With job vacancies at record highs, new research from Robert Half Australia found that 84% of Australian hiring managers say they are currently willing to overlook previously important credentials when hiring for hard-to-fill roles.

Education (20%), technical certifications (17%) and number of years of experience (16%) are the top three qualifications businesses are willing to overlook when hiring for hard-to-fill roles. On the other hand, employers are least willing to overlook an applicant’s soft skills (8%), their specific relevant industry experiences (11%), as well as candidates’ cultural fit within the organisation (12%).

In lieu of hiring skilled professionals who already possess the required years of industry experience or technical qualifications for a role, employers are investing in their internal development and training programs. More than 8 in 10, or 84%, or Australian business leaders say they’re likely to prioritise and invest in training and upskilling within their teams to mitigate skills shortages.

Meanwhile, according to Robert Half, in order to support the timeliness and continuity of project-based transformation work, companies are employing contract professionals to immediately access niche skills in short supply. Most, or 84% employers are likely to hire contract workers to fill gaps on a short term or project basis amidst burgeoning skills shortages.

Andrew Brushfield, Director Robert Half Australia, said, “The perfect candidate is elusive so in order to fill skills gaps and remain on target with strategic objectives, companies must be open to assessing candidates for their potential to develop their skills and how likely they are to add value to existing teams. This silver lining to this is that is has opened new avenues for candidates who may previously have been overlooked but bring the soft skills, appetite to learn, and passion for the role necessary to become a valuable employee.”

“The flexible labour market can also add value and support companies’ permanent hiring strategies by quickly filling skills gaps where there are critical business needs and timeliness is key. Contract workers can also help companies minimise risks by allowing them to efficiently manage headcount and staffing costs while trialling new roles before committing to a permanent hire,” continued Brushfield.

Robert Half also found that while more than half (54%) of CIOs say maintaining security across business systems and safeguarding company information is their top strategic priority for 2022, nearly two-thirds (63%) say cyber-security skills are the most challenging to hire locally. Similarly, 45% of CFOs say cost reduction is their top priority this year, but almost half (49%) are struggling to hire the required financial management skills in the Australian market.

“As the economy rebounds, difficulties accessing the required skills to meet the strategic priorities of CIOs and CFOs could slow the momentum of business recovery across Australian industries,” the company stated.