With Auckland recruitment gaining momentum post the second lockdown in Q2, digital recruitment continued the upwards trend at a faster pace than other markets. Senior level digital transformation roles produced a high number and calibre of candidates both from those arriving back from overseas and in NZ. A combination of both contract and permanent opportunities were available and employers were willing to pay competitively to secure the right talent.
Digital marketing opportunities have been in abundance but numerous employers we have talked to have struggled to find the right ‘fit’ at the three to five years’ of experience ($80 - $110K). While there are a multitude of reasons, it is fair to say these were some of the first roles to be restructured during COVID so competition is fierce.
Social media also saw an uplift in job postings given consumer demand for information and businesses pushing out their offerings through various channels. Experience in community management was a key skill set as was those who had more strategic input into social direction. Again, employers have not been short of numbers applying but candidates who are currently in social media roles (as opposed to having experience posting on social media) have created a real opportunity for those wishing to specialise. Less than 1,000 candidates attest to being social media specialists in NZ, which is scary given the power it has!
Hiring within the data space continues to produce a high number of responses to advertisements this quarter. The combination of candidates needing both the technical capability and softer skill set has produced complexity in the hiring process, in that hiring managers may need to ‘flex’ on their typical non-negotiables to ensure their roles are not open too long. Hiring demand is up 16% across NZ in the past 12 months which shows how the ‘unicorn with wings’ profile is becoming more of a reality than myth! As businesses continue to understand the value of data, there is also an upwards trend of newly created roles to help make good commercial decisions. The challenge in this has meant roles have sometimes needed to be rescoped to unlock each company’s true requirements.
This quarter’s theme for digital and data centres around the competition for ‘quality’ in a market where there is no shortage of ‘quantity’. The candidates who are standing out are those that really understand their own strengths and drivers. Employers that have a strong brand and culture and can talk to their values will always be more attractive to potential hires. Food for thought for organisations who had this on the agenda for 2020 but need to act upon it in 2021.
