Growing Local, Staying Local And The Power of Local Partnerships

Diane Taylor • May 1, 2025

Why Recruitment Agencies and Councils Make Powerful Partners in Building Local Talent.

In an era of rapid automation, artificial intelligence, and globalised job markets, there’s something enduring, and increasingly valuable about staying local. For local government areas (LGAs), the challenge of attracting and retaining skilled professionals is growing. Workforce shortages, shifting employee expectations, and the complexities of public sector recruitment make the task harder than ever. That’s where recruitment agencies with a strong local footprint step in, not just as service providers, but as strategic partners and brand ambassadors for councils.

The Power of Local Partnerships

When councils partner with local recruitment agencies, they’re not only tapping into a source of talent—they're investing in the economic and social fabric of their communities. Local agencies understand the nuances of the area: its values, workforce trends, and unique challenges. They know the industries, the schools, the commute times, and even the lifestyle factors that can make or break a hire. This insight creates a more targeted, effective recruitment process that AI alone simply can’t replicate.

Recruitment agencies become extensions of the council’s brand. They’re often the first point of contact for prospective candidates and are in a prime position to promote the council’s mission, values, and employee value proposition (EVP). Done well, this ambassadorial role helps shape perceptions and builds excitement about public sector careers.

Why Traditional Recruitment Still Wins

Despite advances in AI and automation, job-matching platforms, algorithm-driven screening, and templated job ads, there are still clear advantages to the human-led, relationship-based approach that local agencies offer: 

Strategic Influence: A skilled recruiter can refine a job brief, shape a role to market realities, and offer advice that ensures better hiring outcomes. AI can analyse data, but it doesn’t negotiate job scope or align internal expectations.

Tailored Branding: Recruitment consultants can articulate council culture in a way that feels authentic and personal. They tailor the message to the candidate, not just the job description.

Negotiation and Relationship Building: Human recruiters build trust with candidates and clients alike. They can sense hesitation, respond empathetically, and mediate complex negotiations—something automation struggles to do well.

Localised Knowledge: Knowing which suburbs are talent-rich, which roles attract passive candidates, or how to frame relocation support, these insights only come from working within the local context day in and day out.

Best Practices for Council–Agency Collaboration

To maximise the value of recruitment partnerships, councils should:

Engage early: Involve agencies in workforce planning, not just vacancy filling.

Be transparent: Share your values, culture, and long-term goals.

Set clear expectations: Collaborate on job briefs, timelines, and communication protocols.

Invest in the relationship: Treat your recruitment partner as part of your team.

Looking Ahead: A Shared Vision for Local Growth

Ultimately, recruitment is more than just matching CVs to job specs. It’s about understanding people, purpose, and place. For councils striving to build stronger, more resilient communities, partnering with local recruitment agencies is a powerful way to ensure that talent stays local—and grows with the region.

By investing in these partnerships, councils champion not only better hiring outcomes, but a stronger and more connected community where local people can thrive in meaningful, purpose-driven roles.

Market Momentum in Finance and Accounting Recruitment: Q3 Wins and What to Expect in Q4

By Diane Taylor • April 30, 2025
As we move into the final quarter of the financial year, it’s a great time to reflect on the strong performance of Q3 and set our expectations for what’s shaping up to be a mixed but potentially high-impact Q4.

Finance & Accounting Talent Insights

By Diane Taylor • April 14, 2025
Tackling the Talent Crunch: Current Challenges in Finance & Accounting Recruitment in Australia (And How to Overcome Them)

Challenges in recruitment for the Construction, Supply Chain and Manufacturing sectors.

By Diane Taylor • April 10, 2025
Australia's construction, supply chain, and manufacturing sectors face several challenges impacting recruitment and workforce management. Key issues include:โ€‹

HUMAN RESOURCES (HR) CHALLENGES

By Diane Taylor • April 9, 2025
Australian Human Resources (HR) professionals are facing multiple challenges such as changing workforce demographics, AI and the ethical concerns and changes in compliance. Here are some of the challenges currently faced by HR teams:

5 STAFFING CHALLENGES FOR CEOs

By Diane Taylor • April 9, 2025
CEOs today are facing several significant challenges when managing staff, here are some of the current concerns and potential strategies to overcome them:
A group of people are sitting in chairs waiting for a job interview.

