Shortlist's most-read stories, in brief

The most-read stories on Shortlist over the past week have included: Coronavirus support for affected recruiters; New MD for Randstad; Recruiters recognised in business awards; Greg Savage poses some scary business scenarios; and more.

The full articles summarised below are accessible with a subscription or free trial of Shortlist.

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, governments have announced a raft of funding packages to support businesses.

The Australian Government's $17.6 billion economic response includes support for business investment – increasing the instant asset write-off and introducing an investment incentive – and cash flow assistance for employers, including wage subsidies for trainees and apprentices.

The NSW Government has announced a $1.6 billion stimulus package, which waives payroll tax for businesses with payroll up to $10m for the rest of the financial year, and will bring forward the next round of payroll tax cuts. It also provides $250 million for public schools and state-owned buildings to employ more cleaners.

Queensland's $27.25 million Immediate Industry Recovery Package includes payroll tax support for impacted businesses, mentoring sessions, finance workshops, and specific industry support, such as support for tourism and hospitality businesses.

The WA Government has announced $114 million in measures to support small and medium businesses, including a $17,500 one-off grant for eligible small businesses, and deferred payroll tax payments for businesses impacted by the outbreak. Workers in the public sector, including casuals, will also be able to access 20 days of COVID-19 leave.

South Australia has released a $350m economic stimulus plan for 'shovel-ready' projects, while Victorian, Tasmanian and Northern Territory governments are yet to announce additional funding measures.

Shortlist has also compiled a resource page of coronavirus-related articles for easy access in one place.

Without wanting to sound "alarmist" about the business impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, industry advisor Greg Savage says it's time for recruitment leaders to consider some scary questions.

Questions he's been asking at board meetings (based on personal experience of four recessions) include: "What would happen if your permanent [gross profit] dropped by 60%? And your temporary GP fell by 30% or 40%? And it happened in a month? And it didn't recover for two years?"

Selection software business Express! reports a 300% increase in artificial intelligence interviews over the last few weeks, largely as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

HR teams and recruiters are beating the challenges posed by the threat through AI designed to assess candidates over the phone, the company says.

Several recruiters have been recognised for their leadership achievements at this year's Telstra Business Women's Awards.

Appoint founder Jackie Rahilly says being named a Queensland finalist in the medium and large business category is a "massive honour", both personally and for her team. (Rahilly received multiple nominations from her team, including from business partner Kim Coghill.)

Similarly, diversity and inclusion champion and Adecco managing director Kelly Van Nelson is "delighted" to be a NSW finalist in the same category.

People2people WA director Kim Padmore has also been recognised as a finalist for the state's emerging leader award, having opened the company's Perth office and become a director at age 27.

Randstad has promoted Nick Pesch to MD for Australia and New Zealand, as incumbent CEO Frank Ribuot relocates to Paris to head up the group's French operations.

Ribuot tells Shortlist his promotion was a "complete surprise", calling the new role a "massive change" that follows the retirement of an executive board member in France.

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