Talent has continued its track record of strong profit growth in the financial year to 30 June 2023. From a modest position in 2018, Talent have grown its revenue 105% from $487m to $1b in the 5-year period to 2023 growing normalised EBITDA fourfold to $27.5m. This success was underpinned by a 14% increase for contracting revenue, on top of its project delivery brand, Avec, growing by 104% year-on-year.

Employee engagement was critical in the five-year journey increasing from 52% in 2018 to a world-class 90% in 2023.  Mark Nielsen, Talent’s Global CEO stated, “Talent’s culture is centred around its #OneTeam mantra underpinned by its core values which are embedded into every area of the business.”  Nielsen further commented, “Talent’s success has been driven by organic investment in its income streams Avec and Solutions which has added real value to the service offerings Talent takes to market.”

Avec has increased its team and will continue to build out its technical expertise through partnering with, and acquiring, suitable deep-tech consulting businesses. Avec expanded its intelligent automation offering in FY23 through the swift employment of the majority of the technology professionals, engagement of customers, and contracting of suppliers from the Reveal Group.

Talent Solutions continued to grow during FY23 with a combination of embedded talent solutions for hyper growth tech scale ups, more traditional RPO solutions for midmarket companies, and MSP for enterprise.

Talent’s charitable foundation, Talent RISE, helps young people facing barriers to employment enter the workforce.  During the year, Talent RISE continued to expand operations with offices in Perth and Auckland. Talent RISE placed 75 young people into meaningful employment in FY23, which can be life changing for those starting their first job.

Mark Nielsen, Talent’s Global CEO, praised the Talent team on delivering these results. “Five years ago, we set out with a big hairy audacious goal of increasing our global revenue to $1 billion and I’m so proud to announce that we have successfully done this. Our team here at Talent is exceptional and this wouldn’t have been possible without their dedication. We have a strong culture here with a world class engagement rate of 90% which goes to show our focus and passion of building a better world of work for all.”    

Talent Global CFO, Megan Woodbury, said, “After being at Talent for just over a year, it’s evident that the passion and commitment from our teams has been a core reason for us to achieve this goal – which is particularly remarkable given the challenging market conditions. We have a culture of open and honest communication and with that, we’ve been aligned globally on what we want to achieve.”

Aligned to Talent’s goal of being a global tech services business, Talent has recently acquired Wellington based recruitment agency, People&Co. This acquisition reinforces Talent’s commitment to the New Zealand market, and supports the expansion of Talent’s core recruitment business, as well as establishing a platform for it to build out its project delivery, automation and data consultancy business, Avec in the New Zealand market.

Cybersecurity professionals remain in high demand as the Australian market continues to struggle with talent shortages. In a recent whitepaper Talent has released, the salaries, skills and experience needed to keep our businesses safe is severely lacking.

The whitepaper features salaries, skills needed, challenges currently being faced and trends and predictions for key cybersecurity positions in 2023. It also features insights from Talent’s Account Management team, as well as anonymous insights from cybersecurity professionals across ANZ and the US.

Key findings include:

• There’s significant demand for cybersecurity talent due to recent high-profile cyber incidents
• There’s a shortage of qualified and/or skilled cybersecurity talent – Research has revealed that 60% of global IT and cybersecurity leaders struggle to hire qualified cybersecurity candidates
• Seniors and specialists are in high demand – A Head of Digital at a retail client notes that they are seeking to hire “Cyber Architect and Cyber Consultant professionals who possess technical depth and are able to consult and talk business risk to the internal stakeholder. These are quite senior roles which I see are in short supply within the market”.
• Salary expectations from candidates are high, even if they don’t necessarily have the experience or qualifications to command these higher salaries

Skills in highest demand are:

• Cloud computing security
• Offensive security
• Security operations
• Artificial intelligence

Predictions for 2024 and beyond:

• Regulation will increase
• AI will present new risks
• Digital fraud will rise
• Employee training will be a priority

Insights from the anonymous cybersecurity professionals include:

• “If I’m hiring tomorrow, it’ll be a junior / mid-level person with a couple years of technical experience with the right attitude and mindset. Good generalists are hard to come by.”
• “Currently I lead a team of level 1 and 2 security analysts and over the past 6-9 months I’ve had to hire. Given what we do, we tend to look for entry to mid-level experience to fill these roles, and cost is a big factor. What I’ve found is that those entering the market with little to no experience (or at least relevant experience) are commanding more in terms of salary. This is putting pressure on the profitability and competitiveness of the services we deliver.”
• “A great communicator will achieve more than a brilliant tech in some cyber roles.”

