Auckland Market Overview

It’s a new year and with that, brings a lot of opportunities.

2024 was an up and down market for us Kiwis. The economy was tough and that had a knock-on effect for the hiring market. There were some great wins though towards the back end of the year with the Reserve Bank lowering the Official Cash Rate. AI took centre stage, and cybersecurity was still a hot topic for businesses.  There’s no doubt, leaders will still be focusing in on these areas as we begin 2025. Let’s get into what we’re experiencing currently.

We are nearing the next Reserve Bank meeting (happening on the 19th of February) where they’ll discuss potentially lowering the Official Cash Rate (OCR) again. Rumours are swirling with the major banks’ economists picking 0.50%. With this in mind, many mortgage holders are hoping this will ease worries, however it has been reported much of the drop expected throughout the year has already been priced into rates. Time will tell though, as if one bank drops their rates further, we’d hope that others will follow suit to stay competitive. With the Trump administration in power, that could potentially influence the rest of the world’s economies and inflation rates. Time will tell.

According to Stats NZ, New Zealand’s annual net migration gain continues to fall but the number of departing Kiwis looks to have peaked. The net gain for the year to November 2024 was 30,600. That number was made up of a net gain of 78,500 non-New Zealand citizens and a net loss of 48,000 New Zealand citizens. Meanwhile, the 127,800 migrant departures in the November 2024 year were, provisionally, the highest on record for an annual period, Stats NZ said.

According to SEEK, job ads fell by 23% for December 2024. This is tough to hear as it was only a few months ago that we’d seen a lift. These results may be indicative of businesses slowing down given it is after all the December period and potentially were waiting for the new year to begin before making critical hires.

It’s not all industries that have seen a halt though. SEEK Country Manager, Rob Clark, said, “Some industries ended the year with more opportunities, including banking & financial services and insurance & superannuation, thanks to growth spurts at the end of the year.”

Now when you consider all of this and that markets move in cycles, one can’t help but think if spending / investment / project decisions are building up when they push go, will they all push go together?

Candidate needs

• Security; whether that’s for perm or continuity of their extension. Security is by far the highest priority.
• In line with that, increased, frequent and consistent communication from their workplace to assure them of the organisation’s plan.
• If they have flexibility in their role, for that to continue. This is a perk people really do not want to give up if they have it established. However, we are seeing candidates begrudging soften on this in line with job security.
• Making themselves “sticky” in a highly changeable employment market.
• Drive to increase their personal brands, networking given the changeable nature of workforces.
• Increased AI literacy – there is a growing sense that if you don’t increase your AI knowledge you’ll be outpaced by those who do.

Business needs

• Contractors who hit the ground running, add significant value and don’t take up a lot of management bandwidth. Highly likely in permanent candidates too.
• Increased physical visibility in the office across both contractors and permanent employees.
• Continued initiatives to reduce the cost of their workforce and driving efficiencies.
• Streamline processes and automate where possible. Drive increase in productivity.
• Leadership who can lead change and can do so in volatile times.
• AI and data governance strategies.

The year ahead

The year ahead will be an interesting one for us Kiwis. What some may feel as a tipping point, others may think that we’re still in the thick of it. Business leaders will be grappling with the confidence to invest, however without investment they may be losing out to their competition.

I was recently reading an article from Spark CEO, Jolie Hodson, who stated that she wants New Zealand to fully embrace advance digital technologies like AI, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT).  For the past 20 years, New Zealand has consistently spent less than the OECD average on research and development. The article also stated that by international standards, our businesses are particularly low investors in R&D which as a result we’re in a place where our ability to transform businesses with technology is underleveraged.

The question remains; when is the right time to push go on projects and invest? Pressure will remain for our leaders to do more with less from their team members. The advice I would give to them is ensure clear communication and speak with honesty – team members will see right through it if it’s not. Continue to showcase empathy and have support systems in place. Be ready to pivot and empower team members to be agile. Above all, keep learning. Stay up to date with industry trends and other relevant information that can then be fed back into teams. It’s going to be an interesting market and you’ll want to keep your top talent.