Fast Changing Post Covid Recruitment Market Q3 2021

By Erica Westbury • August 29, 2024
It’s definitely a funny old market. On one hand I’ve got a friend with a sizeable retail business telling me his last ad for casual workers attracted over 900 responses and then I’ve seen people come to us after having chronically unfilled job vacancies in their business costing them an absolute fortune in lost customers and reputation. Granted the casual workers aren’t the skilled labour market we work in but I’m not sure anyone could have guessed this shifting job market 6 months ago. Seek are quoting job ad numbers are highest since the Covid-19 pandemic and we’re definitely feeling it at Norwest Recruitment. Not all companies are thriving of course and my heart goes out to those but many are and recruitment plans for our clients in Western Sydney are pedal to the metal. So that means that skilled job seekers have choice. Not only are they a little gun shy at leaving the company that kept them through the tough times of Covid but they now have plenty of options. Their counterparts who were let go when Covid hit will also be wanting to make it into your shortlist. It’s going to take some due diligence to work out which one you want in your business. We all know the cost of a bad recruitment hire. One hiring mistake I’ve seen a few times in the last month may be because some hiring managers aren’t aware of the changed market conditions and are feeling over confident. Maybe they think there’s 900 skilled professionals applying for every job. Four times this month I’ve heard of offers to candidates being less than the salary they were represented at. What??? One thing I’ve learned in life – don’t mess with people’s salaries. It’s very personal and it’s often attached to their status and ego. We all live to our salary capacity. There usually isn’t any wriggle room to drop. Don’t mess with it. This is what happens next. You will not get another bite at that cherry. Don’t think for a minute you’ll be able to come up to meet their salary expectation once they’ve rejected your low-ball offer. It’s over. Very rarely have I seen job seekers accept the reduced salary offer. It’s a risky move. If they’re talking to another company you’ve lost them. Sometimes I’ve seen them decline and then accept the second higher offer. Sometimes. But here’s how that scenario plays out. It’s can be even worse than the jobseeker declining. They accept it. They accept it with a bad taste in their mouth and then keep their eye on the market and feelers out with recruitment agencies. As soon as a Recruiter represents another role to them they’re gone – two months into starting in the new job. It’s disruptive, costly and time consuming. Back to square one for you. So, recruitment 101 tip. Unless the job seeker doesn’t meet the job criteria and hasn’t got the right experience do not think this is a good time to save money. Don’t risk the best person in your shortlist going to your competitor. Here’s to attracting and retaining the very best people in 2021. ๏ปฟ Written by Erica Westbury, Managing Director of Norwest Recruitment.
A woman wearing a black jacket and a purple shirt smiles for the camera

24 Outstanding Women In Our Industry You Should Know About

August 29, 2024
We are so proud of our Managing Director Erica Westbury who was acknowledged this month by Ross Clennett a leading industry commentator and influencer as one of 24 Outstanding Women In Our Industry You Should Know About. Click here to read more
A poster that says everyone 's talking about a cio 's journey through covid-19

Everyone’s Talking About…CIO Journey Through Covid-19

By Ross Chandler • August 29, 2024
I recently met up with Nayyar Ghaznavi, CIO for Rexel Australia, and asked him about his experience during the Covid19 crisis as it unfolded. The Rexel Group is Headquartered in Paris with around 28,000 staff globally, including around 1000 staff in Australia. I’m sure in your position every day is different, but could you please take your mind back to February 2020. Can you tell me as the CIO at Rexel, what was top of mind for you? [Nayyar Ghaznavi] Actually, in January there was already some apprehension about the impact of Covid19 based on what we were seeing particularly in Europe and North America. I was in Canada at the time for a conference and there was a lot of discussion within the team in Toronto about the impact Covid19 may have on all countries and what we could as IT Leaders to get ahead of the potential curve to support our business. Around February, we as an executive team started to plan how we would respond to the rising tide of the pandemic. We knew there were going to be effects to our staff, our supply chain and the business as a whole. We knew we had to have plans in place in case it spread the way it did in the US and Europe and be as prepared as possible to meet the challenge this would pose. From early March, the Executive Team was meeting daily, which really helped as the Government guidance was changing so fast and we kept adapting to those changes. Top of mind was “How do we ensure the health of our staff, our customers and our business?” What projects were you working on and did you have goals you were looking to achieve in your team for 2020? [Nayyar Ghaznavi] Our major deliverable was a new eCommerce platform which we believe is the best in the industry with its rich content and features and functions. We have seen a great boost in online sales as a result of the new platform which continues to grow month by month. We also had a few projects related to optimising our business, especially around back-office services that have reduced our cost to serve [customers]. At what point do you think you realised Covid-19 was going to impact Rexel and did you realise it was going to hit as badly as it did? Why? [Nayyar Ghaznavi]. The Executive team have been focused on the health of our staff, customers and the health of our business, which was driving our key decisions under COVID-19. The plans we put in place buffered to some degree the impact of COVID-19 on the business, relative to the impact on the general economy. I was having monthly meetings with our global CIO and kept him updated with messages in between those formal sessions on how we are ‘mobilising’ our staff to WFH. How did it impact Rexel? What did it mean to your staff and products and services? [Nayyar Ghaznavi] I’m really proud that as a business we haven’t had to make anyone redundant as a result of Covid19. There were impacts, the staff (including the Executive Team) were asked to reduce their working days per week for the long term health of the business. Our MD made sure there was very clear, regular and transparent communication throughout to all staff. Front line staff, generally speaking, were still onsite as all our branches nationally still need to service the customer who walks through the door. We did see an increase in online sales as a result of COVID-19, but would expect all companies saw this as a result of the changes in the way customers interacted with their suppliers. We had Click & Collect from our branches, appropriate social distancing and sanitisation, all of that came into play.
A sign that says everyone 's talking about new collar jobs