Insights from the Talent and Avec team include:

Michael Megally, Avec General Manager, “Cybersecurity can’t all be left up to your IT team. You can build the biggest cyber defence in the background, but your people are your biggest vulnerability. Training your people is the biggest defence you can have for cybersecurity.”

According to our Sydney cybersecurity recruitment expert, Elliott Howard, large consultancy firms and banks rolling out cyber graduate programs to grow internal teams has had a strong impact on salary expectations. “While these programs have had a positive impact in increasing the pool of cyber candidates in the market, they have also resulted in candidates with only a couple years of industry experience asking for very high salaries which does not correlate to their experience. However, strong competition for cyber resources has meant that these less experienced candidates are able to attract the higher salaries and rates, resulting in enterprise sized companies with large cyber teams and strict salary bandings struggling to match these salaries. They have therefore been unable to attract candidates, resulting in vacancies and extended periods of time to recruit.”

You can download a copy of the report here.

Talent has announced it has acquired Wellington based recruitment agency, People&Co, effective immediately. The acquisition comes off the back of a highly successful financial year for Talent with the business cracking $100 million in gross margin and boosting EBITDA by more than 10% to $27.5 million.

This acquisition reinforces Talent’s commitment to the New Zealand market, and supports the expansion of Talent’s core recruitment business, as well as establishing a platform for it to build out its project delivery, automation and data consultancy business, Avec.

Speaking on the acquisition, Mark Nielsen, Global CEO, Talent, touched on the strong business and cultural alignment between the two companies. “When the opportunity to acquire People&Co arose, we believed it would be great fit for Talent. In addition to significant growth potential, we recognised a strong affinity in terms of culture and vision between the two organisations, and our shared commitment to the New Zealand market.”

Sam Collins, Managing Director, People&Co, will be joining the Talent Group as part of the acquisition will be responsible for scaling Avec’s business in New Zealand. “It’s a new era for the People&Co brand and for me personally. We are excited about the opportunities Talent and Avec will deliver for our sales team and our customers, candidates and contractors. Our culture that we have built is aligned with Talent’s which was a non-negotiable, and we resonated with the growth mindset of the leaders and their teams,” Sam said.

Kara Smith, Country Manager, Talent New Zealand commented. “We are incredibly excited about the acquisition of People&Co. Talent’s commitment to further expanding and investing in Aotearoa is an exciting time for all our team members, clients, candidates and contractors, and this growth begins a new chapter for us.”

Sam and Kara will work closely with Talent Wellington’s Managing Director, Nik King-Turner, Talent’s Global CEO, Mark Nielsen, and the wider Talent team, focusing on the growth of the New Zealand company.

People&Co is a proud Māori-owned organisation, and a member of the All-of-Government (AoG) External Recruitment and Consultancy panels. Through co.star they offer OD, HR and business consulting to individuals and organisations looking to drive change or results.

Talent has taken out two wins in the 2023 APSCo Awards for Excellence; Best Brand and RPO of the Year.

In the Best Brand category, Talent was recognised by APSCo for excellence in upholding and communicating its brand values; Lead the Way, Strive for Better, Give a Damn; and delivering exceptional experiences for contractors and clients through resources.

In the RPO of the Year category, Talent was recoginsed by APSCo for excellence in promoting and demonstrating a commitment to best practice in the RPO sector. Talent’s outsourced recruitment experts showcased their commitment to designing, building and managing Talent Acquisition functions that differentiate their clients from their competition.

