Gen Z will make up more than a quarter of the global workforce by 2025, according to McCrindle Research data. However, when it comes to retaining staff of Gen Z (those born between 1995-2009), employers need to better understand and support the Gen Z workforce in building their offline professional personas, says leading Gen Z expert and social researcher, Claire Madden.

As more and more Australian workers are being encouraged to return to the office, Claire says that Gen Z is at risk of increased anxiety because they’re not as confident as older generations when it comes to interpersonal skills and face-to-face interactions.

“Following The Great Resignation, it seems like we may now have The Great IRL Hesitation: people feeling awkward in office interactions, presenting, asking for help, and even just picking up the phone for a call can fill many Gen-Z and Millennial employees with dread and create a feeling of apprehension,” explains Claire.

A 2023 US study revealed that 90% of Gen Z employees experience social discomfort or anxiety at work, with ‘being called on in meetings’ and ‘giving presentations’ in their top five reasons as to why they feel anxious.

Claire is adamant that the situation is just as pressing in Australia as it is in the US and accordingly, says that Australian employers – especially those calling on staff to return to more days in the office – should be considering ways to help Gen Z feel more confident in real life interactions for a more productive work environment and healthier future leaders.

“The way we work is being redefined for Gen Z, as they emerge into their career years amidst seismic global shifts and rapid disruption.

“Gen Z bring unique strengths into the multigenerational workplace. They are informed consumers, willing contributors, and digitally capable. Yet whilst they are tech-savvy and confident at curating their virtual identities, there can be a confidence gap when it comes to interpersonal skills and communicating face-to-face with clients and colleagues. They’ve been starved of the multiple opportunities to foster these skills in the way their older colleagues have,” adds Claire.

To help address the issue, the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) has released a collection of on-demand professional development courses – called Prologue by NIDA – inspired by the lessons and insights of the NIDA Corporate Training team.

“NIDA is renowned for training some of our most famous on-screen stars, and for over 30 years through our acclaimed NIDA Corporate Training, we’ve also been training Australia’s top and emerging business leaders in effective communication, influential leadership and face-to-face presentation skills. It’s so exciting to be sharing these skills and insights with people across Australia through this new self-directed Prologue by NIDA experience,” says Terri Martin, Head of NIDA Corporate Training.

Prologue by NIDA’s first course, Act Natural, includes a hardcover book, app, audio guide, films and games deliberately designed to engage Gen Z.

Lessons within the course take 15-30mins a day, and the full course requires approximately six to eight weeks to complete. The course is now available for purchase via https://prologue.edu.au/ and costs $759 incl GST (tax deductible for some) and also available to purchase using AfterPay.

“It makes sense for an offering like Prologue by NIDA to come along, that not only helps Gen Z with crafting their offline persona and communicating effectively in the workplace, but also delivers entertaining and insightful content in a way that works for them,” adds Claire Madden.

In addition to investing in courses such as Prologue by NIDA, Claire’s top tips for managers of the Gen Z workforce are:

·         Facilitate a supportive relational environment in your workplace culture. Teaming up colleagues to work together on a project will help Gen Z build offline relationships and feel like they can be their true authentic selves at work.

·         Give Gen Z achievable opportunities to grow their confidence in face-to-face communication – including training and development, and contexts where they can share their knowledge.

·         Creating pathways that provide Gen Z with personal and professional development is key to a retention strategy.

·         Help Gen Z identify and develop ‘transferable’ skills that they will be able to take with them on their career journey into the future. This includes skills like communication, problem solving and leadership skills.

·         Secure foundations and positive sense of self-awareness and confidence within Gen Z because this will translate to confidence in interactions with colleagues and clients.

·         Provide regular, ongoing, positive and constructive feedback to Gen Z. They have become conditioned to regular feedback through online platforms. In the workplace they like to know whether they are doing things well and how to improve in their work. Remember it doesn’t take long to give a positive compliment after you see a staff member do a good job.

