I’ve recruited for 23 years in Wellington and have never seen conditions be so largely in favour of people seeking work. Wellington Corporate market is full steam ahead after a brief respite in April, largely due to the Easter break running into Anzac day and then school holidays. We’re seeing the impact of the pent up Covid travel lag with large numbers of under 30’s heading off on their OE’s and others taking 6 – 8 week travel breaks. A bonus of the offshore drift has been the re-engagement of the mature workforce. For a number of years we’ve seen middle manager’s or mature staff cut out of operating structures and some did struggle to get back into work, but with the hiring demand and low unemployment that workforce demographic is now highly employable.

Hiring processes are being tested. We’re spending time working with clients to redesign recruitment workflows, creating processes where speed and urgency are combined with robustness and verification. Clients investing in recruitment and committing to prioritising recruitment are the ones who are winning the war for talent. Find has worked hard to map, meet and validate talent before our clients need it. Therefore when a client needs a resource we’ve already done the identification and the process can move quickly. We’re proactively filling our talent pools, building depth and using all the tools at our disposal. Our view is that we are the market experts, so we should know the market before you call.

$$ in the back pocket still remains the greatest drawcard when candidates are considering jobs and associated salary packages. Clients mix of remote working, benefits and culture are key parts to be promoted, but in inflationary times the $$ tend to talk.  Contracting is growing strongly and is a key part of the workforce mix. I often chat with clients about the ‘culture’ mix and there still seems to be a school of thought that positive cultures can’t be built when contractors make up a portion of the staff. I do and will argue against this, my experience is largely that contractors are still people who like to engage, contribute and deliver and can be a useful group to help shift and build cultures.

There are still high quality, motivated candidates in the marketplace. There’s not a shortage, clients just have to be nimble and open minded to different approaches.

KENDALL BUSHBY, PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT from Find Recruitment

"It is currently a candidate driven market, meaning attracting top talent is becoming a lot more competitive. We are seeing candidates being offered multiple roles, and the companies are getting creative with their packages. We are starting to see sign on bonuses, retention bonuses, increasing the annual leave and much more. 

Retention is the best form of recruitment. In a market where unemployment is at its lowest, you want to make sure you are looking after your current top talent to ensure they don’t look elsewhere. The time and money of recruiting can put a halt in your organisation’s growth journey. Ensure you have a retention strategy in place; whether this is listening to your employees, ensuring they are happy, or continually providing them with opportunities to develop, grow and challenge them. Be proactive and not reactive."

JENS JESSEN, SENIOR CONSULTANT from Find Recruitment

"With the borders opening, candidates of all levels of experience have been talking about their long-awaited holidays or are looking to move overseas. Primarily due to the prospect of more flexibility, higher salaries, and a new challenge. Organisations must be looking to provide flexibility around hours & location and holidays & sick leave as well as offering a competitive salary package. Providing development and career progression opportunities is a significant factor in keeping and attracting employees. Also, it is a time-sensitive market so organisations can no longer afford to drag out the recruitment process. With a quality candidate shortage, it is not uncommon for candidates to have 2-3 job opportunities on the go. So, speed in recruitment is key."

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