Talent has continued its track record of strong profit growth in the financial year to 30 June 2023. From a modest position in 2018, Talent have grown its revenue 105% from $487m to $1b in the 5-year period to 2023 growing normalised EBITDA fourfold to $27.5m. This success was underpinned by a 14% increase for contracting revenue, on top of its project delivery brand, Avec, growing by 104% year-on-year.

Employee engagement was critical in the five-year journey increasing from 52% in 2018 to a world-class 90% in 2023.  Mark Nielsen, Talent’s Global CEO stated, “Talent’s culture is centred around its #OneTeam mantra underpinned by its core values which are embedded into every area of the business.”  Nielsen further commented, “Talent’s success has been driven by organic investment in its income streams Avec and Solutions which has added real value to the service offerings Talent takes to market.”

Avec has increased its team and will continue to build out its technical expertise through partnering with, and acquiring, suitable deep-tech consulting businesses. Avec expanded its intelligent automation offering in FY23 through the swift employment of the majority of the technology professionals, engagement of customers, and contracting of suppliers from the Reveal Group.

Talent Solutions continued to grow during FY23 with a combination of embedded talent solutions for hyper growth tech scale ups, more traditional RPO solutions for midmarket companies, and MSP for enterprise.

Talent’s charitable foundation, Talent RISE, helps young people facing barriers to employment enter the workforce.  During the year, Talent RISE continued to expand operations with offices in Perth and Auckland. Talent RISE placed 75 young people into meaningful employment in FY23, which can be life changing for those starting their first job.

Mark Nielsen, Talent’s Global CEO, praised the Talent team on delivering these results. “Five years ago, we set out with a big hairy audacious goal of increasing our global revenue to $1 billion and I’m so proud to announce that we have successfully done this. Our team here at Talent is exceptional and this wouldn’t have been possible without their dedication. We have a strong culture here with a world class engagement rate of 90% which goes to show our focus and passion of building a better world of work for all.”    

Talent Global CFO, Megan Woodbury, said, “After being at Talent for just over a year, it’s evident that the passion and commitment from our teams has been a core reason for us to achieve this goal – which is particularly remarkable given the challenging market conditions. We have a culture of open and honest communication and with that, we’ve been aligned globally on what we want to achieve.”

Aligned to Talent’s goal of being a global tech services business, Talent has recently acquired Wellington based recruitment agency, People&Co. This acquisition reinforces Talent’s commitment to the New Zealand market, and supports the expansion of Talent’s core recruitment business, as well as establishing a platform for it to build out its project delivery, automation and data consultancy business, Avec in the New Zealand market.

Cybersecurity professionals remain in high demand as the Australian market continues to struggle with talent shortages. In a recent whitepaper Talent has released, the salaries, skills and experience needed to keep our businesses safe is severely lacking.

The whitepaper features salaries, skills needed, challenges currently being faced and trends and predictions for key cybersecurity positions in 2023. It also features insights from Talent’s Account Management team, as well as anonymous insights from cybersecurity professionals across ANZ and the US.

Key findings include:

• There’s significant demand for cybersecurity talent due to recent high-profile cyber incidents
• There’s a shortage of qualified and/or skilled cybersecurity talent – Research has revealed that 60% of global IT and cybersecurity leaders struggle to hire qualified cybersecurity candidates
• Seniors and specialists are in high demand – A Head of Digital at a retail client notes that they are seeking to hire “Cyber Architect and Cyber Consultant professionals who possess technical depth and are able to consult and talk business risk to the internal stakeholder. These are quite senior roles which I see are in short supply within the market”.
• Salary expectations from candidates are high, even if they don’t necessarily have the experience or qualifications to command these higher salaries

Skills in highest demand are:

• Cloud computing security
• Offensive security
• Security operations
• Artificial intelligence

Predictions for 2024 and beyond:

• Regulation will increase
• AI will present new risks
• Digital fraud will rise
• Employee training will be a priority

Insights from the anonymous cybersecurity professionals include:

• “If I’m hiring tomorrow, it’ll be a junior / mid-level person with a couple years of technical experience with the right attitude and mindset. Good generalists are hard to come by.”
• “Currently I lead a team of level 1 and 2 security analysts and over the past 6-9 months I’ve had to hire. Given what we do, we tend to look for entry to mid-level experience to fill these roles, and cost is a big factor. What I’ve found is that those entering the market with little to no experience (or at least relevant experience) are commanding more in terms of salary. This is putting pressure on the profitability and competitiveness of the services we deliver.”
• “A great communicator will achieve more than a brilliant tech in some cyber roles.”

