The participation rate rose to 67.0% in June, meaning a greater proportion of Australians were either working or actively looking for work. Yet 44% of recruiting employers continued to report difficulty filling vacancies.

The apparent contradiction points to an issue we see regularly: the challenge is not always the total number of people available. It is finding people with the right capability, experience and context for a particular role. This is where internal mobility deserves greater attention.

Existing employees may already understand the organisation’s systems, stakeholders and operating environment. They may not have held the exact job title before, but they may possess adjacent skills and the potential to step into a more complex role with targeted support.

Looking internally can reduce transition risk, strengthen succession and demonstrate that employees do not have to leave the organisation to progress.
Some of the strongest future appointments may already be part of your workforce.

“In my experience, successful workforce planning isn’t just about attracting talent, it’s about recognising the talent you already have. Some of the strongest future leaders are already within your organisation, with the capability, organisational knowledge and potential to take on broader responsibilities.

We work with organisations to assess internal capability, identify succession opportunities and benchmark talent against the external market, helping leaders make informed decisions about when to promote, develop or recruit externally. Taking this broader view not only strengthens retention and succession planning but also ensures external recruitment is focused on capability gaps that genuinely need to be filled.”

By Kim Ritchie, Director, Eden Ritchie Recruitment

To meet the Leadership Team at Eden Ritchie, visit us at Eden Ritchie Recruitment