Jobs boon for NZ’s highly-skilled workers

Jobs boon for NZ’s highly-skilled workers

IT, construction, engineering and marketing professionals remain in high demand but short supply in response to labour market growth, according to the latest Hays Quarterly Report, covering October to December 2017, and released today.

“The labour market remains tight, despite record population growth resulting from immigration,” says Jason Walker, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand. “We’re seeing more employers recruiting, but the number of people applying for each vacancy is falling.”

This is supported by the rise in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) All Vacancies Index, which over the year to August 2017 increased by 10.0 per cent.

“Recent figures show that a surge in dairy exports and tourism are boosting New Zealand’s economic growth, and the MBIE has forecast employment growth of 1.9 per cent annually over the next 10 years. Add rapid technological change across almost all sectors and industries, and the jobs market for highly-skilled professionals will remain tight over the next few years,” he said.

According to the Hays Quarterly Report, the following professionals are needed:

• Agribusiness/Farm Accountants remain in demand with employers now willing to see candidates who have a lighter level of experience
• Intermediate Accountants: Required by accounting firms since staff at this level continue to move into the commercial sector or head overseas;
• Senior Accountants: Those with true advisory skills who can partner with a client in a proactive and innovative manner while also possessing strong technical skills are rare;
• Forepersons, Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors: Large-scale commercial project experience is required, as is seismic strengthening experience;
• Telesales specialists: Successful sales specialists require a very specific skillset and must be KPI driven, self-motivated and resilient;
• Inbound Sales Consultants: Slightly softer sales roles that require people who can retain customers and convert a sale over the phone;
• Structural Engineers: A huge amount of work is underway, particularly aged care, education and seismic projects, requiring intermediate to senior professionals;
• Transport Engineers and Planners: Sought as infrastructure is upgraded and expanded;
• Geotechnical Engineers: The increase in roads, highways and new development projects is fuelling demand;
• Project Managers: Candidates must have NZ consultancy experience;
• Development Managers: Those with local subdivision and land development experience are needed;
• Learning & Development Advisors: Required due to changes in LMS software;
• Cloud Engineers and Architects: Employers seek these skills to support their migration to the cloud;
• Security Professionals: Increasingly sought as organisations bring this function in house;
• Agile Project Managers: In demand to project manage digital transformations;
• Commercial Solicitors/Lawyers: Good candidates have measurable experience and are keen to develop;
• Solicitors: Those with four and six years PQE in immigration, commercial, building and construction are in short supply;
• Customer Analytics experts: Agencies are installing sophisticated data science and analytics solutions;
• Personal Assistants: Those with experience in professional service companies are needed;
• Executive Assistants: Experience supporting multiple executives up to board level is in short supply;
• Facilities Managers: In increasing demand, particularly those with body corporate exposure;
• Property Managers: Employers require local knowledge and the ability to manage CAPEX spend and run new development projects;
• Business Development Managers: People with large multinational or FMCG experience are sought.
• Machine Operators: Excavators, Diggers and Drivers with the appropriate qualification are required due to the amount of land development and subdivision work underway;
• Carpenters: Both qualified and non-qualified candidates are in demand for residential and commercial building work.
For more on the skills in demand, please see the Hays Quarterly Report at www.hays.net.nz/report
Hays, the world’s leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.
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