Melbourne job market update: Q1 2025 insights

Published date: March 31, 2025

Welcome to our Melbourne Job Market Update for Q1 2025. In this report, our specialist recruitment consultants offer detailed insights across key sectors covered by our Melbourne office, including Business Support & HR, Call Centre & Operations, Commercial, Federal Government, Finance, Technology, and Transformation. Drawing from their daily interactions and first-hand experiences within Melbourne’s employment landscape, our experts provide valuable perspectives on current recruitment trends, emerging opportunities, and evolving market challenges.

A prominent trend for the remainder of 2025 is the clear shift towards returning to the office. Employers across all sectors are setting firm expectations regarding office attendance, with many requiring new hires to initially work five days in the office during their first 1–3 months. Following this period, a hybrid model of three days in-office and two days working from home is commonly offered. While external candidates have largely adapted to these expectations without significant resistance, internal employees have expressed greater dissatisfaction, often feeling as though an established entitlement to flexible working has been reduced or withdrawn.

For additional insights from across Australia, explore the latest market updates from our other offices by visiting our news page.

What’s in this article?

Click on any of the links below to jump to the insights that are most relevant to you. Our Melbourne job market update includes:

Business Support & HR recruitment
Call Centre & Operations recruitment
Commercial recruitment
Federal Government recruitment
Finance recruitment
Technology recruitment
Transformation recruitment
Melbourne market update summary
Further insights from across Australia

Business Support & HR recruitment trends

The Business Support and Human Resources market in Melbourne has seen notable movement in the Executive Assistant space. There is a strong demand for talent, particularly in the contract market, with both clients and candidates adopting a “try before you buy” approach. Encouragingly, experienced Executive Assistants are showing greater interest in contract roles—a shift from two years ago when permanent positions were the clear preference.

This growing flexibility benefits both employers and job seekers, offering adaptability in a changing market. As we approach the end of the financial year, it will be interesting to see how this trend influences permanent hiring in the coming months.

Business Support & HR recruitment – looking forward

The last six months of 2024 saw a rise in demand for Talent Acquisition professionals, particularly in fixed-term and short-term contract roles. This suggests that organisations are becoming more optimistic about hiring in 2025. The talent pool in this space is top-heavy, with a significant number of Talent Acquisition professionals with 8+ years of experience actively seeking new opportunities.

Employee Relations (ER) and Industrial Relations (IR) professionals, as well as experienced HR Advisors, remain in demand following the employment legislation changes in 2024. As businesses prioritise productivity and cost efficiency in 2025, generalist HR professionals will see higher demand compared to specialist roles such as Learning & Development (L&D).

Call Centre & Operations recruitment trends

Contact centre recruitment continues to be driven by attrition rates and call demands. Hiring has remained stable, with organisations increasingly favouring temporary customer service employees to manage any demand variations. This approach provides businesses with the flexibility to quickly respond to shifts in call volumes.

Call Centre & Operations recruitment – looking forward

Large organisations are increasingly cross-training and upskilling employees across multiple service lines, moving away from traditionally siloed contact centre teams. This trend is expected to continue as companies focus on improving customer experience and retaining customer service employees. Additionally, AI is becoming more integrated into contact centre operations, significantly reducing time spent on note-taking and follow-up administration.

Commercial recruitment trends

After a period of limited movement, the Big 4 Banks have reopened recruitment for frontline banking roles, spanning Small Business to Commercial sectors. Private Credit Funds remain a key focus, with most funds open to hiring high-quality candidates even without specific vacancies. In contrast, most equity funds have been relatively quiet. In Private Wealth, there is ongoing demand for Advisers with portable books. Across all industries, there is a particularly strong demand for female candidates, especially at senior levels.

Commercial recruitment – looking forward

Regarding the movement across banking, the demand for the roles across Small Business to Commercial is largely focused on existing candidates within the Big 4 Banks, leading to significant movement between institutions. Salary will likely be a major factor driving these transitions, potentially leading to pay increases.

Private Credit Funds are expected to maintain their opportunistic hiring approach, while equity funds are currently consolidating their resourcing needs and are likely to increase hiring later in the year. Demand for strong female candidates will continue across all segments.