Claire Madden is internationally renowned as a ‘Voice for Gen Z’ and works with some of the nation’s largest companies and leading brands on the changing landscape of Australia’s younger workforce and the implications for business and society when it comes to interrelating with Gen Z.

For more information about Prologue by NIDA: https://prologue.edu.au/

Shopify POS Go is the all-in-one mobile POS device built for reliable, fast and simple on-the-floor selling. The hand-held device functions as a POS station, barcode scanner, and card reader, helping businesses easily process transactions without the hassle of additional hardware. 

Shopify , a provider of essential internet infrastructure for commerce, has launched two point-of-sale (POS) solutions in Australia to empower merchants with the product and platform they need to design seamless, reliable, and integrated in-store experiences.

For businesses looking to turbocharge their countertop setup, Shopify’s best-in-class POS Terminal is now also available to Australian retail businesses. The payment hardware provides a full-featured customer display, guiding buyers through purchase with clear flows for checkout, payment, PIN entry, tipping, and receipt selection. POS Terminal accepts tap, chip, and swipe payments at the counter, with solid WiFi and Ethernet connectivity. 

The launch of these POS solutions follows findings from a Shopify study that found that when it comes to making new product discoveries, preferences towards browsing in-store (42%) and online (41%)  are almost evenly split among Australian consumers.

Shaun Broughton, Managing Director APAC at Shopify said: “We know that unified commerce is more important than ever, with our research showing a reasonably even spread between online and in-store preferences among consumers. But creating an efficient and differentiated in-store experience can often be quite challenging for merchants balancing outdated solutions that are disconnected from their online presence and back-office systems.”

“With the launch of the POS Go and Terminal, we’re doubling down on in-store retail and are thrilled to support Australian businesses with our next-generation point-of-sale technology. Both products work seamlessly with Shopify’s ecosystem of tools, apps, and omnichannel data reporting to create a unified experience, both for our merchants and their customers.” 

Alexandra  McNab, COO at Bared Footwear  said: “Shopify’s new POS Go has had a fantastic impact in our retail channels, enabling an elevated shopping experience for which Bared is renowned. It’s early, but we’re already finding the device has enabled better end-to-end service with our floor team, reducing queues at the counter, and freeing us up to spend more time genuinely helping our customers. We’ve piloted the device in one store, and are definitely excited to roll them out across our network.”

To learn more about the Shopify POS Go and Terminal, head to https://www.shopify.com/au/pos/hardware 

Motivated by its vision to transform the trade industry, hipages Group has launched a new all-in-one lead and job management platform, ‘hipages tradiecore’, to help tradies build, grow and manage their businesses.

A game-changer for tradies, the Australian first platform is an end-to-end solution, combining job leads and management with admin tasks such as quoting, scheduling and invoicing, in one convenient app.

The launch follows new research revealing 84% of trade business decision-makers feel like they are spending more time on client communication and admin, than on the tools. The impact of this is a hit to both profitability and bottom lines, with two-thirds (66%) admitting to losing out on business due to time spent on the books.

Three-quarters of tradies (74%) spend up to five hours per project on admin tasks alone, which is equivalent to $500 of labour. The most time-consuming activities include quoting (77%), scheduling and diary management (69%), and invoicing (61%).

Despite this, tradies recognise the importance of streamlined business management. The majority (86%) say these tasks are essential to ensuring a job is done properly, while three-quarters (74%) say proper communication is essential to being hired again.

hipages Group CEO and Co-Founder, Roby-Sharon Zipser, said:

“hipages Group has been helping Australian tradies build their businesses for nearly 20 years by connecting them with homeowners to boost their job pipelines with more work. However, tradies have told us they want more streamlined communication between themselves and clients. 

“By offering an all-in-one business solution through hipages tradiecore, not only are we offering an easier way to do business, we are saving them time by offering the only platform in Australia that manages their workflow from lead generation through to payment and completion.”

