The pressure on talent is increasing in Asia Pacific countries. Many are experiencing double-digit increases in difficulty filling positions.

New Zealand and Australia lead the list of countries where workforce skill shortages is seen to be the biggest constraint on expansion (60% and 59% respectively), according to the Grant Thornton International Business Report 2007.

And corporate career websites could do better to support both employer branding and talent acquisition. A study by Collective Learning Australia analyzed the top 150 Australian company career websites against best practice elements such as talent relationship management, access, content, online recruitment process and usability…and found them lacking.

Our study, Career Site Recruiting in Asia Pacific: Gains to Be Made, found:

• 8 percent of Australia’s S&P/ASX 50 Index companies still have no careers page on their website. 28 percent of S&P/ASX 50 companies do not accept applications on their website via an online application form.
• 28 percent of Singapore’s Straits Times Index (STI) companies have no careers page on their website. 62 percent of STI companies do not accept applications on their website via an online application form.
• 33 percent of Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HSI) companies have no careers page on their website. 81 percent of HSI companies do not accept applications on their website via an online application form.

As we titled the report, there are gains to be made and opportunities to leapfrog the competition with the right talent management solutions.