Insights from the Talent and Avec team include:

Michael Megally, Avec General Manager, “Cybersecurity can’t all be left up to your IT team. You can build the biggest cyber defence in the background, but your people are your biggest vulnerability. Training your people is the biggest defence you can have for cybersecurity.”

According to our Sydney cybersecurity recruitment expert, Elliott Howard, large consultancy firms and banks rolling out cyber graduate programs to grow internal teams has had a strong impact on salary expectations. “While these programs have had a positive impact in increasing the pool of cyber candidates in the market, they have also resulted in candidates with only a couple years of industry experience asking for very high salaries which does not correlate to their experience. However, strong competition for cyber resources has meant that these less experienced candidates are able to attract the higher salaries and rates, resulting in enterprise sized companies with large cyber teams and strict salary bandings struggling to match these salaries. They have therefore been unable to attract candidates, resulting in vacancies and extended periods of time to recruit.”

You can download a copy of the report here.

At Talent, our vision is to empower people to build a better world of work for all. That means providing the most rewarding and empowering experiences for our contractors.

Through completing a feedback survey on their experience with Talent, contractors had the option to enter the draw to win a prize valued at $100. The winner had a choice between:

• A Visa gift card
• A donation to their charity of choice

Congratulations to our winner Peter B.

Talent has taken out two wins in the 2023 APSCo Awards for Excellence; Best Brand and RPO of the Year.

In the Best Brand category, Talent was recognised by APSCo for excellence in upholding and communicating its brand values; Lead the Way, Strive for Better, Give a Damn; and delivering exceptional experiences for contractors and clients through resources.

In the RPO of the Year category, Talent was recoginsed by APSCo for excellence in promoting and demonstrating a commitment to best practice in the RPO sector. Talent’s outsourced recruitment experts showcased their commitment to designing, building and managing Talent Acquisition functions that differentiate their clients from their competition.

Talent Managing Director, Marketing, Chloe O’Toole, commented on what this award means to the company. “Over the past five years, our brand has undergone a transformative journey, driven by our values: Lead The Way, Strive For Better, and Give A Damn. These values have become much than words on a page. From delivering exceptional experiences to contractors and providing hiring managers with resources for building successful teams, to our work supporting young people who face challenging employment barriers, our values guide everything we do, and we are so proud to have this recognised.”

Tom Mackintosh, Talent Solutions Managing Director, commended the team on their brilliant work. “Our deployed Talent Acquisition partners do the research and put in the work to design, build and manage Talent Acquisition functions that differentiate our clients from their competition. It’s about so much more than outsourcing for us, we become part of their teams and take on their challenges as our own.”

We likely don’t need to tell you that the tech hiring market is competitive. But hiring people is one thing; hiring the right people is another — especially when it comes to tech roles.

Here are the top tech skills every applicant should have before you consider them for your financial services team.

What are the right tech skills, anyway?

According to market trends and our experts’ opinions, the top tech skills for 2023 are:

Cybersecurity

The global average cost of a data breach is $4.35 million and up to $9.44 million in the United States. Unfortunately, even as threats become more sophisticated, tech roles get harder to fill. Globally, there’s a cybersecurity workforce gap of 3.4 million people — a number that has more than doubled since 2019. This indicates that the problem is not necessarily with hiring itself, but with finding people who have the appropriate experience and expertise. Unfortunately, this small talent pool means that you’ll be competing with a host of other industries, not just your peers in financial services.

