Why is this decision harder in 2026?
Because the market is sending mixed signals. Job vacancies fell to 325,000 in August 2026, down 1.3% over the year, and unemployment has edged up to 4.5%. That suggests talent should be easier to buy.
But the people you want aren't moving. Only 7.2% of employed Australians changed employer in the year to February 2026, and Jobs and Skills Australia still lists 29% of occupations in shortage, including nearly half of trade roles. Add AI reshaping roles faster than job descriptions can keep up, and a single "just hire" strategy no longer works.
Scenario "I need to plan FY27 headcount, and the board wants certainty"
Rachel (illustrative) is CEO of a 700-person engineering services business. The board has approved growth into two new states but wants headcount costs controlled. Her leadership team is split, operations wants to hire 40 experienced people now, finance wants contractors only, and HR wants to promote from within.
They're all partly right. Rachel needs a role-by-role view, which capabilities are long-term and core, which are specialist, and which are tied to a project with an end date. That's the build, buy or borrow decision.
How do I decide whether to build, buy or borrow?
Ask two questions for each role or capability: how long will we need it, and how specialised is it?
| Option | Best when | Main benefits | Main risks |
| Build | Long-term need, lower specialisation, foundational skills already in-house | Cultural fit, engagement, lower cost per capability | Takes time, limited by current talent pool |
| Buy | Long-term need, high specialisation, skills not available internally | Immediate impact, fresh perspective, targeted skills | Higher cost, cultural fit risk, early turnover |
| Borrow | Short-term, project-based or seasonal need, especially specialist | Flexibility, scalability, lower long-term commitment | Less control, knowledge walks out at project end |
| Borrow then build | Short-term need for skills you'll want long-term | Delivers now while you develop internal capability | Requires deliberate knowledge transfer |
What does a balanced talent strategy look like?
In practice, most Australian employers use all three. Rachel's plan might look like this: build site supervisors from her strongest technicians, buy a small number of senior engineers for the new states, and borrow project specialists for the first 12 months while she builds a local team.
The white paper behind this series covers the six levers that make that mix work: avoiding knee-jerk cuts, taking a holistic view of talent costs, skills mapping, learning and development, talent technology and employer branding. Each has its own article below.
Article 2: Avoiding knee-jerk redundancies · Article 3: Is RPO cheaper? · Article 4: Skills mapping · Article 5: L&D on a budget · Article 6: Talent technology · Article 7: Employer branding
Where does Harrier fit?
Harrier is one of the few Australian providers that delivers all three options under one roof. Since 2007, we've helped clients build talent through Early Careers and internal mobility programs, buy talent through RPO and Recruitment Marketing, and borrow talent through Contingent Workforce and MSP solutions.
That means our advice isn't skewed towards the service we sell. We start with a Talent Evolution Diagnostic to understand your priorities, then recommend the mix that fits, and we're technology vendor agnostic, working within your existing systems from day one.
[TESTIMONIAL] Brief: a client leader on how Harrier helped them balance permanent hiring, contingent workforce and internal development, ideally during growth or change.
FAQs
What does build, buy or borrow mean in talent strategy? Build means developing existing employees, buy means hiring externally, and borrow means using contractors, temps or contingent workers. Most organisations use a mix of all three.
Is it cheaper to build or buy talent? Building is usually cheaper per capability when you have time and foundational skills. Buying is faster for specialist needs but costs more in recruitment and salary premiums.
When should I use contingent workers? For short-term projects, seasonal peaks or specialist skills you only need for a defined period.