More Jobseekers. More Choice?

There is a perception that exists today in the Hawke’s Bay recruitment marketplace. A lot of people believe that there is a “glut” of top performing jobseekers immediately available, as a result of present global market conditions. Whilst there are definitely more active jobseekers on the market today, this does not necessarily translate into an abundance of choice, nor an “easy” selection process.

By way of example a recent international survey* undertaken has shown that despite widespread redundancies & downsizing across the globe, businesses in a number of countries are actually finding it increasingly more difficult to hire good staff.

New Zealand ranks amongst those countries facing increased challenge; this year 42% of businesses have expressed difficulties in finding skilled accounting & finance professionals (compared with only 28% in 2008). This is a significant increase in a market in which there are more & more jobseekers actively seeking new opportunity. This is compounded by a significant increase in the number of employers now worried about losing star performers (72% in 2009, up from 51% in 2008).

So what are we seeing locally in the Hawke’s Bay recruitment marketplace?

• In many cases Hawke’s Bay recruitment agencies & businesses are receiving literally 100’s of applications for advertised roles.
• An increasing number of people are applying for a diverse range of opportunities, often without the necessary skill set or attraction to the role, company or industry. This has lead to overheads in filtering down to a meaningful shortlist of “right fit” applicants.
• A number of highly capable & skilled people are no longer actively seeking change, as job security has become their highest priority. With these people no longer necessarily on the active job market, businesses have to be more proactive in attracting top talent.
• Employer expectation is now much higher than in the past few years. There is a real push to only take on board those who are seen as “stars” – those who have the right attitude mixed with relevant experience and skills.
• Specialised roles in certain sectors remain difficult to fill – areas of particular challenge include ICT, Finance & Accounting, & specialty areas in the Technical & Engineering sectors. This can be attributed to both continued global shortages, as well as a smaller Hawke’s Bay market opportunity.

Overall, the challenge this year still remains in building & retaining winning teams. Now, more than ever, the focus should be on getting the “right fit”, for both employer and employee. To ensure this, call the RIOT Recruitment Team on (06) 835 4550.

* Source = Robert Half Global Financial Employment Monitor – 2009.