Tradies wanting to find out more about hipages tradiecore can register their interest at www.hipages.com.au/registration.

The start of the year has proved rocky for Australia’s 1.5 million sole traders, with over a third (38%) experiencing a decline in revenue – the only financial quarter to record this in the last two years.

The latest Hnry Sole Trader Pulse – the only nationwide survey of self-employed people in Australia including consultants, freelancers, contract tradies and healthcare workers – reports revenue decline has outweighed growth (37%) for the first time since the pandemic. This bucks a two year trend where sole traders have consistently seen their turnover improve, rather than worsen.

Feeling the increasing pinch of inflation and rising costs, only 56% of sole traders in March 2024 feel secure in their jobs, falling from 61% in October last year.* This comes as one in five (19%) are looking to give up independent earning to work for someone else, with 48% of this group looking to improve their earnings and 47% seeking greater stability.

Karan Anand, Managing Director of Hnry Australia, said: “With 50,000 new sole traders expected to enter the sector this year, this group is an essential subsection of our workforce that signals the broader health of the economy. Our data shows us they’re doing it tough and feeling the lasting impact of inflation and back-to-back interest rate rises. 

“The good news is that as economic pressures promise to ease, overall sole trader optimism, whilst modest, is on the rise – with 35% feeling positive about the health of the economy in six months’ time, a jump from 23% in October 2023, and the highest since March 2022.”

However, not all sole traders are bearing the brunt equally. Understandably those that are new to sole trading are struggling to find their feet in a tough economic climate, with over half (52%) of sole trader businesses under two years old reporting falling revenue, in contrast to 30% of those aged 3-10 years, and 39% aged over 11 years. 

This data corresponds with independent earners aged under 34 feeling more impacted by stagnating turnover (49%) when compared with their 35-54 year old (38%) and 55+ year old (34%) counterparts. 

Some industries are also faring worse than others – less than half (46%) of freelance creatives including designers, photographers and marketing consultants, feel positive about their financial security. This comes despite the government’s multi-million dollar investment into the creative sector last year, with many businesses continuing to tighten the purse strings and take creative work in-house that would have previously been outsourced.**

By comparison, health and wellness professionals are feeling the most secure (67%), followed by consultants (64%) and contract tradies (63%). Where 42% of self-employed creatives have seen their income fall, only 28% of wellness workers reported the same, as consumers prioritise spending on self-care and wellbeing in 2024.***

Mr Anand continued: “Despite experiencing a challenging start to the year, the majority of sole traders are still continuing to reap the rewards of being their own boss. Positive feelings around work-life balance (65%) and wellbeing (58%) have remained unchanged since last October, while job satisfaction has improved from 62% to 66% – signalling the greater freedom and flexibility of self-employment continues to pay personal dividends.”

The data also reveals that tax and financial admin continues to be a significant drain on productivity, robbing the average sole trader of an hour per day, while a day per week is lost to tracking business expenses alone. 

“An empowered workforce is a productive one. Ensuring that sole traders have the tools and resources they need to build thriving businesses is vital not only for the sector’s longevity – but for the nation’s economic success,” Mr Anand concluded. 

The Hnry Sole Trader Pulse is Australia’s only regular, comprehensive snapshot of the sentiment of self-employed people in Australia. For more information, visit hnry.com.au/au/soletraderpulse. 

Latest apprenticeship and trainee data reaffirms building and construction industry concerns that we are facing a critical labour shortage in the midst of a housing crisis said Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn.

“Over the year to September 2023, a total of 42,333 new apprentices started in the building and construction industry. This represents an appalling 25 per cent reduction on the previous 12-month period.

“The number of apprentices in training in building and construction has decreased since September 2022, when there were 124,120 apprentices in training, to 120,881 in September 2023 (-3 per cent).

