The Australian health and aged care sector has reached an unprecedented scale. Today, it employs a massive 2.39 million people, accounting for 16.20% of our total national workforce. On paper, it is one of the most robust, fast-growing industries in the country. Yet, behind these impressive numbers, hospital and aged care leaders are facing a profound operational paradox: the industry is larger than ever, yet securing and retaining top-tier clinical talent feels increasingly difficult.
The reality is that the traditional way of staffing simply isn't keeping up with modern clinician expectations. The economic pressures of 2026, combined with the lingering structural challenges of the post-pandemic era, have fundamentally changed what healthcare professionals require from their employers.
To build talent pipelines that withstand sector pressures, we have to move past guesswork and look closely at the data driving today's workforce decisions.
understanding the shifts in clinician behaviour
Recent data from Randstad’s Workmonitor Research 2026 highlights a workforce that is actively reimagining how, where, and why they work. Economic pressures and a desire for better work-life integration are driving three critical trends:
-
the cost-of-living side hustle:
33% of healthcare professionals have taken or are actively considering a second job to manage rising living costs.
-
the fatigue risk:
32% plan to increase their working hours to bolster their financial security - a statistic that should raise immediate red flags for compliance and risk officers concerned about clinical fatigue and impacted patient/resident care.
-
the quest for variety:
29% of professionals are actively seeking variety across different clinical sectors, refusing to be locked into a single facility or care environment.
When you pair these behavioural insights with the reality of a sector widely recognised for high burnout rates, it becomes clear that the old model of rigid, top-down scheduling is no longer sustainable.
"When nearly a third of your workforce is looking elsewhere for extra income or cross-sector variety, rigidity is the enemy of retention. If your rosters don't bend, your workforce will break." - Matt Hodges - National Director Health and Aged Care, Randstad.
the strategic pivot: modular, flexible shift portfolios
To prevent turnover and build a sustainable workforce, healthcare providers must transition from facility-centric schedules to candidate-centric models. This means introducing modular, flexible shift portfolios that allow staff to self-select their hours.
For hospital and aged care leaders, understanding how this structural shift compares to legacy methods is essential for modern workforce optimisation:
By empowering clinicians to shape schedules that match their financial needs, personal lives, and desire for variety, they unlock the full potential of both permanent and flexible talent pools. This proactive approach keeps skilled professionals highly engaged and available, safeguarding workforce stability across the care system. True structural flexibility is no longer a luxury benefit; it is the primary mechanism for clinician retention in 2026.
data-driven planning for the 2026/2027 financial year
Strategic planning requires evidence, not intuition. To assist you in navigating market movements of this scale, Randstad has launched the complete 2026 Health and Aged Care Salary and Market Insights Report.
This comprehensive report moves beyond high-level trends to provide localised, actionable intelligence, including:
-
salary benchmarking:
Real-time 2026 market data and hourly pay benchmarks are competitive.
-
the talent roadmap:
A complete mapping of workforce distribution across Australia, helping you identify where the talent is - and where it isn't.
-
evidence-based retention:
Practical, localised frameworks to combat workplace burnout and implement sustainable staffing frameworks.
Don't rely on guesswork to build your talent pipelines. Equip your leadership team with the data needed to plan and respond with absolute confidence.
Matt Hodges
national director - health & aged care
