba Deli and Wellbeing Café had to settle for backpackers to fill their vacant barista positions, with a new worker coming in every couple of weeks.
Manager Angelina Della Bosca said it was a difficult time as they searched for months for more permanent and experienced baristas to fill the position.
“When someone would leave another one would come in but it was just a different one every two or three weeks,” she said. “It was a bit stressful… but we did manage to fill in where we had to.
“Now I’ve got two locals here and it’s a lot better, less stress on all the other staff and myself.”
Ms Della Bosca, who had been searching for baristas on and off before Christmas last year, had her first local barista walk in on Christmas Eve while another started just weeks ago.
JOBS THAT ARE HARD TO FILL
All NDIS/disability positions – impossible to fill
Chef/cooks – impossible to fill
Sales assistant – hard to fill
Childcare – hard to fill
Kitchen hand/barista – hard to fill
Water truck drivers/machine operators – hard to fill
Forklift operator – having issues filling
Information provided by QITE.