Candidates want stability, long contracts for those that are contractors and a feeling of safety within a business and on a project. Continuous learning and skill development will ensure you stand out in a crowd when applying for roles. Use your voice to showcase your knowledge on industry trends through platforms such as LinkedIn. Networking is another great way to increase your visibility and help you land that top gig.

Candidates are still seeking higher salaries in line with the increased cost of living however if they are actively looking for a new job are willing to negotiate.

No matter what, looking after your team members should be any business’s number one priority. With the global tech skills shortage sticking around, NZ losing Kiwis to other markets, demand for hard-to-find, highly skilled talent isn’t going anywhere. The biggest difference between NZ and Australia is the very drastic difference between the decreasing amount of job opportunities and the significantly increasing amount of job applicants.

In my last update, I shared the statement “survive till 2025” which had been said quite a lot. Well, we’re here now. It’s not going to be a quick fix. We must set our teams up for success so we can thrive. Where we can, invest in technology and don’t be afraid to embrace AI. For candidates, upskill and continue to tap into your network. Don’t give up hope. I’m always available to meet for a coffee and a chat, as is my team.

To finish with something cheesy, because why not, let’s all thrive in 2025.

As businesses across Australia and New Zealand continue their digital transformation in 2025, certain tech skills are becoming highly sought after by employers.

Whether you’re an IT professional looking to future-proof your career or aspiring to become a tech specialist, developing expertise in these key areas can boost your employability and give you an edge in this year’s hiring market.

Let’s get into the top five tech skills in demand for 2025, their applications across the top industries hiring these specialists, and the online courses available via LinkedIn Learning, and Skillsoft Percipio which is free for Talent contractors through our ENGAGE platform.

1. Data Architecture

As companies generate and use increasing amounts of data, they need structured frameworks to ensure data is accessible, reliable, and secure. This is where data architects come in, with their role involving designing, managing, and optimising the way data is stored, processed, and kept secure within an organisation.

This year, the top industries hiring for data architecture professionals and potential applications within these organisations are Finance & Banking (managing vast transactional and compliance data), Healthcare (securing patient data management), Retail & eCommerce (optimising customer and sales data) and Government & Public Services (handling citizen data securely).

Key specialisations within this area are Data Governance & Compliance ensuring data policies align with regulations, Cloud Data Architecture which entails designing scalable cloud-based data systems, and Big Data Solutions to manage large datasets for analytics and AI.

Online courses to get you started as a data architect are ‘Learning Data Architecture’ on LinkedIn Learning and ‘Data Architecture Fundamentals’ on Skillsoft Percipio.

2. Azure SQL

Microsoft’s cloud-based database services, Azure SQL enables businesses to store, manage, and analyse structured data efficiently. Organisations migrating to cloud-based infrastructure requires specialists skilled in Azure SQL administration and development.

In 2025, the top industries hiring for Azure SQL experts and their potential applications are Corporate IT & Enterprise Solutions (managing company-wide data), Healthcare (handling electronic health records securely), Manufacturing & Logistics (optimising supply chain data), and Telecommunications (scaling large databases for millions of users).

Key Azure specialisations are Azure SQL Database Administration to configure, manage, and optimise cloud-based databases, Data Integration with Azure to connect Azure SQL with other cloud services, and Performance Tuning & Security ensuring database efficiency and security.

Online courses to gain a better understanding of this skill area are ‘Microsoft Azure SQL for Beginners’ on LinkedIn Learning, and ‘Azure SQL Administration Essentials’ on Skillsoft Percipio.

3. ITIL Implementation

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a framework for IT service management (ITSM) helping businesses deliver high-quality and efficient IT services. ITIL-certified professionals can streamline IT processes, reduce downtime, and improve service delivery.

This year, the top industries hiring for ITIL experts and what the role could entail are Banking & Financial Services (ensuring IT systems run smoothly), Telecommunications (optimising IT support services), Government & Public Sector (implementing efficient IT service management), and Enterprise IT Departments (standardising IT operations and processes).

If we were to break this specialisation down even further, these would be: ITIL Service Strategy & Design to align IT services with business goals, ITIL Change Management ensuring smooth updates and system changes, and ITIL Service Operations to optimise help desk and IT support services.

Two online courses to get you started are ‘Foundations of ITIL’ on LinkedIn Learning, and ‘ITIL 4 Foundation Certification Course’ on Skillsoft Percipio.

4. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

SIEM solutions collect, analyse, and respond to security threats in real-time by monitoring logs, detecting anomalies, and automating incident responses. With cybersecurity threats on the rise, businesses need SIEM experts to protect critical systems and data.

In 2025, these are the top industries hiring SIEM specialists and its potential applications: Cybersecurity & IT Services (detecting and preventing attacks), Healthcare (protecting patient records from breaches), Government & Defence (securing sensitive information and critical infrastructure), and Retail & eCommerce (preventing fraud and cyberthreats).

Key specialisations within this skill area are SIEM Platform Management to configure and optimise SIEM tools like Splunk, IBM QRadar, and Microsoft Sentinel, Threat Intelligence & Analysis to identify security threats before they escalate, and Incident Response & Forensics to investigate and mitigate security breaches.

Online courses to get you started are ‘Introduction to SIEM’ on LinkedIn Learning and ‘SIEM Essentials’ on Skillsoft Percipio.

5. Microsoft Azure Machine Learning

Azure Machine Learning is a cloud-based AI and machine learning platform enabling businesses to build, deploy, and manage AI models at scale. With AI-driven automation and analytics becoming a core business function, expertise in Azure ML is highly valuable and sought-after.

In 2025, the top industries hiring for Azure Machine Learning experts and potential use-cases are: Finance & Banking (fraud detection, risk assessment), Healthcare (predictive analytics for patient diagnosis), Retail & eCommerce (personalised recommendations, inventory forecasting), and Manufacturing (automated quality control, process optimisation).

Specialisations within this area are AI Model Development, building and training predictive models using Azure ML, MLOps (Machine Learning Operations) to deploy and maintain ML models efficiently, and Deep Learning & Neural Networks to develop advanced AI applications.

Online courses to gain a better understanding are ‘Azure Machine Learning Fundamentals’ on LinkedIn Learning, and ‘Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate’ on Skillsoft Percipio.

Conclusion

To remain competitive in a market that is currently in an employer’s favour, it’s important to continue developing your skills and specialties. Whether you’re interested in data, cybersecurity, cloud computing, or IT service management, mastering any of these above skills can unlock new career opportunities.

If you’re part of our contractor community at Talent, reach out to your Contractor Care point of contact and ask how you can join our all-in-one contractor hub, ENGAGE. With free Skillsoft Percipio courses on offer, now is the best time to invest in your professional development.

Learn more about contracting through Talent here, or if you’re on the search for a new job head to our jobs board. If you’re curious about what tech professionals in these fields are earning across Australia and New Zealand, head to our Salary Guide filled with all the latest data.

As we progress through 2025, many professionals across Australia and New Zealand have noticed little to no change in salaries for their job titles compared to the previous year. Despite ongoing skills shortages in some industries and the increasing cost of living, wage growth has remained sluggish. So, what does this all mean?

Economic stability leading to salary correction

The rapid wage increases seen post-pandemic, particularly in high-demand industries, are now stabilising. Employers who once felt pressured to offer inflated salaries to attract talent are now adjusting to more sustainable pay structures.

As Katie Kemp, Senior Consultant at Talent Wellington, explains, “I would suggest that salaries are self-correcting. The pandemic and the perception of people scarcity has passed as the market turns to favour employers; so, rather than flattening, we are seeing salaries come to be more realistic and in line with the expectation of the role and a candidate’s experience.”

Wage growth slowing across the board

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, public sector wages rose by only 0.8% in the December quarter of 2024, a significant slowdown from previous years. Additionally, the Australian Industry Group forecasts wage growth to decline steadily from 4.1% to 3.9% by the end of 2025-2026.

However, as Edwin Foo, Principal Account Manager at Talent Perth shares, “I don’t foresee IT salaries decreasing despite the measured slow-down in annual wage growth. More notably rather, IT roles and positions that become less in demand during the course of 2025-2026 will likely remain stagnant, whilst in-demand skill sets within areas of Cybersecurity, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for example, will continue to trend upwards due to ongoing shortages, and so depending on the IT specialisation, the wage growth experienced will be relative.”