“Over the year to September 2023, a total of 21,814 construction apprentices completed their training. This represents a sharp reduction (-7.9 per cent) on a year earlier.

“We need more apprentices starting and completing their training in trades,” Ms Wawn said.

Despite this reduction, building and construction remains by far the largest employer of apprentices of any industry.

“Latest figures show that 120,881 building and construction apprentices were in training at the end of September 2023 – representing 33 per cent of all Australian apprentices.

Ms Wawn added: “VET is central to skills and knowledge development in the building and construction industry.

“More than 600,000 of the 1.3 million workers in building and construction have a VET qualification.

“Construction is the backbone of the Australian economy, employing approximately 1.3 million people, providing infrastructure, commercial and community buildings, and homes for the growing population.

“But the building and construction industry workforce is ageing and has a typical exit rate of 8 per cent a year. Master Builders estimates we need half a million new entrants over the next three years.

“We are not doing enough to plug this gap. There are not enough new entrants to the industry to meet building and construction targets, including 1.2 million new dwellings under the Housing Accord, or the transition to net zero by 2050.

“Vocational education and training has been seen as the second-class citizen to universities for far too long.

“Master Builders has long advocated for the bias that leads people away from the VET system to be dissolved.

“We need to change people’s perceptions of working and needing a vocational education to look at trades as a pathway into a vibrant, well-paid and very large industry.

“Making VET more attractive plays a crucial role in strengthening our domestic workforce capabilities.

“The recently released report on the inquiry into VET perceptions has rightfully made recommendations to putting VET and higher education on equal footing, investing significantly in careers education from an early age, supporting careers advisers to help young people make informed choices, promoting pathways to VET-based careers for women and delivering national campaigns to promote VET pathways.

“We know what needs to be done, and federal, state and territory governments have an enormous task of unwinding decades of neglect, so it’s time for rubber to hit the road.

“Addressing the immediate labour shortage requires a multifaceted approach. While efforts to strengthen domestic apprenticeships are vital, it’s evident that domestic sources alone cannot fill the workforce gaps in the short term.

“Skilled migration and better utilising the skilled migrants already in the country but who are not currently working in the industry are vital pieces of the puzzle,” Ms Wawn said.

Earlier this week, Master Builders Australia released its Finding Australia’s missing tradies: Harnessing our skilled migrant workforce supplementary Budget submission to help migrants already in Australia better navigate complex and unnecessary barriers to work in the industry.

“When seeking to attract more skilled trades into Australia, it is important to look to migrants who are already in the country,” Ms Wawn said.

“This is an underutilised cohort of potential workers who could fill workforce gaps in the short term.

“There are a number of skilled migrants already in Australia who are working in roles below or unrelated to their qualifications or work experience in their home country.

“Some are waiting on skills assessments or qualifications recognition, which, according to the Parkinson Migration Review, could cost nearly $10,000 and take up to 18 months.

“For many, it is simply too hard to have their professional capacity recognised to work in a trade in Australia, and they are instead in roles that present fewer hurdles to obtain.”

D-Link ANZ has launched its new AQUILA PRO AI M30 AX3000 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router / Add-on unit to expand coverage. This cutting-edge Mesh Router can be used as a standalone high-speed AX3000 Mesh Router or can integrate seamlessly with the recently launched Aquila Pro M30 2-Pack and 3-Pack systems, significantly increasing signal coverage and usability. In short, this new M30 single unit represents true “Scale-as-you-need Mesh” enabling you to futureproof your network and easily expand your coverage by adding as many AQUILA PRO AI devices as you need to create a whole home Mesh Wi-Fi network to cater for even the very largest of homes.

In the same fashion as the Aquila Pro M30 2-Pack and 3-Pack, this single unit employs cutting-edge, MIT (Made in Taiwan) quality-assured technology featuring built-in AI algorithms and accommodates five internal antennas, providing enhanced three-dimensional 360-degree coverage, whilst its unique design makes the single or multiple M30s attractive additions to any smart home. 

