Regional labour shortages are rarely solved by “posting more ads”.
To attract and retain talent in regional areas, employers usually need a combined approach:
- Make roles easier to say yes to (roster, travel, housing, onboarding)
- Build a pipeline (training and community partnerships)
- Reduce churn (support, supervision, culture)
- Measure what’s working
Need help building a workforce plan to match regional demand? Workforce planning
Key takeaways
- Role clarity + onboarding speed are usually the fastest wins.
- Housing and roster design drive churn (and therefore fill rates).
- Training + local partnerships create a sustainable pipeline.
- Track early attrition and fix the top drivers first.
Why regional roles are harder to fill
Common drivers include:
- Limited local labour supply
- Competition from other employers and industries
- Housing/accommodation constraints
- Roster fatigue (long swings without support)
- Unclear role expectations and poor onboarding
10 practical strategies that work
- Make the offer “easy to understand”. Publish clear roster patterns, shift times, and allowances (where applicable). Be transparent about travel and accommodation expectations.
- Reduce onboarding friction. Standardise requirements and checklists, pre-book inductions and medicals (where required), and define what “site-ready” means.
Managed workforce support: Managed Skilled Workforce
- Offer rosters that reduce churn. Reduce unnecessary roster volatility, avoid fatigue-driving patterns where possible, and provide predictable breaks and recovery time.
- Solve the housing/accommodation problem early. Secure accommodation early for peak periods, partner locally where possible, and create a clear accommodation policy (who pays what, rules, support).
- Build a training pipeline. Partner with training providers and structured programs, and develop “step-up” pathways for local talent.
Training services: Training Services
- Use local partnerships. Local councils, community organisations, schools and training hubs can create a sustainable pipeline.
- Improve supervisor coverage and leadership quality. Strong leaders reduce churn. Weak supervision increases it.
- Measure early attrition and fix the top 2 causes. Most churn happens early (expectations mismatch, poor onboarding, roster shock, inadequate support).
- Use a wider sourcing model (without losing quality). Target adjacent industries, consider different experience profiles (with training support), and clarify must-haves vs nice-to-haves.
- Align suppliers and stakeholders under one operating model. If multiple suppliers are involved, an MSP model can improve visibility and consistency.
KPIs to track (monthly)
- Time-to-fill (by role family)
- Fill rate (positions filled / requested)
- Onboarding cycle time (approved → site-ready)
- Early attrition (first week / month)
- 90-day retention
- Overtime hours (pressure indicator)
If you want a practical KPI set and definitions, see: Recruitment Metrics That Matter (HR + Ops)
Inclusion and sustainable pathways
For organisations building inclusive employment pathways, consider structured programs that focus on sustainable employment: First Nations Employment Pathways
FAQ
Do higher wages alone solve regional labour shortages?
They can help, but churn often remains if housing, rosters and onboarding are poor. Fix the whole experience.
What’s the fastest win?
Reduce onboarding delays and improve role clarity (roster, location, expectations).
Next step
If you want help planning and mobilising a regional workforce pipeline: Workforce planning
Need a starting point? Use this template: workforce planning template (90 days)
General information only: this article provides general information and is not legal advice.
