How to Attract And Retain Brisbane’s Tech Talent in 2024

How to attract and retain Brisbane’s tech talent in 2024 – What you need to know

Brisbane, you warm, little chestnut with your clear blue skies and relaxed thongs and stubbies vibe. Is it any wonder 50,000 people (mostly from Sydney and Melbourne) have relocated to your muddy banks over the last five years – your promise of a better work-lifestyle is too compelling to ignore.

With all this rich tech talent around now, is your company competitive enough in 2024?

The results of our 2024 Tech Talent Outlook are in. Here’s the nitty gritty of what’s motivating Brisbane talent, so you can be sure your opportunities entice them to give a XXXX and apply.

Brisbane tech talent in numbers

Let’s start with a whip around of the numbers you need to know:

Generational splits

Gen Z: 4.69%
Gen Y: 43.75%
Gen X: 39.06%
Boomers: 12.5%

Identified gender split

Male: 71.88%
Female: 28.13%

Seniority

Manager: 19.53%
Senior: 33.59%

Career movements

57% plan to change jobs in the next 12 months (with another organisation – a 9% increase on 2023)
48.44% changed jobs in the last 12 months (with another organisation)

Most concerned about

In addition to the rising cost of their beloved Iced Long Black and the lack of housing now that the rest of Australia has figured out their secret, when it comes to their career, Brisbane candidates are most concerned about:

Maintaining work life balance – 17.65%
Finding a new job – 16.81%
Keeping a job – 11.76%
Upskilling – 11.76%
Getting a promotion – 10.92%

[See how Sydney and Melbourne compare.]

Top 5 motivators for Brisbane tech talent

We asked our Brisbane tech candidates to pick the five elements their ideal employer will definitely have. Our 2024 Tech Talent Outlook shows a clear preference for the work-lifestyle and everything it encompasses.

#1 Offers flexible working arrangements

And we don’t just mean the token, ‘Flexible working’ line item under the benefits header in a job ad that upon closer inspection just means that some employees can access staggered starts if they submit a twenty-page proposal and vial of blood. For the tech talent of Brisbane, they want to enjoy the glorious weather with their morning latte at their suburban cat café without the needless headache of congested peak hour traffic and delayed bus trips while the whole city gets an infrastructure upgrade.

Maybe that’s why 73.87% already access remote working.

And maybe that’s also why 54.62% of Brisbane candidates ranked flexible working arrangements as the top motivator this year (a slight increase on 2023 results, jack jumping work-life balance for the top spot).

Enforcing Return to Office this year? You might want to rethink that.

#2 Work-life balance or combust

Closely linked (as a by-product of flexible working options), 53.78% of candidates say they want an employer who supports good work-life balance. As these stubbie-shorts-in-winter folks will attest to, there’s much more to life than long hours behind a screen on the downhill slide into burnout.

#3 Good pay and benefits

All this flexible work and balance is great for the heart and mind, but with rising living costs amid a housing and accommodation crisis, Brisbane candidates know they also need to make a decent living if they’re going to survive this one fleeting life. Attractive salary and benefits came in at a high number #3.

Salary is so front of mind, that the reason 37.39% of candidates say they changed jobs, or plan to do so, is because they could be earning more elsewhere [which means you might want to perform a salary review to ensure your offer at least matches the market].

On the topic of benefits, 72.17% of respondents say that non-monetary benefits are important to them when weighing up employers, with 22.61% saying they changed their job or plan to do so to receive better benefits.

#4 The reassurance of a financially healthy business

We generally see the organisation’s financial health as a top motivator for executives and older workers, so this one has exploded into the Top 5 with a notable sizzle and pop! It could be related to the rollercoasting economic market and high-profile tech industry redundancies of the past few years, and people are just looking for a safe place to do good work.

#5 Has strong management & leadership

Tying fourth place with financial health, the need for strong leadership is still front of mind for Brisbane’s tech talent (it doesn’t make the Top 5 for Sydney or Melbourne). We think these Brisbane candidates are onto something because the desire for strong leadership actually increased by 12.69% across the board for all candidates in our 2024 Tech Talent Outlook, compared to 2023.

On the flip, when strong leadership is missing in action? A poor relationship with their manager and/or colleagues was a contributing factor for 32.11% of candidates who changed roles.

The 2024 takeaway for Brisbane? The best work-life outcomes win

All in all, the ongoing trend for Brisbane’s tech talent is greater flexibility and work-life balance, and the salary and benefits that enable them to enjoy this great city and its weather. Because isn’t that what life’s about – being able to enjoy it?

If you’re curious to see how the other major capitals fared, you’ll want to download our 2024 Tech Talent Outlook.