Talent Managing Director, Marketing, Chloe O’Toole, commented on what this award means to the company. “Over the past five years, our brand has undergone a transformative journey, driven by our values: Lead The Way, Strive For Better, and Give A Damn. These values have become much than words on a page. From delivering exceptional experiences to contractors and providing hiring managers with resources for building successful teams, to our work supporting young people who face challenging employment barriers, our values guide everything we do, and we are so proud to have this recognised.”

Tom Mackintosh, Talent Solutions Managing Director, commended the team on their brilliant work. “Our deployed Talent Acquisition partners do the research and put in the work to design, build and manage Talent Acquisition functions that differentiate our clients from their competition. It’s about so much more than outsourcing for us, we become part of their teams and take on their challenges as our own.”

Talent RISE is pleased to announce that $86,569 has been raised in the 2023 ‘Step Up Challenge’ fundraising initiative which is aimed at helping young people with challenges to finding employment. These vital funds will be used for three life-changing initiatives. These are:

• Tech Academy: The Tech Academy will fund a group of young people through work placements and training to acquire invaluable skills and experience, providing them with a clear pathway into tech roles – a pathway they never thought possible.
• Paid Internship Scheme: Paid internships can be life-changing but are often impossible to secure for the young people we work with. This scheme will fund internships which provide critical experience to help young people gain confidence and secure employment.
• Equal Access Program: This program will support young people from refugee, asylum seeker, or Indigenous backgrounds by covering the cost of training (alongside RISE work readiness support) to provide a platform for future security.

Over 300 global employees from Talent and Talent RISE volunteered their time on September 8^th for the Talent RISE global ‘Step Up Challenge’ initiative. The initiative enters its second successful year running. To date, Talent RISE has raised $194,047 and has helped over 1,000 young people with coaching, mentoring, training and secured meaningful employment for 75 young people.

Karen Graham, Talent RISE CEO ANZ said she humbled with the outpouring of generosity shown. “It is incredibly heart-warming to see our team members rally together with friends, family and clients to help raise $86,569 to help young people facing barriers to employment. Our Talent RISE team are extremely excited to be able to launch these three life-changing initiatives and know the huge impact that they will have on helping fight youth unemployment here in Australia and New Zealand.”

Launched in 2014, Talent RISE is the charitable foundation of Talent – a leading global technology and digital recruitment specialist. To date, Talent RISE has engaged more than 3,000 young people through workshops and mentoring and has successfully placed over 400 into meaningful employment.

According to the ABS, the youth unemployment rate in Australia decreased to 7.7% in June 2023. This figure however remains too high and is more than double that of the general population of 3.5%.

According to Stats NZ, in the March 2023 quarter, the seasonally adjusted proportion of people aged 15-24 years who were not in employment, education, or training (NEET) was 10.3% down from 11.1% last quarter.

Over the years, the Talent and Talent RISE global team has volunteered over 50,000 hours to giving back to charities and community projects and are proud to add the ‘Step Up Challenge’ to the list.

As an Australian-founded business, Talent’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is an important first step in the reconciliation journey. Talent’s mission is to bring real value to people and organisations by building highly skilled and engaged teams, rethinking technology solutions, and improving lives by creating a strong sense of belonging. To truly impact lives for the better, Talent understands this begins with embracing our responsibility to take positive steps towards reconciliation.

Talent is extremely proud to have their first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) endorsed by Reconciliation Australia. Throughout this plan, and future plans, the business is committed to establishing and maintaining a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia.

Whilst Talent acknowledges that are they in the early stages of our reconciliation journey, the business has taken some fundamental steps to initiate the journey, including becoming members of Supply Nation and creating a RAP working group. The role of the Reconciliation Working Group to date has been to formulate, oversee, and review the Reconciliation Action Plan, and on an ongoing basis they will implement and evolve the actions contained in this plan as we progress in the reconciliation journey. The Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group includes representation from across our varied business units, a range of staff levels and geographic locations.