How to hire for this skill: Look for applicants who have a proven track record of securing physical and digital environments similar to yours. Degrees can be a helpful indicator of experience, but base your decision on cybersecurity-adjacent skills, too. Perhaps most importantly, create a competitive, tech-forward environment where top cybersecurity professionals will feel both valued and challenged.

Data Analysis

Data holds a wealth of insights, but only the right tech expert can unlock them. By 2026, the U.S. alone expects a growth rate of about 28% in the number of data science jobs; industries and individual businesses across the world are seeing similar patterns. However, many U.K. organisations in finance and other industries plan to spend no more than £10,000 on recruitment, learning and development for data analysis.

The problem is that most of these jobs are comparatively new, which means finding experienced professionals can be tough.

To further complicate matters, data analytics job seekers in the financial sphere must demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of:

• Metrics used in financial services.
• Associated processes (such as risk management).
• Workflows, systems, and software used to gather data and extract actionable insights.

How to hire for this skill: Instead of focusing on experience, look for related skills, programs, and promise. Be willing to develop talent through a more extended pipeline; draw up-and-coming data scientists to the financial field by promising to support their growth, thus encouraging them to apply with you instead of at tech companies or other competitors.

Programming

Python, a high-level programming language, should be at the top of your tech applicants’ skills list.

Unfortunately, only 20% of Gen Z survey respondents felt they had “advanced” digital abilities in coding — which means this is yet another shortage of skills, not necessarily of applicants.

How to hire for this skill: Ask questions to determine how confident an applicant is in their coding and programming literacy; if a gap exists, present your financial services organisation as an opportunity to learn, grow and become better. Offer a tech-forward environment that strengthens existing digital literacy while building new skills.

Cloud Product Expertise

Cloud products such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are quickly becoming mission-critical in the financial services industry. Competition for talent in this area is more noteworthy, with almost one-third of U.K. organisations planning to spend up to or more than £20,000 on recruitment for cloud solutions.

How to hire for this skill: Look for applicants who list these platforms by name or otherwise indicate expertise in managing, utilising, and securing cloud environments. Explain your needs clearly and emphasise how the applicant’s cloud expertise would be put to good use in the financial services industry, presenting both challenges and opportunities to further their career.

How to find candidates that check all your boxes

When faced with a competitive tech hiring environment, financial services companies may feel as though they can’t be picky about skills. As the old saying goes, ‘Beggars can’t be choosers.’

The reality, however, is that tech professionals with the right skills do exist. To find these candidates and make them part of your team, try leveraging the following tips:

#1: Have a compelling employee value proposition (EVP): Remember that you’re competing with organisations from many other industries, not just financial services. Position your EVP to show skilled tech applicants that their careers will go further with you — and that their talents, expertise and experience will be highly valued.

#2: Build a strong employer brand: An employer brand clarifies your mission, personality, and culture. This helps attract applicants who want to put their top tech skills to good use in a company that supports its employees and clients.

#3: Deliver top benefits: Tech workers, especially those with in-demand skills, want growth opportunities, flexibility, supportive company culture and the ongoing chance to develop personally and professionally. Add these to your list of benefits alongside time off, health care or work-from-home options to stand out from the competition.

Build your tech dream team today

Don’t lower your standards to adapt to a competitive hiring environment. Show top tech professionals that you know what you’re looking for and value the key skills they bring to the team. Just be sure to understand your priorities and plan for the future of the financial services industry.

Ready to find the right candidates with the right skills? Learn more about how we can help.

What are green skills and how do they fit into the growing green technology landscape? We break down the basics. From solar to smart grids, here’s a quick snapshot of what you need to know about green tech and the growing green jobs market.

Technologies shaping the green energy sector

The green skills shortage is a global phenomenon. The UK currently faces a green energy skill gap of over 200,000 workers — a number that is likely to increase as the UK pursues 100% renewable energy by 2035. Sharing in the goal of 100% renewable energy is New Zealand, an objective set by the current Labour Party. In this pursuit, expertise in various areas is required, including solar power, wind power, energy storage, smart grids and electric vehicles.

