In brief: World Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSME) Day recognises the contribution small businesses make to Australia's economy. According to ASBFEO, small businesses make up 97% of Australian businesses, employed around 5.2 million people or 39% of the private sector workforce in 2023-24, added over $590 billion in value (nearly one-third of GDP) and employ 42% of Australia's apprentices and trainees. MSMEs need support to stay nimble and entrepreneurial so they can keep providing jobs and career opportunities.

In brief: Neglecting a proper induction program for new employees carries costs in turnover, productivity, engagement, training and reputation. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), replacing an employee costs six to nine months of their salary, while the Aberdeen Group found organisations with a formal onboarding process had 54% greater new hire productivity. Gallup reports disengaged employees are 37% more likely to be absent and have 18% lower productivity, making comprehensive induction essential.

In brief: Companies can strategically take forward seven learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic: flexible work models, digital transformation, employee wellbeing programs including mental health support, supply chain resilience through supplier diversification, a culture of adaptability and continuous learning, clear communication with employees and stakeholders, and ongoing skill development. Applied together, these approaches build resilience and help organisations become more adaptable and employee-centred in the post-pandemic era.

Putting the learnings to work

Further reading:Adapting to remote working during a pandemic and Workforce management belongs on the strategic agenda.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2025) Working arrangements, Australia, August 2025. 12 December. Canberra: ABS. Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-working-conditions/working-arrangements/aug-2025 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (2024) Right to disconnect. Fact sheet, November. Canberra: DEWR. Available at: https://www.dewr.gov.au/es/download/16162/right-disconnect/38654/right-disconnect/pdf (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Gallup (2026a) State of the Global Workplace: 2026 report – Australia. Washington, DC: Gallup. Available at: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/704474/state-global-workplace-australia-country-level-data.aspx (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Productivity Commission (2021) Working from home. Commission research paper, 16 September. Canberra: Productivity Commission. Available at: https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/working-from-home (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Productivity Commission (2025) Productivity before and after COVID-19. Commission research paper, 28 May. Canberra: Productivity Commission. Available at: https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/productivity-before-after-covid (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Tilo, D. (2025) ‘Australian CEOs reverse expectations on working from home’, HC Magazine, 8 October. Available at: https://www.hcamag.com/au/news/general/australian-ceos-reverse-expectations-on-working-from-home/552269 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

Wood, D. (2025) Don’t stray from the sensible centre on working from home. 30 October. Canberra: Productivity Commission. Available at: https://www.pc.gov.au/media-speeches/articles/sensible-centre-working-from-home (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

In brief: Expatriates return home early from overseas assignments mainly because of cultural misalignment, inadequate professional support and family concerns such as a spouse's dissatisfaction or children's adjustment, drawing on Wilson (2024) in HR Leader. Organisations that provide thorough onboarding, language training and cultural orientation are more likely to see assignments succeed. Employers should take proactive measures, including continuous communication, mentorship programs and family support, to reduce the risk of early return.

In brief: HR teams differ across industries in Australia because their focus is shaped by the type of business, its challenges, leadership ambition, employee mix, geographic scope, regulation and union activity, culture and the capability of the HR leader. Mining and manufacturing often prioritise employee relations and strong HR business partners, technology companies focus on talent acquisition and retention, logistics on flexible work and onboarding, pharmaceuticals on specialist talent, and government and regulated industries on process delivery.

The Human Resources profession (or People & Culture or People Capability Profession et al. as the name transforms) is present supporting industries globally.

What Shapes an HR Team’s Focus

Its focus and skill sets vary depending on a number of factors such as;

• the type of business being supported, private vs public sector as an example
  
• the challenges at hand, such as place in the business cycle, changing customer requirements, and economic conditions
  
• the type of leadership already present and their ambition, such as a leadership team trying to gain higher market share or one about to reshape their business and direction
  
• employee mix, such as mining operations versus a bank or other service focussed company which have vastly different employee types, skills and professional levels. There are also other elements such as the diversity and inclusiveness of a workforce.
  
• geographic scope, such as Asia Pacific
  
• the value the leadership sees in its HR function, some like to partner closely with the HR function and others prefer predominately transactional support
  
• level of influence from external parties such as government regulations, operations within small remote communities, or union activity
  
• the level of employee engagement and company culture
  
• the skill and strategic ability of the HR leader and their connection with the business
  
• the skill and strategic ability of the HR team
  

Industry Differences in HR Emphasis

Companies within certain Industries can seem to have similar cultures and directions, when compared against companies in other industries. This can drive the emphasis required from HR teams to be successful. For example, when Technology or Telecommunication companies are well funded and growing then talent acquisition, on-boarding, compensation, employee relocation, employee engagement and retention can be high on the HR agenda. 

For mining and manufacturing companies, active unions can result in the HR team growing a strong Employee Relations focus and strong HR business partners across various divisions. Major projects can require dedicated HR business partner support.

In Supply Chain and Logistics, HR teams are often active on talent acquisition, flexible work practices due to changing customer demands, strong onboarding and performance management, regular training and engagement activities. 

In Pharmaceutical, the need for highly educated scientific, medical and engineering skills can result in a strong talent acquisition team, and highly skilled specialist HR support who can be responsible for varying different internal functions with very different needs such as research, manufacturing, legal and sales.

In Government or government regulated industries such as Childcare, where procedural processes can be very important then HR teams would likely need at their core to be high on attention to process delivery to be successful.

Building the Right HR Team for Your Industry

Fortunately meeting these various demands on the function HR has a myriad of people joining from many backgrounds. Some of these backgrounds include law, business administration, psychology, economics, sociology, engineering, science, teaching, and those who may have found HR almost accidentally through avenues such as agency recruiting and bookkeeping. 

HR teams formed with both the company and industry in mind are the most successful in providing the right balance of focus and HR support. 

Linq HR provides fractional employee relations support to Australian employers and operates Workforce Directory, Australia’s HR services marketplace. Ph 1300 234 566.

Further reading:Differences in the Approaches of the HR Function Between Industries and Countries and The Impact of an Effective HR Team on a Supply Chain Business.