With economists predicting Australia will approach an economic cliff in September, the government is focused on getting the nation on the road to recovery. To fast track Australians back into work, HR technology company, Shortlyster, is powering the Australian National Talent Registry, a free initiative to match job seekers to roles as companies rebuild after COVID-19 left hundreds of thousands across the nation jobless or with reduced working hours.
Last week, the World Bank revealed the global economy was officially on track for the deepest recession since the Second World War. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that nearly 600,000 Australians lost their job in April and many more had their hours reduced or left the labour force, due to the knock-on effects of COVID-19. With the additional strain of the JobSeeker and JobKeeper support programs coming to an end, as well as the axing of incentives such as free childcare next month, the economy is only set to get much tougher for Australians.
The Australian National Talent Registry, which launched in May with the support of News Corp, is a free service built to quickly connect job seekers, including those looking for a career change longer term, directly to new job opportunities with companies as they begin to rebuild their teams.
Shortlyster Chairman and Co-Founder Carl Hartmann said the Registry was built with two goals in mind: to help get Australians back into the workforce and refuel the economy as it recovered from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as pave the way for the future of smarter recruitment in Australia.
“COVID-19 has changed the Australian workforce forever and it is critical that the road to recovery is built on the right foundations. The Australian National Talent Registry is the ultimate tool to help companies find the right candidates, and to do so without meeting the candidate – something which is greatly needed in the current climate. There’s never been a better time for companies to get ahead of the curve and access in-demand workers from a deep pool of qualified candidates,” said Mr Hartmann.
Unlike traditional job applications, which are based solely on skills and qualifications fits, the Registry utilises Shortlyster’s intelligent science based technology to holistically match Australians to roles that meet their job expectations, career motivations, preferred working styles, values, alongside skills and qualifications. This process automatically removes screening and hiring biases that often impact traditional hiring methods, such as gut feel, age or gender.
Engineering and mining services provider, Calibre Group is just one of many companies using the Registry to advertise available roles. Peter Massey, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Calibre Group said the company was excited to support the program and get Australians working again.
“Australia needs help to kick start its road to recovery and this creative and new platform brings together job seekers and employers keen to find talent in their respective industries,” said Mr Massey.
Andrew Laming, Federal MP for Bowman and Chair of the Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training said the initiative was a positive step towards building a stronger workforce long-term.
“I encourage any Australian looking for work or a change in career to sign up to the Australian National Talent Registry. It’s one of the first of many big steps Australia is taking towards a future that strongly embraces hiring with a more holistic approach, to assist Australia with moving out of the pandemic, and to create an opportunity for many Australians with diverse skill sets to find their next role, whether that’s in their current industry or something new,” said Mr Laming.
For more information about the Australian National Talent Registry, visit www.nationaltalentregistry.com.