In Australia, 2009 created some great opportunities; for people, for businesses and also for the standing of HR. In our region the standing of HR has never been higher says David Owens from Digby Morgan’s Australian head office in Sydney.

Australia has had its own experience of the global financial crisis: a calamitous first quarter where doomsayers were dining out on predictions of large scale asset value collapses followed by much calmer waters. A time in which yes, we had some worrying times but unemployment never topped 6% and the HR recruitment market simmered very steadily for the majority of the last three quarters.

HR has had a hand in everything. HR professionals have been the communicators, the managers of change, the scene setters, the expectation managers, they have managed the exits and they have managed the entrants as well. The full circle of corporate life has passed through the hands of those human capital managers and, you know what, they’ve done a good job.

There is many a CEO who will now not touch an email group distribution list without consulting the head of HR first; they’ve learnt to use the expertise around them. The Board will not be happy to sign off on risk management until the HR report has been heard and, as we all know, the Rem Committee is no longer complete without a ‘real’ Rem specialist in tow. All of this is true but the real buzz for HR professionals has come in the key area of ‘engagement.’

Everyone is worried; we all want to keep our best people and the biggest fear is that once the market recovers our best people will leave for greener pastures. Who are the managers of risk on the human capital side? It’s the HR professional. Seasoned communicators who can soothe, incentivise and develop all those people with aspirations to get ahead - whilst they stick with the firm.

Now more than ever before, the modern CEO and executive boards in Australia appreciate that if we are going to get the biggest possible bang from the recovering market we need our best people performing. So who do we call? HR Busters!

We are looking forward to that simmering HR recruitment picking up across quarters one and two and, by mid-year, we expect a healthy hue to be very much in evidence. We’re looking forward to working with all of those mobile HR professionals. Sharpen your CVs, 2010 is going to be a much better year!


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