HR Industry Insights Survey

Your insights contribute to one of Australia’s largest HR industry benchmarking studies, helping shape the annual etonHR HR Industry Insights Report and providing the HR community with meaningful market data and benchmarks.

All responses are confidential and reported in aggregate only.
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Date

DD slash MM slash YYYY

About You

Which segment of HR do you work in?*

Generalist HR

ER / Industrial Relations

Remuneration & Benefits

Talent Acquisition / Recruitment

HR Data, Systems & Analytics

DE&I

L&OD

People Operations

WHS

HR Change Management

Payroll

Workforce Planning

Executive HR (CHRO / CPO / HRD)

What is your specific role title?*

What industry do you work in?*

Accounting / Prof. Services

Banking / Financial Services

Consulting

Education

FMCG / Retail

Government / Public Sector

Construction / Property

Energy / Utilities

Healthcare / Pharma

Hospitality / Tourism

Insurance

Legal

Media / Entertainment

Manufacturing

Technology

Not-for-profit

Transport / Logistics

Mining / Resources

Telecommunications

What is the approximate size of your organisation?*

Under 200

200-500

500-2,000

2,000-5,000

5,000-10,000

10,000+

What type of organisation do you work for?*

Publicly Listed Company

Start-up / Scale-up

Private (established)

Not-for-profit / NGO

PE / VC-backed

Government / Public sector

Association / Member-owned organisation

What is the size of your HR / People & Culture team?*

Solo HR

2–5

6–10

11–20

21–50

50+

Where are you based?*

Sydney CBD

Greater Sydney

Melbourne

Brisbane

Adelaide

Canberra

Newcastle

Perth

Darwin

Regional / Rural

How many years of HR experience do you have?*

0–2 years

3–5 years

6–10 years

11–15 years

16–20 years

20+ years

Salary & Incentives

What is your current gross base salary (excluding super)?*

Do you receive a bonus?*

Yes

What is your bonus as a percentage?*

Do you receive any of the following financial incentives?*

Select all that apply.

Performance Bonus (STI)

Share Plan / Equity Scheme

Performance Bonus (LTI)

Additional Superannuation

Car / Car Allowance

Retention Bonus

Personal Development Budget

None of the above

Have you received a pay increase in the past 12 months?*

Yes

How much was the increase?*

0–3%

4–5%

6–10%

11–15%

15–20%

Do you anticipate your salary will change in the next 12 months?*

Increase significantly

Slight increase

Stay the same

Decrease

How satisfied are you with your total remuneration?*

Not at allNot veryNeutralSomewhatVery

Neutral

How would you describe your organisation's transparency around pay?*

Very transparent

Somewhat transparent

Not very transparent

Not at all transparent

Workplace Flexibility

How many days per week does your organisation expect you in the office?*

0 days

1 day

2 days

3 days

4 days

5 days

What level of flexibility is important to you?*

Select all that apply.

Fully remote

Compressed working week

4 days from home

3 days from home

2 days from home

1 day from home

0 days (prefer office)

Flexible start / finish times

Job share/part-time options

None of the above

How satisfied are you with your employer's approach to flexibility?*

Not at allNot veryNeutralSomewhatVery

Neutral

How has your organisation’s approach to return-to-office evolved in the last 12 months?*

Increased in-office requirements

Become more flexible

Stayed the same

Still undecided / in flux

Career Growth & Satisfaction

Do you feel there is clear career progression / pathways in your current HR role?*

Yes

Unclear

Where do you see your next career step within HR?*

Move up into HR leadership

Senior IC (no people mgmt)

Specialise in a niche area

Broaden into generalist role

Move into different industry

Different business model

Leave HR entirely

Other

Please specify*

Have you noticed your role expanding to absorb responsibilities from another HR function?*

Yes, significantly

Yes, somewhat

Not sure

How confident are you in finding an equivalent or better HR role in the current market?*

Not at allNot veryNeutralSomewhatVery

Neutral

How would you describe the current employment market for HR professionals?*

Very strong

Somewhat strong

Flat

Challenging

Very challenging

Have you worked in a contract or interim HR role in the last 24 months?*

Yes, by choice

Yes, not by choice

No, but I would consider it

No, I prefer permanent only

If you have worked or would consider contract / interim, what is the primary appeal?

Higher earning potential

Variety of work and industries

Avoiding organisational politics

Bridging a gap between perm roles

Flexibility and autonomy

Other

Please specify*

AI in HR

Is your HR team currently using AI tools in any capacity?*

Yes, actively using

Exploring / piloting

Aware but not yet using

No, and no plans to

If using or exploring AI, in which areas?*

Select all that apply.

Talent acquisition / screening

People analytics and reporting

Learning and development

Engagement / sentiment analysis

Policy drafting and compliance

HR admin and document mgmt

Workforce planning

Not applicable

Other

Please specify*

How confident are you personally in using AI tools in your day-to-day HR work?*

ㅤDon't use AINot at allNot verySomewhatVery

ㅤDon't use AI

How do you think AI will impact headcount in HR teams over the next 2-3 years?*

Increase

No change

Slight reduction

Significant reduction

Unsure

Has your organisation provided training or upskilling on AI for the HR team?*

Yes, formal training

Yes, informal / self-directed

No, but planning to

No, and no plans to

Does your organisation have a formal policy on the use of AI tools by employees?*

Yes, with clear guidelines

Informal guidance only

Currently developing one

No policy in place

Future of Work & Trends

Which workforce trends is your organisation actively investing in or exploring?*

Select all that apply.