Federal Government recruitment trends

We are currently witnessing strong and sustained demand for ICT Procurement and Technology roles in most states of Australia, across the Federal Government portfolio. This demand is being driven by ongoing digital transformation initiatives, infrastructure projects, and the need for skilled professionals to support critical government functions.

One of the key areas of growth is within the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), which is actively scaling up surge positions in preparation for the upcoming federal election.

However, despite the current hiring activity, our Federal team anticipates a slowdown in new job releases as the government moves into the caretaker period. With the next Federal Election expected to be announced for May 2025, departments and agencies are likely to shift focus towards maintaining essential services while deferring major recruitment decisions until after the election cycle.

Finance recruitment trends

Across Finance, Senior Finance Leadership roles remain largely static, with candidates holding onto their positions and organisations hesitant to invest in senior hires. However, there are emerging opportunities in specific areas, particularly within PE-backed businesses. Meanwhile, professional and transactional finance roles continue to be more readily available.

Finance recruitment – looking forward

Finance transformation projects are increasingly focused on automating processes such as month-end close, accounts payable (AP), accounts receivable (AR), and payroll. As businesses shift away from relying solely on historical accounting data, the demand for real-time financial insights continues to grow. This trend is driving an increased need for roles like Finance Business Partners and Finance Analysts. Senior finance leaders are expected to take on more strategic, forward-looking responsibilities.

Over time, automation and AI are expected to reduce the demand for transactional finance roles as routine processes become increasingly automated.

Technology recruitment trends

Recent hiring trends in the Technology sector indicate a continued focus on cost optimisation, particularly in non-client-facing, entry-level, and highly repetitive roles. Many organisations are addressing this through outsourcing and offshoring strategies, with a notable increase in companies establishing their own technology hubs in India, Vietnam, and the Philippines. This trend, carrying over from last year, reflects a broader effort to streamline operations and reduce costs while maintaining efficiency.

At the same time, there is sustained demand for highly skilled onshore talent, particularly in data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and technical client-facing roles. Businesses are prioritising expertise in these areas to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge, recognising the critical role these professionals play in delivering strategic value.

Technology recruitment – looking forward

The demand for AI and machine learning talent remains strong, particularly for professionals with a track record of successful implementations. Companies are prioritising those who can apply AI/ML effectively, ensuring practical and scalable outcomes.

At the same time, growing regulatory and compliance obligations are driving demand for governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) specialists and compliance managers.

Transformation recruitment trends

In Transformation, the demand for contingent resources, such as contractors and fixed-term engagements, remains strong as organisations continue to navigate uncertainty around larger, long-term transformation projects. This cautious approach has impacted hiring trends, with a greater focus on mid-level and junior roles rather than senior-level or executive positions.

Transformation recruitment - looking forward

Regulatory-led transformations, particularly in financial services—including banking, insurance, wealth, and superannuation—are expected to drive continued demand. Additionally, larger transformation programs are likely to remain in a holding pattern until the new financial year begins after Q2. As a result, the preference for shorter-term contingent resources over permanent hires is expected to persist.

Melbourne market update summary

Melbourne’s job market is shifting towards flexibility, with contract and fixed-term roles becoming more common, especially in Business Support, HR, and Talent Acquisition. While permanent hiring remains steady in some areas, many organisations are taking a cautious approach amid economic and regulatory uncertainties.

Automation and AI continue to reshape Finance, Contact Centres, and Technology, driving demand for Finance Analysts, Business Partners, and compliance professionals. Additionally, a notable organisation-wide trend for the remainder of 2025 is the increased emphasis on returning to the office. Employers have clearly defined expectations, and although external candidates are largely receptive, internal teams have shown greater resistance, viewing this shift as the removal of a previously established benefit.

As hiring optimism grows, companies are preparing for long-term workforce planning later in the year.

For expert recruitment solutions or to explore new opportunities, connect with our Melbourne team today.

Further insights from across Australia

Our nationwide team of recruitment specialists have also provided in-depth analysis on key industries across Australia's major cities. Explore the latest trends and insights by selecting a city or industry update below.