Solar power

Solar power — a clean and renewable energy source — has a number of benefits, including its low environmental impact, scalability and potential to provide reliable power even during periods of peak demand. This green technology is enabled by four key professional categories: manufacturing, system design, project development, and installation and maintenance, which collectively support its implementation and ongoing operation. Across all professional categories, 700,000 new solar power jobs were created in 2022 alone. The following skillsets are sought after within each category:

• Manufacturing: Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Operators, Process Control Technicians and Instrumentation & Electronics Technicians.
• System design: Structural and Power Systems Engineers, Solar Energy Systems Designers and Software Engineers.
• Project development: Solar Marketing Specialists, Solar Utility Procurement Specialists and Building Inspectors.
• Installation & maintenance: HVAC technicians, Solar Service Technicians and Solar Installations Contractors.

Wind power

Wind power is actively shaping the green energy sector. To implement and operate wind power energy sources, there is currently a rising demand for those with expertise in data analytics, electrical systems, aerodynamics and simulation, among others. Within the five areas responsible for the operation and maintenance of wind power — engineering, design, construction, operation and maintenance — approximately half a million skilled workers will be needed in construction and maintenance alone by 2026.

Energy storage

Energy storage ensures energy sources are accessible when they are most needed. This is particularly important for renewables like solar and wind, which may not be consistently available.

There are several energy storage technologies, each possessing unique strengths and weaknesses: These include batteries, pumped hydro, and compressed air energy storage. Energy storage plays a transformative role in enhancing the reliability and affordability of renewable energy sources while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.

Energy storage companies are looking for those who are competent in flywheels, pumped hydro, compressed air, and thermal storage, among others. The specific technical competencies required depend on the nature of the role — other relevant energy storage technological skills include software development, data analysis, modelling and simulation.

Smart grids

Smart grids are modern power grids that use digital technology to improve efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. Smart grids make use of various technologies including sensors, communication networks, and advanced control systems. These technologies enable utility companies to monitor and control the grid in real time, resulting in improved efficiency and reliability. Furthermore, smart grids play a vital role in integrating intermittent renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, into the existing power infrastructure.

There are various skills that are required of the engineers who work on smart grids: Linux, MATLAB programming, electric utility analysis, GIS, outage management, demand response and infrastructure management. The demand for such skills is projected to increase significantly as the global smart grid market is set to reach USD $207.82 billion by 2030, compared to 2022’s value of USD $50 billion.

Electric Vehicles (EVs)

With a projected UK skill shortage reaching the tens of thousands, Electric vehicles (EVs) are powered by electricity instead of gasoline or diesel —  considered a clean and efficient way to travel.

EVs have a number of benefits, including their lowered emissions, quiet operation and potential to reduce fuel costs. As technology continues to improve, EVs are becoming more affordable and accessible. In-demand EV-related technological competencies include software engineering, control system development, sensing and actuation technology, and vehicles & systems integration; the demand for these skills — and other associated EV competencies — is projected to grow 230% over the next five years.

A look into global demand

The global demand for workers in the green energy sector is steadily rising, as evidenced by a 29% higher median hiring rate compared to the 2023 workforce average. This trend shows no sign of slowing down – the number of green energy jobs is expected to increase by around 12 million by 2030. As only one in eight workers have the necessary skills to meet the rising green energy demand, employers are needing to ensure they stand out in today’s competitive tech marketplace to attract the best.

Whether you’re working in solar, wind, electric vehicles, or anything in between, at Talent, we bring together experts in tech, transformation and beyond. Learn more about our Green Tech specialisation here and our current job opportunities here.

Want to cash in on top tech talent in the financial sector? First things first, you need to understand the technology and skillsets this evolving industry is banking on.

The financial sector is undergoing rapid evolution: Innovative tech is changing the way financial transactions are conducted, and traditional banking models are being disrupted. Several technologies rise above the rest due to their transformative impact on the industry.

We delve into the tech that’s driving the most change amongst the workforce and the market insights you need to get ahead when hiring.

Three emerging technologies shaping the financial sector

Among the emerging technologies within the financial sector are artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), cloud computing and blockchain — each presenting unique opportunities for innovation and transformation in the way financial services are delivered and experienced.

