Winning the War for Talent: A Quick Guide
This piece was written when the Australian tech and digital market was at its tightest. Four years on, in 2026, the volume of hiring has cooled but the competition for genuinely strong candidates has not. The advice below has held up, so it is worth revisiting.
How to win the WAR for talent in this market. Digital and tech recruitment.
The interesting thing in this market is that I keep on hearing how challenging it is to find Tech or Digital talent.
Granted it is challenging ,
However we have never been more successful in actually filling those HARD to fill roles.
Of course salaries need to be at market or above and also flexibility needs to be a given, as in real flexibility not 1 Friday a month you can leave early at 4pm type of flexibility .
The key differentiator’s we’re advising our clients to embrace in a bid to secure Top talent are :
Act fast. If your recruitment process is 4 steps, you’ve already lost and I’d guess you lose many candidates in such a process.
Timing matters in this market so DO NOT delay.
Articulate why CHOOSE you and your business ? Do not assume that just because your business has a big brand name or is well known , you still need to fight for top talent, I’m not talking about the Hard Sell its more why you like working where you work and what you see the future holds.
What’s the Vision for your business ?
You get the idea, salary alone will not suffice in this market.
p.s. this image is from a training session with Marlon Cabrera.
Tough but I got through it , just like your recruitment journey currently.
Explore more talent market insights on the Big Wave Digital blog.
More on the war for talent
If you are hiring now, our guides to the best technical recruitment agencies in Sydney and the best AI recruitment agencies in Sydney show where the scarcest skills sit in 2026. To move on a role quickly, connect with our team.
