APS recruitment restrictions good news for recruitment agencies

The Australian government's decision to put a freeze on new hiring is proving to be a boon for private recruitment firms, which may want to consider investing in specialised recruitment software in order to manage increased demand for their services.  

According to Fairfax Media, recruitment companies have won a significantly increased number of deals with federal departments as a result of the interim recruitment restrictions that were put in place last October. 

The APSC website explains the new recruitment arrangements have been introduced to help the government lower the number of public sector employees to 12,000 through the process of "natural attrition".

In order to meet this goal, new restrictions have been placed on how APS agencies are allowed to recruit new employees. Priority has now been placed on redeploying existing and displaced workers across the APS, with new hires only permitted under very strict circumstances.

However, the APSC concedes that these arrangements "do not apply to contractors / labour hire, which will be regulated by budget considerations", although it is noted that any such employment should be conducted in a way that's "consistent with the principles of these arrangements".

A spokesperson for the Australian Public Services Commission (ASPC) has admitted that departmental decision makers are free to use their budgets as they see fit, even if it involves paying recruitment companies to assist with workforce requirements. 

''Agency budgets remain the responsibility of each individual agency head and outside the scope of the Australian Public Service Commission," the spokesperson told Fairfax. 

One APS agency specialising in providing geoscientific advice and information to the government has already negotiated $1.4 million worth of recruitment firm contracts in 2014 alone, according to Fairfax.

If your recruitment agency is looking to truly capitalise on this unexpected boom period, you may want to consider investing in additional efficiency software designed to make your employees more productive. With the assistance of this technology, you'll be able to meet the recruitment demands of any organisation, be they in the public or private sectors.