AI and ML

AI and ML are two of the most disruptive technologies in the financial sector, commonly adopted to automate tasks, improve decision-making, and detect fraud, among other functions.

The marketplace for AI and ML skills in the financial sector is highly competitive. Salaries for these tech professionals are rising, and there is a growing demand for these skills in both traditional financial institutions and fintech startups. Granted, there is also a shortage of qualified AI and ML professionals, which is driving up the cost of hiring candidates with these skills.

Talent Wellington Senior Recruitment Consultant, Adeline Le Bris, comments that “AI will fundamentally change the landscape of the Financial Services industry. To enable AI, financial organisations are currently going through significant digital transformation. Some of their key priorities include replacing and modernising their core systems platforms as well as modernising their data. Achieving data maturity will be key to the success of enabling AI.”

Resultantly, it’s expected that the skills landscape and workforce demands will shift, with Adeline observing “some of the skills that are emerging will cover data analytics, data engineering including big data, infrastructure automation, programming, cloud platforms, and security. Specific technologies that are sought after will include Python programming, AWS, and Azure.”

In 2022, while Data Science ranked in the top 5 most in-demand professions in Australia, LinkedIn ranked machine learning engineers as the second most in-demand role in the UK. And looking forward, estimates project that 97 million new AI jobs will be created by 2025. One way that the Australian marketplace is planning to mitigate these demands is through the Government’s investment of AUD $124.1 million, as a part of their Artificial Intelligence Action Plan. Similarly, the UK Government recently announced their plan to invest £54 million into their AI talent pipeline.

As AI and ML technologies continue to evolve, Adeline notes that the demand for professionals skilled in these spaces will continue to grow. What are companies looking for most in tech talent? “Organisations will look for agile and adaptable mindsets, innovators, people who think outside of the box and have an eagerness to keep on learning and developing.”

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing allows financial institutions to seamlessly scale their operations, improve their security and reduce their costs. According to LinkedIn Talent Insights, several of today’s in-demand cloud computing competencies include:

• Terraform
• CI/CD
• Amazon EC2

Other in-demand skills include AWS CloudFormation, Amazon S3, and Azure DevOps services, among others. Given this demand, 46% of employers in an Australian study identified the lack of skilled individuals as the main barrier to cloud migration; an obstacle that is expected to persist due to the projected growth of cloud computing.

In Australia, public cloud spending is set to surge by 83%, reaching AUD $22.4 billion by 2026, up from AUD $12.2 billion in 2022. Similarly, New Zealand is forecasted to experience nearly a twofold increase in public cloud spending, jumping from NZD $2.6 billion to NZD $5.1 billion during the same period. To fuel this growth, there is a focused effort to source and invest in robust cloud infrastructure, develop specialised cloud services and foster a skilled workforce capable of effectively managing and leveraging cloud technologies.

Blockchain

Blockchain is significantly reshaping the way transactions are conducted. This distributed ledger system ensures enhanced security and transparency while also offering cost reduction opportunities.

Some of today’s most in-demand blockchain-related skillets, according to LinkedIn Talent Insights, include smart contracts, Web3, TypeScript, and dApps, among others. The demand for blockchain technology and its skilled professionals is projected to increase, with the worldwide market witnessing significant expansion. In 2022 alone, the market for blockchain technology reached $11.14 billion. Looking ahead, the market value is projected to soar to an estimated value of $469.49 billion.

Understanding the marketplace to source top tech talent

With the rising technological demand, financial institutions need talented professionals capable of navigating the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.

At Talent, leading financial companies bank on us to deliver top tech candidates, helping to address today’s skill shortages. Learn more about how we can help you build world-leading banking, financial and insurance teams here.

As an Australian-founded business, Talent’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is an important first step in the reconciliation journey. Talent’s mission is to bring real value to people and organisations by building highly skilled and engaged teams, rethinking technology solutions, and improving lives by creating a strong sense of belonging. To truly impact lives for the better, Talent understands this begins with embracing our responsibility to take positive steps towards reconciliation.