The M30 AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Smart Mesh Router uses a unique antenna array design to extend a stronger Wi-Fi signal, boosting spherical coverage and eliminating dead zones.

This single unit can provide coverage of up to 260 square metres, whilst the 2-Pack M30 Wi-Fi- Mesh System covers a home up to 465 square metres and the 3-Pack M30 Wi-Fi Mesh System covers up to 650 square metres.

Other significant highlights include the facts that the AQUILA PRO AI M30 is powered by Wi-Fi 6 technology and in every configuration delivers extreme speeds of up to 3Gbps, along with a Gigabit Internet WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports supporting wired devices such as smart TVs, gaming consoles and PCs.

The D-Link AQUILA PRO AI M30 Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router / Add-on unit

The AQUILA PRO AI M30 Router / Add-on unit employs innovative AI technology, including an AI Wi-Fi Optimiser, AI Mesh Optimiser and AI Traffic Optimiser to ensure seamless and superior Wi-Fi performance for all your devices. The AI Traffic Optimiser alone guarantees uninterrupted 4K/8K video streaming and video calling which, together with AI-based QoS technology, ensures an excellent Wi-Fi experience.

The AQUILA PRO AI M30 single unit also boasts the latest WPA3 encryption and ETSI EN 303 645 standards and offers parental controls and separate guest networks to ensure the security of all your home Wi-Fi devices.

As with all D-Link solutions the AQUILA PRO AI M30 Router / Add-on unit is designed so it is easy to set up a Wi-Fi network and even easier to manage it with the intuitive AQUILA PRO AI App. The AI Assistant monitors network performance and provides weekly reports on demand, making it particularly convenient.

Finally, the single unit along with all other AQUILA PRO AI M30 mesh systems are compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control, just to make life that extra little bit easier.

M30 AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Systems key features

• Eco-friendly Design: With a housing made from post-consumer recycled materials and delivered in sustainable packaging, the M30 was designed to reduce its environmental impact

• Refined Aesthetics: Boasting an eagle-inspired form and a unique feather-patterned ventilation design, the M30 seamlessly complements any home décor

• Rapid Connectivity: Revel in speeds up to 3Gbps with an extra antenna on the faster 5GHz band, assuring seamless video streaming, video conferencing, and smooth gaming

• Uninterrupted Wi-Fi Everywhere: Enjoy robust 360° spherical coverage courtesy of a sophisticated antenna design and advanced AI technology, ensuring fast and consistent Wi-Fi in every corner of your home

• Scale-as-you-need Mesh: Futureproof your network and easily expand your coverage by adding more AQUILA PRO AI devices to create a whole home Mesh Wi-Fi network

• Ultra-Fast Gigabit Wired Connections: 1 × Gigabit WAN port plus 4 × Gigabit LAN ports allow you to make fast and reliable connections to wired devices like smart TVs, gaming PCs and more

• Help Protect Your Home Network: Help keep your family safer online with our premium home network security features like Advanced Parental Controls, ETSI EN 303 645 cybersecurity certification and WPA3 encryption

• Simplified Setup and Management: The intuitive AQUILA PRO AI app helps guide you through setup and monitors your network to help you keep it running at peak performance

The AQUILA PRO AI M30 Wi-Fi Mesh Systems are available in Australia now from www.dlink.com.au as either a stand-alone Router / Add-on unit (RRP AUD$279.95), as a 2-Pack (RRP AUD$399.95), or as a 3-Pack (RRP AUD$549.95and from all authorised D-Link partners and retailers.

Employment Hero’s latest SME Index, which draws from an expansive dataset of over 1.5 million employees and  150,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), has uncovered a concerning trend: Australians are working more for less pay, with small businesses bearing the brunt of the economic downturn. 

The report paints a vivid picture of the challenges and disparities across different sectors and business sizes in Australia.

