Quantity Surveyors, Structural Engineers and Digital Strategists are three of the current skills in demand in New Zealand as vacancies increase in skilled occupations, says recruiting experts Hays.
The recruiter’s Hays Quarterly Report suggests the job market is steady thanks to growing demand for highly skilled professionals with local experience. For certain skilled roles, demand now outstrips supply.
“Despite weak dairy prices, the construction and service sectors, especially inbound tourism, are seeing strong activity, which is leading to demand for skilled professionals,” says Jason Walker, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand.
“In mid-March Statistics New Zealand revealed that gross domestic product grew 0.9 per cent in the three months to 31 December 2015, and last week treasury head Gabriel Makhlouf said the economy is growing faster than it predicted back in December.
“Employers are getting on with the task at hand and hiring skilled professionals as and when required. In fact the shortage of certain skilled professionals with local experience means we need more highly skilled professionals to return home from their overseas working holidays,” he said.
According to the Hays Quarterly Report, the skills in greatest demand include:
- Accountancy & Finance:Many companies plan to grow their finance staff numbers. We are starting to see increased demand for Financial Accountants, Management Accountants, Finance Analysts and Assistant Accountants. Within professional practice candidates with solid New Zealand experience remain in high demand, particularly qualified Accountants, Senior Accountants and Business Advisory Managers.
- Architecture:We continue to see an increase in permanent roles for Architects as more projects come online. Those with Revit skills are in particularly short supply. Intermediate Technicians and Senior Architects are also required in Auckland in response to the construction boom.
- Construction:Increased demand for skilled construction professionals means that Quantity Surveyors, Estimators, Site Managers, Civil Engineers, Intermediate to Senior Project Managers and Forepersons with New Zealand experience are needed.
- Contact Centres:New Zealand businesses are looking for locally available talent rather than outsourcing their contact centre function offshore. As a result, Customer Service Representatives, Contact Centre Team Leaders, Contact Centre Managers, Inside Sales and Sales Support candidates are all required.
- Energy:Skilled candidates are expected to be in solid demand over the April to June quarter after a temporary pause in hiring. G&B Line Mechanics, Electrical Fitters, Project Managers and HV Cable Jointers are all highly sought.
- Engineering:The New Zealand engineering market continues to surge forward with national building upgrades and strengthening work taking place across all regions. Structural Engineers, Structural Drafters, Mechanical & Electrical Design Engineers, Civil Engineers, and Geotechnical Engineers are amongst those in demand.
- Facilities Management: Employers remain steadfast in wanting technically proficient Facilities Managers with local experience and good client facing and communication skills. Professional Project Managers and Senior Property Advisors with specialist skills are also in short supply.
- Human Resources:HR vacancy activity continues to increase as New Zealand businesses take a more strategic approach to how they structure teams and manage people. Generalist Advisors with the ability to cover all areas of HR and HR Analytics professionals are in short supply.
- Information Technology:Big data experts are in high demand and short supply. Across IT more broadly there’s a shortage of talent with good technical skills and a commercial mindset, including UX Designers, Digital Strategists, Front End Developers, DevOps in Cloud SaaS environment, Microsoft Dynamic CRM Developers, iOS Developers, and Citrix Specialists.
- Insurance:We expect to see more recruitment activity this quarter as employers look at resources to achieve their growth plans. In high demand are claims, broker support and front line customer service professionals.
- Legal:New Zealand continues to see a major shortage of intermediate-level Commercial Solicitors and Solicitors specialising in commercial property.
- Marketing:With the prevalence of content marketing programmes, employers look for Marketing Specialists with both creative skills and a sharp marketing intellect. Direct Marketing Managers are in demand too to create compelling direct communications while Marketing Managers who can select and implement appropriate technology platforms are sought.
- Office Support:The ongoing demand for good corporate Receptionists with strong interpersonal and presentation skills continues. Experienced Site Administrators are in high demand to work for busy construction companies, while general Office Administrators, HR Administrators, Legal Administrators and Sales Support are all required.
- Property:Auckland is still in the midst of a housing shortage while in Christchurch many rebuild projects are moving swiftly through construction and therefore creating jobs in the property sector. Professional Project Managers, REAA Licensed Sales & Leasing staff, Registered Valuers, Asset Managers and Residential Property Managers are all highly sought.
- Sales:Salespeople are in strong demand as the weaker New Zealand dollar boosts business levels for exporting companies, while record immigration numbers have seen employers create multi-lingual sales teams.
- Trades & Labour:In Auckland Commercial and Maintenance Plumbers, Commercial and Industrial Electricians, Carpenters and Machine/Plant Operators are in demand. In Christchurch Fit-out Carpenters, Commercial Plumbers, Electricians, Plant and Machine Operators are amongst those needed, while Queenstown needs Commercial and Residential Carpenters.
To see the full list of skills in demand and trends for your industry, please visitwww.hays.net.nz/report
Hays is the most followed recruitment agency on LinkedIn in the world. Join our growing network by following Hays Worldwide. You can also get expert advice, insights and the latest recruitment news by following us on Twitter @HaysNewZealand.
Hays, the world’s leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.
For further information please contact Jason Walker, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand, on [email protected] or +64 (0) 9 375 9424.