Talent is extremely proud to have their first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) endorsed by Reconciliation Australia. Throughout this plan, and future plans, the business is committed to establishing and maintaining a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia.

Whilst Talent acknowledges that are they in the early stages of our reconciliation journey, the business has taken some fundamental steps to initiate the journey, including becoming members of Supply Nation and creating a RAP working group. The role of the Reconciliation Working Group to date has been to formulate, oversee, and review the Reconciliation Action Plan, and on an ongoing basis they will implement and evolve the actions contained in this plan as we progress in the reconciliation journey. The Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group includes representation from across our varied business units, a range of staff levels and geographic locations.

Talent’s RAP artwork was created by Jordan Lovegrove, a talented Ngarrindjeri artist known for his captivating contemporary and abstract art.

Talent Solutions, the advisory and embedded talent acquisition line of Talent, has today announced a new partnership with Makosi, the global leader in on-demand audit talent.

The partnership will facilitate in helping clients address the current skills shortage being experienced across Australia and New Zealand in the accounting and assurance industry.

Talent’s General Manager – Solutions, Tom Mackintosh commented as follows, “We are thrilled to work with Makosi to continue to help our clients with creative workforce solutions. The collaboration will help alleviate the current challenges faced by the accounting and auditing industry.”

Founder and CEO at Makosi, Darren Isaacs, explains that accounting firms around the world today are facing many impacting side effects due to the shortage of talent in the audit and accounting industry.

“We all understand there is a real serious problem happening when it comes to resourcing in the accounting industry but getting your hands on great talent is just part of the equation. Making sure the talent is trained and equipped to be a part of your organisation is something that is commonly overlooked but very important as it relates to establishing continuity, improving quality, and keeping cost down.”

“Developing this relationship with the Talent Solutions team is exciting for Makosi as it allows us to complement each other with our services and provide a complete set of services.” Added Isaacs.

Makosi partners with accounting teams around the world to deliver high-quality variable workforce solutions, including audit, assurance, and advisory services. Makosi use leading edge technology to drive efficiency and transparency to hiring, onboarding, and project management.

Talent has today announced Meagan Jeffery will be joining the company as Global Chief Information Officer, effective immediately.

Meagan will work closely with Talent’s Global CEO, Mark Nielsen, and the wider Talent team, focusing on building Talent’s technology function, leveraging enablers such as data and AI and also provide contractors and customer with the highest level of service.

Meagan joins Talent following an extensive career spanning more than 25 years in the technology sector. She has held roles in retail and investment banking, superannuation, insurance broking, energy, utilities, and federal and state government. In recent roles she has advised and supported boards, CIOs and IT executives with strategic planning, digital transitioning, and sourcing of technology services.

Having worked in Australia, South Africa, and the UK (London), Meagan is cross-culturally sensitive and able to provide effective, hands-on leadership and motivation to teams with varied cultures, work ethics and social customs.

Commenting on the appointment, Meagan Jeffery, said “It’s an honour and exciting for me to be joining Talent and an exceptional team. I’m looking forward to the challenges and opportunities this role will bring. It will be our mission to rethink technology and strive for digital transformation to make a real impact to the organisation and our customers. I am also fortunate that with Talent I can continue CIO advisory services and maintain my board career.”

Talent Global CEO, Mark Nielsen, said he is thrilled on having Meagan join team Talent, “As we continue to take Talent to the next level, I am extremely excited to have someone of Meagan’s calibre join our global team. Our goal is to ensure we build out a world-class technology infrastructure that supports the step-change we are going through. Not only will Meagan bring her expertise to the Talent business but to our Avec service line and our customers.”

​The tech hiring market is changing. With the cost of living reaching new heights and big tech companies making significant layoffs, candidates and employers are starting to adopt a more cautious approach when navigating the hiring market. This has seen the intense salary growth of the past few years and rapid pace of hiring begin to plateau.

As a job seeker in this changing market, it may be time to run a skills update to level up and put the best version of yourself forward to employers. Here are 5 of New Zealand’s most in-demand tech skills which hold the greatest opportunities for 2023:

1. Cybersecurity

Data breaches and cyber hacks are on the up, placing cybersecurity at the top of companies’ priority lists for 2023. However, with a global cybersecurity skills shortage of 3.4 million people, accessing talent with the right skillsets isn’t easy.

