In Waikato’s tight unemployment market, an established recruitment plan is becoming a necessity for businesses and must be a key part of any business strategy moving forward. That’s the message from Waikato’s leading recruitment company when asked about the recruitment trends for 2018.

Carmel Strange, Asset Recruitment’s manager and temporary recruitment consultant, says Waikato has experienced a particularly difficult employment market these past 12 months, yet despite this, the company has experienced huge growth in its temporary, permanent and executive divisions.

“Our industrial client base has also expanded which reflects Waikato’s growing economy but also the strategic approach to recruitment we take for each of our clients,” says Carmel.

“In the first quarter of 2017 the New Zealand unemployment rate dropped from 5.2 per cent to 4.9 per cent. This drop has been significantly challenging on companies looking to hire new staff, but our ability to provide high calibre temporary staff has reduced the stress for our clients during this difficult time. With a tight unemployment market, an established recruitment plan is becoming a necessity for businesses,” she says.

Innovative recruitment strategies

Employers also need to be innovative in their thinking around keeping staff challenged and providing opportunities for professional development.

“Organisational culture is now one of the leading factors job seekers consider when looking for employment,” says Carmel. “We have noticed a real trend among job seekers looking for challenging roles in a values-driven work environment. Savvy job seekers place great emphasis on a company’s culture, looking at how they treat staff, the opportunities they provide to employees in terms of growth and professional development and staff attrition rates.”

Carmel says the change in New Zealand’s government, and subsequent impacts on the economy, will also be something employers need to prepare for in 2018. “We are telling our clients they need to be flexible in their thinking when scoping roles. Quality candidates are looking for flexibility, so employers need to be prepared to adapt a position or the terms of employment to attract and retain the best staff.”

“Waikato is a drawcard for many job seekers, but the employment market still remains tight. Employers need to factor this in to their operations and consider working in partnership with a recruitment company, rather than just engaging them on a project-only basis,” she says.

Carmel acknowledges Waikato’s economy continues to go from strength to strength and, after a bumper year, is predicting further growth for both Asset Recruitment and their clients in 2018.

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