Employment growth is more stable than the mainstream media portrays, and Australia may well survive the global financial crisis without the big job losses seen in previous downturns, according to HSBC chief economist Dr John Edwards.
As talent-sourcing gets easier, employers should consider breathing new life into their organisations by "top grading" their workforce and shedding poor performers, says Taleo senior vice president Al Campa.
Smart employers are directing their branding strategies inwards to engage workers who survive staff culls and to maintain positive relationships with the talent they're forced to let go, says MD of The Face, Adam Shay.
Panicky managers that put bottom-line efficiencies before people during the economic downturn run the risk of obliterating company morale and losing their best talent, says Robert Half Asia-Pacific's managing director, David Jones.
In difficult economic times employers must ensure they balance shareholder concerns about executive pay with the need to attract and retain talent, says Yolande Foord, executive remuneration leader at Mercer Australia.
Maintaining a good relationship with departing employees not only ensures a supply of part-time and temporary labour, but also drives business and employee referrals, says global expert on alumni programs, Professor Ian Williamson.
Employers that enforce hiring freezes during a downturn run the risk of anarchic recruitment systems and their costs spiralling out of control, says HR expert Steven Dahl.
Employers that gather and accurately interpret workforce data before resorting to massive job cuts can avert unnecessary workplace upheaval and save big bucks in future recruitment costs, according to Qantas workforce analytics manager, Nathan Carbone.
Employers that stop investing in succession planning and management risk losing the benefit of their efforts over the next five - critical - years, according to a white paper by PageUp People.
