The year started with a surprise – roles got called in!  In keeping with the trend from last year, they were primarily Contract and Temporary opportunities that we were able to assist with.  We saw a steady rise in contracting/temporary recruitment requirements in the Business Support, Risk and Accounting areas in 2023 that has tipped into 2024. This is in contrast to permanent recruitment where clients remained reluctant to hire. For some, because they possibly over-hired (and overpaid?!) for the year that was, while other clients came off the back of a tough year and with a dose of uncertainty have played a game of hold.

Can we expect more in 2024?

In the micro-climate of observation from Find Corporate, based on our market interactions and feedback, can we expect more in 2024?  Well, it depends where you’re sitting and what company you’re sitting in! We’ve had feedback that is more contrasting than ever before, with some saying yes, others saying no, and others entirely unsure!

With this diverse client base we are fortunate to partner with, some clients are feeling confident, and some have seen an upswing in business, whilst others are understandably cautious. In the Accounting, Business Support, and Risk recruitment market, it’s a client-led market right? Well, yes and no - it's more in the centre at the moment. While our applications to roles have spiked to levels we haven’t seen at the Find Megabase since 2021, it hasn’t transcribed in to a bump in quality.

Why is this?

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In context NZ Inc is a small, small place.  Any drain of the talent pool can have a significant effect.

Australia is still a major beacon in the night for many seeking higher pay and a lower cost of living. Put simply, we keep losing great talent to the 'greener grass' (droughts excluded) of the land down under.

London still appeals to the young (and young at heart). We know from two of our lovely former-colleagues that London clients have switched from being focussed on permanent hire to contract hire, playing right into the requirements of us Kiwis.

We did see candidates applying for roles perhaps a step above their good experience. This may have worked in 2022 which was a more buoyant year, and hey why not, you have to admire the ambition but 2023 rolled in and there was a collective correction to the job market.

So, the next 6 – 12 months?

The crystal ball gets cloudy the further away we are, from when you read this (if you’ve made it this far – I thank you) as there are some BIG international things happening that could mean all bets are off.

The tide does appear to be coming back in for 2024, we’re feeling overall positive about it and while it may not hit previous high tide marks we think 2024 is a year of being back to normal and into positive territory.  I like normal. I like positive – except for a covid test.

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