Talent’s RAP artwork was created by Jordan Lovegrove, a talented Ngarrindjeri artist known for his captivating contemporary and abstract art.

Talent Solutions, the advisory and embedded talent acquisition line of Talent, has today announced a new partnership with Makosi, the global leader in on-demand audit talent.

The partnership will facilitate in helping clients address the current skills shortage being experienced across Australia and New Zealand in the accounting and assurance industry.

Talent’s General Manager – Solutions, Tom Mackintosh commented as follows, “We are thrilled to work with Makosi to continue to help our clients with creative workforce solutions. The collaboration will help alleviate the current challenges faced by the accounting and auditing industry.”

Founder and CEO at Makosi, Darren Isaacs, explains that accounting firms around the world today are facing many impacting side effects due to the shortage of talent in the audit and accounting industry.

“We all understand there is a real serious problem happening when it comes to resourcing in the accounting industry but getting your hands on great talent is just part of the equation. Making sure the talent is trained and equipped to be a part of your organisation is something that is commonly overlooked but very important as it relates to establishing continuity, improving quality, and keeping cost down.”

“Developing this relationship with the Talent Solutions team is exciting for Makosi as it allows us to complement each other with our services and provide a complete set of services.” Added Isaacs.

Makosi partners with accounting teams around the world to deliver high-quality variable workforce solutions, including audit, assurance, and advisory services. Makosi use leading edge technology to drive efficiency and transparency to hiring, onboarding, and project management.

Talent has today announced Meagan Jeffery will be joining the company as Global Chief Information Officer, effective immediately.

Meagan will work closely with Talent’s Global CEO, Mark Nielsen, and the wider Talent team, focusing on building Talent’s technology function, leveraging enablers such as data and AI and also provide contractors and customer with the highest level of service.

Meagan joins Talent following an extensive career spanning more than 25 years in the technology sector. She has held roles in retail and investment banking, superannuation, insurance broking, energy, utilities, and federal and state government. In recent roles she has advised and supported boards, CIOs and IT executives with strategic planning, digital transitioning, and sourcing of technology services.

Having worked in Australia, South Africa, and the UK (London), Meagan is cross-culturally sensitive and able to provide effective, hands-on leadership and motivation to teams with varied cultures, work ethics and social customs.

Commenting on the appointment, Meagan Jeffery, said “It’s an honour and exciting for me to be joining Talent and an exceptional team. I’m looking forward to the challenges and opportunities this role will bring. It will be our mission to rethink technology and strive for digital transformation to make a real impact to the organisation and our customers. I am also fortunate that with Talent I can continue CIO advisory services and maintain my board career.”

Talent Global CEO, Mark Nielsen, said he is thrilled on having Meagan join team Talent, “As we continue to take Talent to the next level, I am extremely excited to have someone of Meagan’s calibre join our global team. Our goal is to ensure we build out a world-class technology infrastructure that supports the step-change we are going through. Not only will Meagan bring her expertise to the Talent business but to our Avec service line and our customers.”

Despite a slowing market, tech and digital salaries are remaining strong with continuous competition within key industries to secure top talent. Today, Talent is pleased to release ‘More Than Money Salary Guide 2023’ featuring key salaries, roles and skills that are in demand for the Australian market. Please find the report HERE.

The report features salaries and contract rates for key tech positions in 2023, market insights from Talent’s Managing Director team and experienced recruiters, as well as hiring trends and predictions for the 15 cities in which Talent operates across ANZ, EMEA and the US.

The report showcases the most in-demand tech skills for 2023 and provides a range of stats on the local tech talent pool, skills trends, stats on the cost of living across multiple cities, and the benefits beyond salary that candidates are looking for.