Inflation and interest rates are pressuring businesses

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) expects inflation to return to the target range of 2-3% by 2025-2026. While this is positive for economic stability, many businesses are still dealing with higher operational costs, borrowing expenses, and cost-cutting measures, reducing their ability to offer significant pay raises.

Alan Dowdall, Practice Lead at Talent Sydney, shares, “While niche tech skills remain in high demand which calls for competitive rates, overall, salaries remain flat. Clients are consistently asking for salary and market insights to ensure they’re getting value for money, and that seems to be the attitude for most employers who need to stick to their budgets.”

Contracting market shifts & changing job preferences

Another factor impacting salary trends is the shift from contract hiring to permanent and fixed-term staffing. While contract roles were lucrative during the pandemic, fewer opportunities are currently available with many professionals accepting permanent roles with steadier and often lower salaries.

As Jacaleen Williams, Senior Consultant at Talent Wellington, explains, “There’s a mix in the market in terms of expectation and reality. Some areas saw salaries inflated/over-inflated around COVID times, and there is some flattening happening now. The decrease in contracting opportunities has seen people need to switch back to permanent or fixed-term positions.”

So, what can professionals do?

Edwin states that “the lesson here, is for IT candidates to remain on the front foot when it comes to upskilling themselves, and pivoting pathways if need be, in order to ensure that they are future-proofing their careers and maximising the salaries that they earn.”

If you’re facing salary stagnation, consider:

• Upskilling in in-demand areas like data analytics, cybersecurity, and cloud computing
• Negotiating perks like bonuses, additional leave, or professional development funding
• Explore new opportunities where demand for your skill set remains high

While large salary increases may not be as common as before, the key to career growth in 2025 is adaptability. Being equipped with the right skills and market knowledge will put you in the best position for future pay rises.

For more of the latest information on the hiring market, top salaries, skills in demand, and more, head to our More than Money Salary Guide 2025.

Talent has been awarded the 2025 certification by Great Place To Work. Talent was recognised by Great Place To Work for prioritising an exceptional employee experience and creating a workplace culture to match.

Talent’s Great Place To Work employee engagement rate is 94% which is considered world-class. This is in comparison to 56% of employees at a typical company in Australia.

Talent’s continued pursuit to create a world leading culture saw increased engagement, improved wellbeing, and a drive for diversity and inclusion. This resulted in a better experience for contractors, candidates, and customers. As an award winner, Talent ranks among the most elite organisations around the globe.

Talent Global CEO, Mark Nielsen, commented on what this certification means to the company. “Receiving this recognition is an incredibly proud moment for the business. Seeing Talent’s name next to other inspiring companies is very humbling. Culture is not just a word that is thrown around at Talent, we walk the talk and always continue to strive for better. This certification is recognition that we excelled at this. Great Place to Work’s purpose is to prioritise exceptional employee experience which aligns to Talent’s vision, mission and values.”

Jenny Le, Head of People & Culture, Talent, is passionate about the sensational work culture that Talent have fostered. “We are incredibly proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work. This is a huge testament to every single person at Talent who contributes to making it a place where our people feel heard, valued and respected to bring their whole selves to work. Our culture and the exceptional people we have in this company truly make up Talent’s DNA, which is the foundation of any great business. Our culture is built for our people, by our people – and that’s what allows us to embody our #OneTeam ethos every day. While our results are great, our commitment is even greater to ensure that we continue to listen to our people and strive for better in everything that we do.”

Great Place To Work Certification recognises employers who create an outstanding employee experience. It involves a two-step process that consists of surveying your employees and completing a short questionnaire about your workplace. The scores are determined based on the feedback received from employees and independent analysis. This certification helps job seekers identify companies that genuinely offer a great company culture. It also gives employers a recruiting advantage by providing a globally recognized and research-backed verification of their commitment towards providing a great employee experience.

Salaries across the board are steadying out as the hiring market continues to favour employers as revealed in Talent’s ‘More Than Money Salary Guide 2025’ which was released today. Tech and digital salaries continue to steady out but remain strong for key skillsets such as cybersecurity and AI. The report features key salaries, roles and skills that are in demand for the Australian market. Please find the report HERE.

