The Wellington technology and transformation recruitment market is still facing tough conditions, reflecting the broader economic trends and evolving industry demands.

Despite these challenges, there’s a strong demand for skilled technical professionals in roles that are essential to maintaining and enhancing tech infrastructure. Positions like Developers, Site Reliability Engineers (SREs), Architects, and Security Experts are still in demand, as companies focus on keeping their digital operations stable and secure. It’s clear these tech experts play a vital role in both day-to-day operations and long-term planning.

On the other hand, the demand for transformation specialists, like Business Analysts and Project Managers remains low. This is largely due to the slowdown in planned project activity, especially in the Government sector. With organisations being more cautious about investing in new initiatives, there’s been a noticeable delay or reduction in the launch of new projects. As a result, there are fewer opportunities for those working in the transformation space.

It’s important to remember that everything in the recruitment market is cyclical. While right now we’re seeing a shift towards permanent and fixed-term roles, the contract market will rebound at some stage. We've seen it before—after the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, it took around three years for the market to fully recover here in Wellington.

We anticipate that when the market rebounds, it will shift towards a much more outcomes-focused contractor environment, with an emphasis on meeting deadlines and staying within budget.

As interest rates hopefully continue to fall and more confidence returns to the market, we can expect to see a resurgence in project activity. This will naturally drive-up demand for contract resources, particularly as companies look to scale quickly and bring in specialised skills for time-sensitive projects. The agility and expertise that contractors offer will always be highly valued, so while the market may be slow now, it’s only a matter of time before the pendulum swings back in their favour.

At Find IT Wellington, we’re here to help you navigate these tricky times. We get how complex the current market can be and we’re all about partnering with our clients to ensure successful outcomes. Whether you’re on the hunt for top tech talent or figuring out your next move with project resources, our expertise in the Wellington technology recruitment market means we can find the right solutions for your business. We love connecting you with the best candidates to help your organisation thrive!

Looking for more Market Insights? Check out our Q3 2024 State of the Market report right here.