It’s three months until Christmas—Australia’s peak period for delayed hiring decisions

The Hidden Risk in Waiting

Australia is navigating its longest period of low growth since the early 1990s, yet the labour market remains historically tight—the tightest since the 1970s (AI Group, 2025). For employers, this means skills shortages, rising employment costs, and fierce competition for high-skill roles.

Right now, enterprises are finalising budgets and workforce plans while transformation programs, AI integration, and regulatory shifts are accelerating. But we’re seeing  a big slow down in hiring decision making that is costing client’s talent. And 65% of Australian employers cite skill gaps as the major barrier to business transformation, and nearly half say inability to attract talent will block results (WEF, 2025).

Here’s the reality: waiting until 2026 to address critical talent gaps is a high-risk move. Hiring needs to start now, especially in Data, Risk, Technology, and Transformation.

The Year-End Workforce Planning Crunch

• Budgets are locked in, but execution is lagging: Most enterprises finalised headcount and investment decisions between April and August. Q4 is about execution.
• Decision-making slows in December: Add in January holidays, and you’re looking at a six-week hiring freeze. Compounding delays, and any chance of realising results any time soon.
• Notice periods matter: Senior roles often require three months’ notice. If you wait until January, your new hire may not start until April or May, while wage pressures continue to climb above long-term averages.

This is why Q4 is the hidden window for strategic hiring.

Why Recruitment Can’t Be Deferred

The roles under pressure aren’t optional—they’re business-critical:

• Digital transformation and AI adoption are driving demand for niche data, risk, and cyber talent, but skills shortages remain pervasive.
• Regulatory pressure in financial services, government, and energy means leadership and specialist risk hires can’t wait.
• M&A and restructuring require transformation leaders now—not in six months.

These aren’t just headcount—they’re the people who keep your programs moving and your business compliant.

The Risk of Waiting Until January

January feels like the “real” hiring season. But for enterprise hiring challenges in Australia, waiting means:

• Missing top talent: Many senior candidates make decisions in Q4, before bonuses land so they are ready to go once paid.
• Losing momentum: Transformation and compliance programs don’t pause for holidays.
• Facing intense competition: January floods the market. Everyone’s hiring. Salary expectations rise.

If you’re hiring for impact—not just numbers—Q4 is the time to act.

Navigating 2025 with Confidence

Enterprises that act now secure leaders in place before January’s backlog and are mitigating risk.

If you’re finalising your workforce plan and see critical gaps for 2025, now is the time to act.

Contact us today to schedule a workforce planning consultation. No sales pitch—just a conversation about what’s at stake and how we can help solve it.