Australians working more hours, for less pay

Despite a modest monthly increase in median hours worked (1.0 per cent) and an annual rise (2.3 per cent), wages have seen a downturn, dipping by -1.3 per cent in February. This decline contrasts sharply with a 7.5 per cent annual wage growth, suggesting median wages may be undergoing the early stages of market correction after a year of elevated operating costs that have placed strain on businesses. 

Small businesses showing signs of struggle

The strain is most acute among small businesses (between 1 and 19 employees), with the Index data indicating this cohort is not only seeing slowed employee growth of 0.3 per cent MoM and 5.6 per cent annually, (compared to medium businesses at 1 per cent and 15.3 per cent, then large businesses at 0.9 per cent and 18.4 per cent respectively), but also suggests small businesses are coping with economic pressure by reducing employee work hours. This data, supports figures from ASIC earlier last week highlighting that monthly business insolvencies are at a nine year high. Slowing employee growth among smaller businesses signals a potential crisis among a group of employers  that form the backbone of the Australian economy. 

Wages down across the country, especially for tech sector

February’s wage trends further underscore a drop in wages across the country, with all Australian states experiencing a downturn in wages (most severely felt in NT at -2.4 per cent while WA fared best at -1.0 per cent), despite moderate YoY wage growth for all states (lowest growth in NT at +4.5 per cent, while ACT and QLD employees topped the Index at to +8.7 per cent).

The technology sector, once booming, now shows signs of cooling, marked by the Index’s lowest employee growth and a significant month-on-month median hourly wage drop of -4.8 per cent to $57.12, as well as an annual decrease of -0.2 per cent, compared to all other sectors that saw annual wage growth.

Retirement delayed as Boomers pick up more hours than Gen Z

The report also highlights an intriguing generational divide in the workforce. While most age groups saw a decrease in median hours worked, those aged 65+ bucked the trend, possibly indicating a necessity-driven increase (+10.4 per cent MoM) in working hours amidst economic uncertainties. Annually, individuals under 18 saw a -5.1 per cent decrease in hours worked while other age groups saw an increase between +1.1 per cent (25-64 year olds) and +2.9 per cent (65+ year olds).

Ben Thompson, CEO and Co-Founder of Employment Hero “The latest Index findings point out the dichotomy between overall employee growth and the challenges faced by small businesses. Just as our data has revealed, many businesses are experiencing overall employee growth, in line with February’s ABS unemployment rate which dropped 0.4 per cent from 4.1 to 3.7 per cent. However, glaring issues remain for small businesses that are not only experiencing stagnant growth, but are at risk of insolvency and being forced to make hard decisions.

“As such, small business owners are looking to cut down on expenses and reduce workers’ hours, while their employees are having to navigate job instability, underemployment and consequential financial strain; making them likely to seek another job to make ends meet.

“Small and medium businesses are the heartbeat of our economy, accounting for almost 70 per cent of employment in Australia. While larger businesses show signs of resilience and recovery, this report’s stark revelation shows small businesses are at a very real risk of going under. This demands immediate attention to safeguard these crucial contributors to our economy.”

Eddie Kolwalski, Senior Insights Manager at Employment Hero, added, “The dramatic shifts in working hours, especially among the eldest and youngest in the workforce, reflect broader economic pressures and the uneven impact on different demographic groups.

“The trend among the younger demographic can be attributed to the higher likelihood of underemployment, with many in this age group often finding themselves in hospitality or retail positions. On the other hand, the increase in hours for those aged 65 and above suggests a necessity-driven choice. While we have seen recently that Australia’s unemployment rate has dropped, this data represents the very real concern of underemployment. 

“There’s not much to celebrate when people are in jobs but not making enough to live off it.”

As Australia navigates this challenging economic landscape, Employment Hero’s SME Index serves as a crucial barometer for understanding the evolving dynamics of work, wages, and the wellbeing of SMEs.