NZ employers desperately seeking skilled professionals

NZ employers desperately seeking skilled professionals – but for jobseekers development is key

New Zealand’s skills gap appears to be widening, with the latest Hays Quarterly Report pointing to increased demand for skilled professionals and a larger pool of jobseekers that fail to match the capabilities employers want.

“With our improving economy and a more sustainable building boom, the jobs market is active with demand outstripping the supply of highly-skilled local jobseekers,” says Jason Walker, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand. “Candidates are available, but employers are very particular in their requirements and want locally experienced and knowledgeable professionals.

“The balance started to tip across a wide range of industries and sectors last year as job vacancy activity increased,” he said.

This echoes findings from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s final Jobs Online report for 2016, which showed the All Vacancies Index increased by 13 per cent over the 2016 calendar year.

Benefits matter more than salary

Attracting skilled professionals in demand to an increasing number of jobs isn’t just about salary though. According to Jason, “A common theme across industries and sectors today is the focus from jobseekers on a role’s benefits.

“Career progression, formal training and on-the-job upskilling are common requests. If one role offers a good salary but no career progression, and another offers a slightly lower salary but structured career progression and some form of training, the longer-term career value of the latter usually secures the candidate.”

As for why these benefits are valued, Jason says it comes down to how quickly today’s world of work is changing. “Professionals are very much aware of how quickly change impacts their job. They know they need to upskill regularly and stay on top of the latest developments to remain relevant in the job market.”

As for the skills in highest demand, a selection from the latest Hays Quarterly Report includes:

· Financial Analysts to help executives understand financial information and improve systems and processes;

· Accounts Processing and Accounts Payable professionals;

· External Auditors with experience and their CA or CPA and Intermediate Accountants;

· Registered Architects who can run projects and Revit Technicians who can model and go through to detailed design;

· Site Managers for construction sites across the country, whether commercial (Queenstown and Christchurch), for seismic strengthening and new builds (Wellington) or residential (Auckland);

· Outbound Telesales professionals who can grow and increase sales revenue;

· Structural Engineers at the intermediate and senior levels for residential, commercial, industrial and government buildings and ongoing strengthening work;

· Corporate professional Facilities Managers, Coordinators and Administrators;

· DevOps Engineers, Senior Security Consultants with the ability to perform thorough risk assessments, and UI and UX Designers;

· Commercial Brokers, Underwriters, Loss Adjustors and Claims professionals, as well as life insurance Underwriters and Claims professionals;

· Legal Secretaries, Lawyers and support staff with conveyancing skills and Generalist Lawyers;

· Marketing Automation Specialists, Digital Marketing Specialists and Marketing Analysts;

· Executive and Personal Assistants;

· Development Managers who understand the process from concept through to development;

· Sales Managers and Team Leaders with a strong track record in coaching and developing teams; and

· Machine Operators, Plumbers, Drain Layers and Electricians.

For more, please see the Hays Quarterly Report at www.hays.net.nz/report

Hays is the most followed recruitment agency on LinkedIn in the world. Join Hays’ growing network by following Hays Worldwide. You can also get expert advice, insights and the latest recruitment news by following Hays on Twitter @HaysNewZealand.

Hays, the world’s leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.

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