Episode 158 The recruitment industry copped it from all angles this week—compliance cracks, cooling demand, and shaky global performance. A Fair Work Ombudsman ruling put a spotlight on governance failures, while fresh data showed a clear shift in the market: fewer employers hiring, more roles proving hard to fill, and confidence dropping fast. Globally, the big staffing firms aren’t faring much better, with profits under pressure and outlooks turning cautious. Back home, SEEK data tells a similar story—job ads easing, but demand still holding in key sectors like resources, engineering, and AI. It’s not a downturn—but it is a reset. The market’s tightening, expectations are rising, and recruiters are heading into a more disciplined, and far less forgiving, environment.

This week we unpack a resilient but fragile labour market as unemployment holds at 4.3% with a shift back to full-time jobs while economists warn the real impact of global shocks is still to come. We dive into mixed results from major recruiters Hays, PageGroup and Robert Walters, revealing ongoing pressure across the sector despite pockets of growth. We also look ahead to the industry’s big night out at the RCSA Rec Gala, question the loss of independence as Sourcr is absorbed into SEEK, and examine a serious legal case brought by the Fair Work Ombudsman over alleged exploitation of a migrant worker, another stark reminder of the compliance risks facing employers today. Question of the Week is, "How do you entice a candidate to change jobs in an uncertain economy?"

RNA episode 156 has news for 14 April 2026, including the sad passing of an industry legend, a brand refresh for Six Degrees, news of the US job market and BHP's Same Job Same Pay ruling that will change the landscape of labour hire forever. Question of the Week is, "Is old school recruiting becoming new school?

Episode 155 - News includes Christy Moses stepping into the CEO role at Miller Leith, with Stephen Borg, Joe Sette, and Jarrad Dowling all part of a broader leadership transition. We also looked at new data from GCheck showing just how widespread candidate exaggeration and AI-assisted deception have become in hiring, before unpacking the controversy around the Canberra Institute of Technology CEO appointment involving Margot McNeill and Executive Intelligence Group. We discuss to opportunities regional recruitment provides to the sector.

News this week:

• Australia’s hiring market remains active with rising recruitment and easing difficulty, but declining job ads and softer forward confidence signal growing caution.
• The Coalition is proposing tougher migration and visa rules, reflecting shifting political pressure and a harder stance on population growth.
• A global report links hundreds of major companies to alleged migrant worker abuse, highlighting urgent calls for supply chain transparency and accountability.
• Global hiring intentions have surged to a four-year high, led by strong momentum across Asia-Pacific, including solid demand in Australia.
• SEEK data shows Australian job ads continue to fall amid broad caution, while New Zealand’s market rebounds sharply and AI is not yet a major drag on hiring

RNA episode 153 has news for 24 March featuring Quest Personnel entering administration, the ABS reporting a surprise jump in unemployment, to the NSW Government turning back to recruiters, growing scrutiny of AI screening tools, and a regulatory crackdown on sham contracting. Question of the Week is "Should Ai recruiter bots have a human face?"

Episode 152 has news for 17 March 2026 features labour hire scandals to leadership blind spots and changing work patterns. Coles Group is under scrutiny over whether it should have known a labour hire firm was underpaying security guards, new research from Robert Walters reveals a striking perception gap between men and women on leadership inequality, and fresh data from the ABS shows nearly a million Australians are now juggling multiple jobs — suggesting the way people work is quietly shifting. We also have the latest financial results from Korn Ferry and Robert Walters. Question of the Week, "is Melbourne the most liveable city in the world?" Two local residents have their say.

Episode 151 has news for 10 March 2026 featuring results from Hays, Adecco and PageGroup along with the latest Gartner jobseeker survey and the MD of HR Partners resigns.Question of the week is, " Is it fair to ask candidates to access their Chat GPT during an interview?