Key findings include:

• Tech salaries and contract rates have increased 15-20% on average globally
• Professionals with security skillsets are in high demand. Security salaries have seen average growth of 20% in the past year
• Data Analytics, Testing and Cloud Infrastructure roles have had the highest contract rate growth at 15-20% on average since 2022
• 95% of candidates prefer either a fully remote or hybrid model of working
• The fastest growing tech skills in 2023 are Cybersecurity, Data Analysis, Microsoft Azure and Python (Programming Language) (source: LinkedIn Talent Insights)

Demand remains high for the following skills:

• Microsoft Azure
• Cybersecurity
• Data Analysis
• Python (Programming Language)
• Help Desk Support
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Industries that are thriving include:

• Financial Services
• Mining & Utilities
• Renewable Energy
• Hospital & Health Care
• Government / Public Sector
• Higher Education

Matthew Munson, Talent Managing Director NSW, shared his predictions for 2023, “The beginning of 2023 is showing a continuation of the trends we saw at the end of 2022. The headwinds caused by rising global inflation, the resulting interest rises and the ongoing impact of the Ukraine war on supply chains continues. What we are seeing is a knock-on effect on organisations hiring confidence, as employers are unsure of how this year will play out and how long the global inflation problem will continue. The result is a market that is similar to the pre-pandemic conditions, with employers either taking a cautious or bullish approach. The more cautious have decreased hiring and in some cases implemented hiring freezes, whereas the more bullish are taking advantage of the market to increase their hiring whilst their competitors hesitate.”

Simon Yeung, Talent Managing Director VIC, said there were significant changes to the national landscape, “There have been a number of significant changes to the national and local economic landscape, particularly in the past six months, which have affected the Victorian tech sector and the IT labour market, however the tech sector nationally remains strong. As 2023 unfolds, we predict a steady and stable balance between market demand and suppl as the economy rides out the last of inflationary forces. We are seeing a rise in businesses requiring their employees to work onsite for minimum 2-3 days, but with candidates still in the driver’s seat, flexibility remains strong on their agenda.”

The global technology market is evolving and growing. As a $5 trillion global industry, it has significant power in both providing opportunity to the workforce as well as rapidly disrupting the international work landscape. Although candidates are proceeding with caution, the tech skills shortage remains, meaning top talent is still in the driver’s seat.

* Figures are based on data provided to Talent from our clients, with additional sources cited.

​New research from Talent reveals that 59% of candidates looking for new work say that a company’s commitment to environmental sustainability influences their decision to accept a job offer. Taking a deep dive into how much companies and candidates are focusing on environmental sustainability, Talent is pleased to release ‘Sustainability: Awareness to Action’.

The report outlines findings from a survey of over 400 global employers and tech candidates across Australia, New Zealand, UK & US. You can access the report HERE

The research aims to highlight the amount of influence that environmental sustainability has on the hiring market with candidates, and where businesses can bridge the gap between their current sustainability initiatives and candidate expectations.

The report revealed the below key findings across all markets:

• 84% of candidates say that it is important for them to work for a company that prioritises environmental sustainability.
• 82% of candidates feel that businesses have an obligation to minimise their environmental impact and 91% of companies agree, however 50% of candidates feel that companies are currently not doing enough in this space.
• 59% of candidates say that a company’s commitment to environmental sustainability influences their decision to accept a job offer whereas 59% of companies are either neutral or disagree that their sustainability efforts have this impact.
• Environmental sustainability was ranked as the third most important business priority by both candidates and employers.

Mark Nielsen, Global CEO Talent, commented on the findings. “There is no questioning the impact of climate change and that the time for action was yesterday. We all have a part to play not only as individuals but as businesses as well. With combined action, we can deliver a more sustainable world with better outcomes for all. These insights are even more proof that strong ESG strategies are crucial when going through the hiring process.”

Talent’s vision is to build a better world of work for all.

Talent is pleased to release ‘DEI Hiring Toolkit: Less Talk, More Action’, a brand-new introductory guide aimed to help businesses create more inclusive recruitment experiences for candidates and contractors. You can access the toolkit HERE

Focusing on six core areas in the hiring process – the job description, sourcing, shortlisting, interviewing, offering and finally onboarding. The guide has insights, tips, personal stories, and key takeaways which businesses can put into practice now.