Everyone’s Talking About…New Collar Jobs

By Erica Westbury • August 29, 2024
Everyone’s talking about “New Collar” jobs and so they should. With the Australian unemployment rate the worst it’s been since 1994 it’s good to see there are hot pockets of positions that are understaffed and skilled people are still highly sought after. The differentiator between traditional “white collar” and “new collar” jobs is they generally don’t need a degree but are highly specialised and need specific skills. But it’s not just technical skill; the most sought after people are the ones that have developed the technical as well as the soft skills and they’ve often developed them through non traditional educational pathways. The term new collar was originated by IBM’s CEO Ginni Rometty. Typically new collar roles are found in the technology space but can also be in mortgage and the health industry too. Listed below are some of the roles currently in high demand. Anything in AI Applications Developer Systems Administrator Data Centre Technician Software Engineer Project Manager Technical Support Representative Security Analyst Computer Support Specialist Web Developer .NET Developer Field Service Engineer Physical Therapy Assistant Medical Assistant Cable Installation Technician Cyber Security or Privacy Specialists In manufacturing – anyone in Robotics Service Delivery Analyst Pharmacy Technicians Ultra Sound Technicians These careers should have an ongoing need because companies of all kinds are increasingly reliant on online tools and data. The skills and keywords that appear most frequently include JavaScript, HTML, “troubleshooting” and “customer service” in ads for these roles. This is important to note because skills, not education level are what define these careers. We’ve had so much bad press around youth unemployment during Covid and for years our young people have been encouraged into university pathways. It’s nice to see skillset, work ethic and work experience rather than formal education defining these high growth careers. At the end of the day, that’s what makes someone hirable: being able to produce high-quality product. ๏ปฟ Written by Erica Westbury Managing Director at Norwest Recruitment & Southwest Recruitment.
A woman in a graduation cap and gown is holding a diploma in her hand.

What Western Sydney’s Largest Employer Is Doing To Help Our Region’s Economy…

By Nicole Sisinni • August 29, 2024
What Western Sydney’s largest employer is doing to help our region’s economy… As Western Sydney University is the largest employer in our region responsible for 5,000 jobs, it was positive news to hear they haven’t had to let anyone go through Covid-19. They are in overdrive working on schemes and solutions to ensure they can continue to retain all their staff. I was fortunate enough to have some time with the Director of Employability and Graduate Success at Western Sydney University, Christopher Youness who shared some of the brilliant initiatives facilitating introductions between graduates and Employers – most of which are Western Sydney based businesses. Some initiatives include the Western Sydney University CareerHub job board and the Job Match tool that connects Australia’s leading employers to students and graduates. 70% of 5,000 jobs advertised are in the Western Sydney region. Another industry focused engagement strategy is the Western Paddl Games event series, that provides learning and networking platforms for students and grads with industry leaders and future employers in our region. We all know how important it is to attract the best talent for companies to flourish. Keeping our best grads employed in companies in Western Sydney will have a direct impact on the success of those businesses and our region. Christopher Youness says, ‘Western Sydney University is showcasing the region for what it is – the 3rd largest economy in Australia, a powerhouse in development and growth. It’s important for us to keep our emerging talent in Western Sydney, as well as attracting employees from other parts of NSW to our region’. “A key driver for creating jobs is to up-skill and educate the region for the future by providing incentives for people to choose education and training pathways that ensure they are readily employable in key growth industries.” said Danny Rezek , Partner, Deloitte Private. WSU is a key stakeholder in shaping Western Sydney’s future and not just as our region’s largest employer. Recent announcements for University fees to be overhauled to encourage degrees into job growth areas will in turn increase graduates employability. Education Minister Dan Tehan says, ‘the changes will incentivise study for the jobs of the future.’ ‘We are facing the biggest employment challenge since the Great Depression,’ Mr Tehan said. “And the biggest impact will be felt by young Australians. They are relying on us to give them the opportunity to succeed in the jobs of the future.’ Through COVID-19, Chris says, ‘we are helping students realise and adjust to the current climate and supporting students from hospitality retail and food into areas like disability care, nursing assistant and counselling fields.’ As part of WSU Covid recovery efforts, ‘we are helping students move into industries that are thriving but also addressing the support needed for industries in turmoil.’ Chris says. Through this health crisis their support was ready to go with the University fast tracking degrees for medical students to be deployed as medical interns. In addition, supporting Western Sydney hospitals with nursing students being deployed through their Nursing School of delivery. WSU is also offering a range of short courses , to assist people who may be out of work as a result of COVID-19 in acquiring new skills or retraining for new careers. Certainly a path we are referring job seekers to explore. As a Western Sydney advocate and WSU alumni myself, it was a privilege to have the opportunity to connect with Chris and showcase just how significant an impact the institution is having on Western Sydney’s future job creation. 2020 has surely raised questions around our thriving regions economy, but it’s clear we can rely on WSU to have some answers. Written by Nicole Sisinni Relationship Manager at Norwest Recruitment & Southwest Recruitment.
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