In New Zealand, demand for these professionals is clear and only set to increase, with Talent Wellington recruitment expert, Josephine Kempson, highlighting that, “demand for cyber is increasing significantly within New Zealand, and will only grow and grow from here.”

What’s driving this demand?

“Recent cyber-attacks in the public sector in New Zealand, remote/hybrid working becoming the norm, and cybercrime getting more and more sophisticated on the daily. Because of this, there is a strong need for organisations to ensure they are protected against any attacks or breaches and in order to do this, they need talent which isn’t there in the quantity needed.”

This shortage of candidates is driving companies to invest in nurturing and strengthening talent pools, meaning there are growing opportunities for professionals with security skillsets. Talent NZ Country Manager, Kara Smith, explains that, “Due to the forecasted demand and shortfall in these talent pool areas across New Zealand, we are seeing organisations invest in early talent. Organisations have realised they must commit to increasing the available talent pools themselves and therefore grad programs, internships and bootcamps continue to increase.”

So, if you can build a hacker-proof firewall and execute a robust defence-in-depth strategy to protect against those cyber pirates, employers will want you on board in 2023.

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2. Cloud Computing

Forecasted global spending on cloud services is estimated to reach over $591 billion in 2023, up 20.7% since last year, meaning the need for professionals with Cloud Computing skillsets is higher than ever.

This demand is placing those with the right skillsets in the driver’s seat and seeing salaries increase despite a slowing market. According to LinkedIn Talent Insights, this is a strong growth area, with NZ tech professionals who are skilled in Microsoft Azure growing by 41% since 2022.

Whether SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS is more your speed, harness your skills in this space and you’ll be in a good spot for the year ahead.

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3. Business Analysis & Business Intelligence

As companies plan for the year ahead and continue to prioritise data-driven decision-making, Business Intelligence and Business Analysis skills are only growing in demand. According to LinkedIn Talent Insights, tech professionals with Microsoft Power BI skills have grown by 41% since last year in NZ.

Talent NZ Country Manager, Kara Smith, comments on the growth of these skillsets and increasing demand in the NZ tech hiring market, “The market is fiercely competitive for BI developers”, and although the “Business Analysis market has been quieter in the beginning of the year, we are now seeing that increase as organisations kick off programs of work again”.

This demand is ultimately driving salaries up, with Business Intelligence roles in particular, seeing 17% average global salary growth in the past 12 months. So, if you possess a strategic mindset and know your SQL from your HTML, this is a great space to set your sights in 2023.

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4. Software Development

Professionals with skills in software development are highly sought after in NZ this year, however, supply of this talent is running low. Talent Wellington Managing Director, Nik King-Turner, observes that, “Mobile developers and developers in general are still hard to find”. Which places you in a good position if you’re a Python professional and live and breathe data. Strong competition for these skillsets has also seen salaries for software roles increase by 15% since 2022. With growing opportunities in this sphere, it’s a great area to upskill in in 2023.

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5. Artificial Intelligence

The popularity of ChatGPT has emphasised just how prevalent AI technologies are set to become. Those with skills in AI and Machine Learning are only going to grow in demand as investment in this tech reaches new heights – it’s forecasted that global AI spend will reach $500 billion in 2023.

According to Talent Wellington recruitment expert, Josephine Kempson, “With the emergence of new AI technologies and influx of better data management tools in the market, organisations are now better placed to utilise this improved data to provide better solutions to their customers. These new tools and technologies still need to be driven and maintained, leading a strong increase in demand right across the data space especially here in Wellington. This includes roles from Data Visualisation, through to Data Engineers, Data Platform Leads and Data Architects.”

Alongside this, the benefits of AI adoption are clear. According to the AI Forum of New Zealand, AI is projected to increase New Zealand GDP by up to $54 billion by 2035, while 82% of all business decision-makers in ANZ, according to another study, believe that AI and Machine Learning will be integral to strengthening their tech security framework in the near future.

