Hamilton’s industrial recruitment market is rivalling Auckland’s. At Asset Recruitment, we have noticed a growing demand from Waikato companies for candidates with industry-related skills.

Annie Dobinson, Industrial Temporary Consultant at Asset Recruitment, has clients in warehousing, distribution, manufacturing and production seeking candidates for a range of roles. “I’m in constant contact with Waikato companies in the industrial sector who need short and long-term candidates for a variety of positions. It’s a real indication of the scope of opportunities we have here in the region and helps to explain Hamilton’s growing attraction to employees from further afield.”

Although Waikato has plenty of industrial employment opportunities, Dobinson says finding skilled workers to fill the roles, particularly those with tickets, is proving difficult. “Many of the positions require workers with an industrial qualification, such as a forklift licence, which is where we’re finding a gap.”

Candidates who are suitable for an industrial role will be subject to drug and alcohol testing, Ministry of Justice criminal history checks and ACC pre-employment screening – all services that Asset Recruitment provide.

WorkSafe statistics for 2016 showed Waikato had the third highest rate of notifiable incidents in the construction industry between April and October last year, and the second highest rate of notifiable incidents in the manufacturing industry during the same period.

“We want to be able to reduce statistics like these here in Waikato, so pre-screening checks play an important role in ensuring the candidates we place in industrial roles are contributing to a safe working environment,” says Dobinson.

Recruiting job seekers for industrial roles is just one of Asset Recruitment’s specialities. The long-standing Waikato recruitment company provides temporary, permanent and executive recruitment services as well.

This article was first published in the Waikato Business News, May 2017.