At Talentpath, we believe that workforce planning isn’t just a HR function; it’s a strategic business imperative. That’s why our 2025/26 Talent Guide is designed to equip business leaders, hiring managers, and HR professionals with the real-time data and actionable insights they need to make smart, future-focused decisions.
Drawing on fresh survey data from professionals across Australia’s Business Services sector, our guide reveals the challenges, expectations, and opportunities shaping workforce dynamics for the year ahead. Here, we unpack the three key hiring trends we uncovered, and how businesses can act on them in meaningful, practical ways.
Career Progression: A Clear Retention Imperative
46% of Business Services professionals are planning to change jobs in the next 12 months.
That figure is up from last year and points to a growing sense of career dissatisfaction. Perhaps even more concerning is that only 23% feel supported with career progression in their current roles.
Our data shows that a lack of visible growth opportunities is one of the top three reasons talent leaves a role, alongside salary dissatisfaction and a general sense of feeling unfulfilled.
But there’s good news: progression doesn’t have to mean promotion. Career growth can be built into your existing workforce through thoughtful initiatives such as:
Structured career pathways
Internal mobility programs
Stretch projects and secondments
Mid-career mentoring opportunities
These actions are especially important for women in Business Services, who are three times more likely to feel unsupported in their career development. Despite this, only 9% of talent are currently engaged in any form of mentoring or coaching, even though 37% believe it would benefit their career.
We recommend budgeting specifically for internal growth programs that help turn progression from a vague promise into a visible, supported reality. When your team sees a path forward, they’re more likely to stay and grow with you.
Wellbeing: A Core Business Strategy, Not a Perk
In today’s competitive talent market, mental health is a key driver of both performance and retention. Our research shows that 1 in 5 Business Services professionals left their last role due to mental health concerns, citing burnout, fatigue, anxiety, and lack of motivation as common challenges.
This isn’t an isolated issue. In fact:
30% said anxiety impacted their ability to do their best work
29% experienced burnout
27% reported ongoing fatigue
32% felt a lack of motivation in their role
These statistics point to the urgent need for businesses to treat psychological safety as a critical workforce risk factor, not just a wellbeing initiative.
That’s why we encourage businesses to go beyond surface-level wellness perks and start embedding real mental health support into their workforce strategy. It’s not about ticking boxes, it’s about creating a workplace where people feel safe, supported, and set up to thrive.
What does that look like in practice? It might mean setting aside dedicated mental health days, actively assessing workloads to reduce burnout risks, or training your leaders to spot early signs of stress and foster psychological safety across their teams.
It also means respecting boundaries, especially when 58% of Business Services professionals told us they’ve been contacted outside of work hours in the past year. Building a culture that honours downtime shows your team that their wellbeing matters as much as their output.
These aren’t just feel-good initiatives. When done well, they reduce turnover, boost engagement, and reinforce your reputation as a genuinely values-driven employer.
Culture, Flexibility and Recognition: Looking Beyond the Salary
When Business Services professionals consider a new role or organisation, they’re looking beyond just salary. Our guide shows that:
To retain and attract top talent, businesses need to get intentional about culture, particularly how it shows up in day-to-day experiences. Our survey identified the top three culture drivers as communication, respect, and flexibility.
This is a powerful signal: building a positive, high-performing culture starts with how we speak, treat, and support each other, more than with perks or policies.
Recognition is a major part of that equation. While salary increases and bonuses are still important (66% and 53% respectively), we were struck by how much employees value verbal, one-on-one recognition (47%). Even small gestures (like being taken out for lunch) ranked among the top three ways people want to be rewarded (21%).
The takeaway? Recognition doesn’t need to be costly to be meaningful. A low-cost, high-connection strategy that includes regular verbal praise, team rituals, and thoughtful acts of appreciation can have a major impact on engagement and loyalty.
The Workforce Plan is the Business Plan
The insights we’ve shared in this blog, and many more inside our full Talent Guide, highlight a simple truth: your people strategy isn’t just a HR concern. It’s a line item in your budget, a lever in your growth plan, and a reflection of your business values.
From progression and wellbeing to recognition and culture, every decision you make about your workforce is an investment in your future.
At Talentpath, we’re here to help you use this data to shape smarter, more resilient strategies for 2025 and beyond. Whether you're mapping headcount plans, rethinking your retention approach, or evolving your EVP, our team is ready to support you with real data, real strategies, and real outcomes.
Let’s Build the Workforce of the Future
At Talentpath, we’re experts in building winning teams. Find out more about our Business Service Specialists here, or contact us directly to talk about your unique needs.
Your people are your competitive edge. Let’s invest wisely.