The robots can’t do everything though. People power is essential. There is immense opportunity in this space, and if you possess the right skills, companies will want you on their teams quick stat.

Interested in uncovering more insights on the New Zealand and global tech hiring market? Check out our More Than Money Salary Guide 2023.

For tech and digital opportunities suited to you, check out our jobs board.

The tech hiring market is changing. Layoffs in big tech companies and an uncertain economy are driving greater caution amongst candidates and employers alike, seeing the intense salary growth of the past few years and rapid pace of hiring begin to plateau.

As a job seeker, you don’t want to let your tech skills age like old software. It’s time to run an update to help you get ahead in this uncertain market. Here are 5 of Australia’s most in-demand tech skills with the greatest opportunities for 2023:

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1. Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is one of the hottest topics this year. With data breaches and cyber hacks on the up, the priority is placed squarely on securing company data. Anthony Whyte, Talent Adelaide Managing Director weighs in:

“As well publicised, there have been numerous critical data breaches over the past 12 months. As a result, cybersecurity is now the number one most talked about topic in most (if not all) company board meetings.”

According to LinkedIn Talent Insights, the number of professionals skilled in cybersecurity in Australia has increased by 30% in the past year, however, demand continues to outweigh supply. Australia needs an additional 7,000 cybersecurity workers over the next two years to make a dent in the skills shortage, which globally sits at a staggering 3.4 million people.

If you want to lead the charge when it comes to innovation and security, skilling up in this space is the way to go. According to Talent Melbourne recruitment expert, Joelle Beaton “2022 demanded that we secure our data in more innovative and sophisticated ways and the focus on data security will only increase again this year”. Bolster your security skills in 2023, and you’ll be in top demand.

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2. Data Analysis

Data skills are increasing in importance as companies continue to prioritise evidence-based decision-making and embrace the power of data.

What does this mean for hiring? Talent Brisbane Managing Director, Keith Dixon highlights that “As businesses look to maximise the revenue opportunity within their data, business intelligence and data analytics skills continue to be in high demand.”

Salaries for data roles are also evidence of the strong demand for these skillsets, with positions experiencing 17% salary growth since 2022. If you’re proficient in this space, your skills will hold you in good stead over the next 12 months.

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3. Microsoft Azure

Microsoft and cloud computing are coveted skillsets as cloud migration projects continue to sit high on companies’ priority lists. This is evident with forecasted global spending on cloud services estimated to reach over $591 billion in 2023, up 20.7% since last year.

This demand is placing those with the right skillsets in the driver’s seat, seeing salaries increase despite a slowing market.

Alan Dowdall, Talent Sydney Practice Manager shares “We are seeing strong demand and salary growth for people who are coming from the Architecture and Design side of Cloud Infrastructure, more specifically with Microsoft skillsets. Microsoft continues to gain market share in the Cloud space and Power Apps continues to grow, claiming market share in the low code space.”

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4. Python (Programming Language)

Software development skillsets continue to be in demand, with Python a key proficiency you should have in your arsenal. It’s seen 22% growth amongst tech professionals since last year according to LinkedIn, however, candidates are still in short supply.

Matthew Munson, Talent Sydney Managing Director shares that although the market is slowing and salaries are plateauing, “Skill sets in high demand and short supply such as Cyber and Software Development have bucked the trend with rates still rising.”

What does that mean for you? If you know your class attributes from your instance attributes, you could be earning the big bucks. Software development salaries have seen 15% growth in the past 12 months, even in this shifting market.

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5. Artificial Intelligence

The advent of ChatGPT has emphasised just how pervasive AI technologies are set to become. Those with skills in AI and Machine Learning are only going to grow in demand as investment in AI reaches new heights – global AI spend is forecasted to reach $500 billion in 2023.

The robots can’t do everything though. People power is essential. If you possess skills in this space, you’ll be in a good position for the year ahead and beyond.

Uncover more about what the tech hiring market holds and how you can get ahead this year, in our More Than Money Salary Guide.

For hundreds of tech and digital opportunities suited to you, visit our jobs board.