Skills-based hiring

Employer brand and EVP

Internal talent marketplaces

Fractional/contract HR

Predictive workforce planning

Return-to-office redesign

Global/distributed workforce

Four-day work week

None of the above

Which skills do you feel will be most in demand for HR professionals over the next 2-3 years?*

Select between 1 and 3 choices.

Commercial acumen / BP

ER / employment law

Workforce planning

Stakeholder influence

Employer branding / EVP

Data and people analytics

Change management

DEI strategy

M&A / due diligence

AI and digital literacy

Organisational design

Psychosocial risk / wellbeing

Coaching and facilitation

Other

Please specify*

Wellbeing & Development

How would you rate the demands of your current HR role?*

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Moderate

To what extent do you feel your current workload is sustainable long-term?*

Completely sustainable

Mostly sustainable

Somewhat sustainable

Not sustainable

Unsure

What would most help you manage the load of your role?*

Select between 1 and 3 choices.

Better leadership support

Greater autonomy

More recognition

Reduced caseload / workload

Peer support networks

Better EAP / wellbeing programs

Professional coaching

Clearer role boundaries

None of the above

Has your organisation invested in any of the following for the HR team in the last 12 months?*

Select all that apply.

External coaching / mentoring

Professional memberships

Formal leadership development

Technical upskilling

Conference / event attendance

Additional Headcount

Resourcing and HRIS

Systems

None of the above

HR Function & Positioning

Who does the most senior HR person in your organisation report to?*

CEO / Managing Director

Board directly

COO

CFO

Other C-suite

Not sure

What is your level of influence on strategic HR decision-making?*

Key decision-maker

Highly involved

Somewhat involved

Limited involvement

How would you rate the following within your current HR team?

Leadership quality*

12345

Career development and mobility*

12345

Recognition of HR contributions*

12345

Team engagement and morale*

12345

Bench strength / succession*

12345

Overall team performance*

12345

How would you rate your organisation's genuine commitment to DE&I?*

Strongly embedded

Making progress

Surface level

Minimal focus

Not a priority

Over the past 12 months, has HR's influence on business decision-making:*

Increased significantly

Increased somewhat

Stayed the same

Decreased

Unsure

Benefits & Motivators

What benefits does your employer currently provide?*

Select all that apply.

Additional Paid Leave

Car/Car allowance

Mental Health/Wellbeing Support (including EAP)

Private Health Insurance

Salary Continuance Insurance

Superannuation above standard rate

Flexible/Hybrid Working

Work-from-anywhere (international/location flexibility)

Volunteering Leave

Paid Parental Leave above minimum rate

Professional Development Allowance

Larger Bonus Potential

No additional benefits

If considering a new HR role, what benefits would be most important to you?*

Select between 1 and 3 choices.

Additional Paid Leave

Car/Car allowance

Mental Health/Wellbeing Support (including EAP)

Private Health Insurance

Salary Continuance Insurance

Superannuation above standard rate

Flexible/Hybrid Working

Work-from-anywhere (international/location flexibility)

Volunteering Leave

Paid Parental Leave above minimum rate

Professional Development Allowance

Larger Bonus Potential

Attrition & Retention

What would be the main motivators for you to leave your current role?*

Select all that apply.

Higher remuneration

More strategic / meaningful work

Career progression

Better leadership / manager

Greater flexibility

Organisational culture

Values misalignment

Burnout / need a change

Lack of recognition

Redundancy / restructure

Relocation

Other

Please specify*

If you were to move roles in the next 12 months, what would be your single biggest reason?*

Higher remuneration

More strategic / meaningful work

Career progression

Better leadership / manager

Greater flexibility

Organisational culture

Values misalignment

Burnout / need a change

Lack of recognition

Redundancy / restructure

Relocation

How likely are you to actively look for a new HR role in the next 12 months?*

UnsureVery unlikelyUnlikelySomewhat likelyVery likely

Unlikely

Hiring Managers

Are you a hiring manager for your company?*

Yes

In the past 12 months, how have the FTE levels of your HR team changed?*

Increased

Stayed the same

Decreased

Has AI adoption directly impacted the headcount of your HR team in the last 12 months?*

Yes, headcount has reduced

Yes, roles have been restructured

No impact

No, but we anticipate it will

Not sure

If you've experienced turnover in your team within the last 12 months, what has been the cause?*

Higher remuneration elsewhere

Lack of career progression

Employee burnout

Poor leadership

Flexibility

Relocation

Organisational culture

Redundancies

No turnover experienced

What are the top challenges facing your HR team right now?*

Select between 1 and 3 choices.

Attracting talent

Retaining talent

Budget / headcount constraints

Managing change

Team burnout / emotional load

Upskilling / capability gaps

Stakeholder engagement

Technology and systems

Building commercial capability

AI integration

When hiring for your HR team, how important are the following?

Technical HR knowledge*

NotNeutralImportantVery

Neutral

Commercial acumen*

NotNeutralImportantVery

Neutral

Cultural fit*

NotNeutralImportantVery

Neutral

Data literacy*

NotNeutralImportantVery

Neutral

AI fluency*

NotNeutralImportantVery

Neutral

Emotional intelligence and resilience*

NotNeutralImportantVery

Neutral

Which skills are you finding hardest to hire for?*

Select between 1 and 3 choices.

Commercial acumen / BP

Data and people analytics

AI and digital literacy

Organisational design

Change management

ER / employment law

Workforce planning

DEI strategy

Psychosocial risk / wellbeing

Stakeholder influence

M&A / due diligence

Coaching and facilitation

Employer branding / EVP

Other

Please specify*

Final Question

What is the single biggest shift you've observed in the HR profession over the last 2–3 years?