Advice from leading recruiters on finding staff

Recruitment is in the news. Seek says while job advertisements have levelled out over the past few months, they are still up 22 percent on last year and 35 percent higher than Spring 2019. With an unemployment rate of 3.3% and expectations that it remains at that rate for the foreseeable future, leading recruitment agencies are sharing their thoughts.

General Manager of recruitment agency Madison, Christian Brown, opens his annual report with the prediction that there’s no doubt that the candidate short market will continue into 2023, “Finding the talent required to adequately resource Kiwi businesses and organisations will continue to be a challenge.”

Flexible working

Seek NZ country manager Rob Clark advises, “It’s really competitive out there. Companies and organisations are having to think quite differently about how to attract talent.” The thinking differently promoted by Seek – and other agencies – is focused around flexibility, “According to our research, four in ten job-seekers would resign from their role if working from home was not an option.”

Working from home is not straightforward for an industry that predominantly requires employees to be physically present for substantial chunks of time and often at unsociable hours. Yet with an increasing focus on employee well-being across the sector, maybe it is time to think out of the box and create roles that do factor in flexibility.

The Madison Employment Report points to studies that have shown that with the right tools, employees work as productively from home as they do from the office. Plus, there’s a raft of mental health and wellbeing benefits that result from working from home. They advocate if the role allows, having the flexibility for your people to work remotely at times builds and enhances engagement, motivation, retention and wellbeing.

Dangling all your carrots

The Madison report goes further, “To attract job seekers in the year ahead organisations are really going to need to dangle any carrots they are holding. Salaries are expected to level out, so while offering top dollar will help to attract and secure talent, it’s the additional benefits that will make all the difference.” They are not talking about the fluffy stuff but more about genuine investment in health and wellbeing, real commitment to learning and development opportunities, and career progression, “These factors will not only help with recruitment but will positively impact engagement and retention.” Try and be innovative, think mental health leave which provides a day per quarter that must be taken by the employee, or extended leave options, such as the ability to take a sabbatical.

Speeding up your processes

Always a challenge for the small business owner, finding time to recruit often means getting back to candidates can be delayed, thanks but no thanks to the unsuccessful can be overlooked, and the whole process can be painful for both parties. Recruitment agencies, whilst obviously trying to promote their own services make a valid point, “To secure great candidates, you must act quickly, and to achieve this recruitment processes should be planned out with timelines defined before going to market, and potential obstacles dealt with ahead of time. Job seekers will not have the patience to stick with last minute interviews.” And for those who don’t make the cut remember the Kiwi market is small and closely connected. A polite decline and thank you will serve to protect your business brand.

Capitalise on people looking to the regions

Perhaps it is the time to look further afield. Trying to recruit in the regions? Maybe hit Auckland. The Madison survey noted that in the trades sector rising living costs and inflation were encouraging job seekers to choose to move away from the cities for more affordable regional living. Those people who would consider moving into the cities would only do so for what they viewed as an attractive offer that was ‘worth it’. Now is the time for regional businesses to put their thinking caps on and create packages that attract talent looking for a lifestyle change.

Open borders – arrivals and departures

With borders open, employers can again source candidates from overseas and capture the attention of new temporary visa holders with their offerings. Madison advises that it would be wise to consider what this audience needs and what work arrangements you can provide. By thinking ahead when starting a recruitment process and planning for a longer amount of time before a hire can be made, you can open up opportunities to look further afield.

However, Madison also warns, “We’re hearing anecdotal reports that overseas skilled workers are currently less interested in New Zealand as a migration option, due to our rising inflation and living costs. New Zealand is sometimes seen as too expensive and we are competing with the Australian market and their higher salaries.”

Unfortunately, the open borders will also mean that a significant cohort of skilled and experienced Kiwis are expected to leave New Zealand for offshore opportunities, “The candidate market is expected to get tighter in some sectors as many Kiwis leave for their postponed OE or take extended leave to visit family overseas. For the next six to twelve months we will likely see more candidates moving abroad before we feel the impact of new talent entering the market.”

Prioritise your people

For now, importing talent is not the solution. Agile New Zealand recruitment – widening your geographical search area, welcoming people from outside the industry but with transferable skills, establishing apprenticeships, and providing attractive packages for new recruits and to retain your existing staff are recommended.

Ultimately Christian Brown advises prioritise your people, “Make sure they know they are valued and supported. While not every business can pay top dollar, there are plenty of other opportunities to ensure your employees enjoy coming to work each day.”