The guide features personal stories from leaders working in the DEI space discussing a range of topics including ageism, youth employment, working parents, disabilities and more.

Key takeaways include:

• Diversifying the interview panel
• Revaluating job descriptions and ads
• Shortlisting with diversity front of mind
• Thoroughly considering how you can offer tailored support

Mark Nielsen, Global CEO Talent, said focusing on DEI is a must for all leaders. “There is so much to unpack and continue to learn around DE&I in the workplace. Leaders must be aware of the ever-changing world of work and address that what might work for one person, might not for another. Authenticity and vulnerability allow for real conversations. There’s no denying that diversity in the workplace is extremely beneficial for building company culture, engagement, and performance. Not only that but it creates an environment where people love coming to work because they can be their most authentic self.”   

Kara Smith, Talent Auckland Managing Director, commented that there needs to be a bigger focus on inclusion throughout the hiring process. “We’re talking to many clients who acknowledge the importance of diversity and are actively driving this in their attraction strategies. But what about inclusion? What support will be there to help your more diverse talent be fulfilled and engaged? What data or stories are there within your environment to help you understand your starting position? We must be genuinely interested and curious about the experiences (both at work and outside of work) for more diverse talent to understand where you are starting from and what you need to tackle next. And it might not always be a comfortable conversation either.”

Talent’s vision is to build a better world of work for all.

Talent in partnership with Yahoo Finance Australia is pleased to release ‘Leaders Building a Better World of Work’, a brand-new list of leaders sharing their insights on what they are putting into action to make a better working world. You can view the list HERE

Featured in the list are Jennie Rogerson from Canva, Mary Haddock-Staniland from Timely, Vanessa Sorenson from Microsoft NZ, and Paul Sigaloff from Yahoo! among others.

The list highlights a thought-provoking side of leadership and provides a comprehensive overview of what all businesses are experiencing in this post-COVID working world from some of the globe’s top leaders. Their insights and the actions they are putting into place provide readers with strategies and knowledge that they can take into the new world of work.

Mark Nielsen, Global CEO, Talent, touched on the role leaders play in creating a brilliant culture. “True leadership is forged through times of crisis and if there is one thing we have all experienced in the past two years is that the way we thought we did business has been turned on its head. The responsibility and demands from leaders have also changed dramatically, and a one-size-fits-all approach to work just doesn’t cut it. Work-life balance, clarity of purpose, a supportive manager, and inclusion are core focuses to team members. To remain competitive, leaders and businesses need to adapt to this new norm.” 

The leaders touched on many different topics. Highlights included:

“People are looking for companies that will engage with them on a personal level, with greater flexibility and work-life balance. Some call this ‘hybrid working’, but I like to refer to it as a ‘borderless office’. If you have a framework that’s very rigid i.e., you have to be in the office two days a week, specifically Tuesdays and Wednesdays, you’re just restricting your teams’ behaviour. Is that really the best way?” Stuart Hughes, Chief Information & Digital Officer, Rolls-Royce

“With so many businesses offering competitive work packages, employees will continue to look to work in places where they truly feel valued and connected to the ethos of the organisation. For long standing companies, I think it’s important to strike the right balance with maintaining traditional ways of working and keeping up with increasing stakeholder demands around sustainability and technology. I think companies that can get that right will see employee satisfaction.” Louise ‘O Driscoll, Sustainability Communications Specialist, Canon EMEA

“For over two years, we’ve been dealing with the impact that living through a pandemic, social justice turning points and other factors have on how employees approach work each day. Companies that are proactive – inviting discussion, initiating events and programs, and providing other support – will enable their teams to not only feel safe to talk about things that in the past were not common practice in the workplace but to feel encouraged and welcomed to speak up.” Nicole Reid, People Experience, Xero

“A better world of work acknowledges that there is no ‘one size fits all’ that truly fits all. To be inclusive at work, is to be fundamentally flexible and dynamic, because that is also at the essence what we all are.” Deborah Choi, Managing Director, Founderland

Talent’s vision is empowering people to build a better world of work for all.