The report features salaries and contract rates for key tech positions in 2025, the most in-demand tech skills for 2025, market insights from Talent’s Managing Director team and experienced recruiters, as well as hiring trends and predictions across the regions in which Talent operates across ANZ and the US. Further insights include the representation of women within the tech and IT sector.

Key findings include:

• Cyber Security and Data experts remain to be high in demand across ANZ, with salaries continuing to sneak upwards but there have been no significant increases across the board.
• Contract rates have mainly decreased, as companies move away from contract hiring and are prioritising FT and permanent.
• According to Talent data of over 1,900 workers, when asked for their preference in working models, a majority of 49% stated they preferred fully remote work, closely followed by 45% who preferred a hybrid model.
• A Talent poll of over 800 permanent workers revealed a significant 54% are open to making the switch to contracting in 2025 and two-thirds of those open to contracting (66%) are currently actively looking for a contract role. The makeup of Australia’s workforce is shifting, with 7.5% of Australians working as independent contractors.
• With L&D opportunities coming in many forms for different businesses, a Talent survey discovered that Conferences & Workshops are highly valued (37%), followed by In-House Training Programs (28%). Online Learning Subscriptions came in third at 20%, lastly followed by Tuition Reimbursement at only 15%.

Demand remains high for the following skills:

1. Artificial Intelligence
2. Cybersecurity
3. Data Analysis
4. Cloud Architecture
5. Microsoft Systems

Top salaries* for 2025 vs 2024 are as follows:

2025:

1. Enterprise Architect – $231k
2. Big Data Architect – $220k
3. Program Manager – $210k
4. Cloud Architect – $209k
5. Engineering Manager – $208k
6. SOC Manager – $205k
7. Cybersecurity Manager – $202k
8. Applications Solution Architect – $200k
9. Cybersecurity Architect – $200k
10. Technical Salesforce Architect – $200k

2024:

1. Enterprise Architect – $234k
2. Cybersecurity Architect – $222k
3. Cloud Architect – $212k
4. Programme Manager – $210k
5. SOC Manager – $205k
6. Cybersecurity Manager – $202k
7. Business Intelligence Architect – $195k
8. Infrastructure Architect – $190k
9. Solutions Architect – $189k
10. Senior Data Scientist – $186k

*Excluding C-Suite roles. Permanent salaries are exclusive of superannuation.

Matthew Munson, Talent Managing Director NSW, weighed in, “We anticipate that the market will start to pick up again. Looking at top skills right now, cybersecurity is in high demand. As Australia is a wealthy country and a fast adopter of new technologies, it’s an attractive target for cyber criminals. The government wants Australia to be “a world leader” in cybersecurity by 2030. State government agencies will have to scale up to address (and get in front of), an increase in frequency and complexity of attacks, and as such, cybersecurity will be an area to watch out for over the next few years.”

Simon Yeung, Talent Managing Director VIC, said, “The IT hiring market for 2025 will improve on 2024, which slumped mid-year and has been increasing since then. Many enterprise and mid-large organisations will pursue programs to achieve a data governance maturity uplift, as high-quality high-volume data is increasingly a competitive advantage. Cybersecurity challenges will increase as organisations face increased attacks that are partly AI-driven, while they balance increased demand for IT resources for AI and data.”

* Figures are based on data provided to Talent from our clients, with additional sources cited.

We are hosting an ENGAGE-exclusive webinar event where we’ll be sharing our hiring market updates for Australia and New Zealand. Our experts will cover their predictions for 2025, the hottest skills in demand, and how to get ahead of the competition in the current market. There will be a Q&A at the end where you’ll be able to submit your thoughts and questions.

Session information

Date: Thursday, 13th February

Time: 12:00pm AEDT // 2:00pm NZDT

Where: Online via Zoom

Your Talent experts

JP Browne

JP is a Practice Lead from Auckland who has worked in tech recruitment for 20 years. JP specialises in recruiting for C-Suite and leadership teams as well as project transformation.

Music is a big passion of JP’s and his vinyls have pride of place in his office. When not listening to music, he’s learning the piano and dreams of taking up the bagpipes again, and when the weather allows he’ll be doing a very average job of playing golf.

Scarlett Cooke

Scarlett is an Account Director in Sydney, who has worked with Talent for 7 years. Scarlett supports businesses in NSW covering a range of sectors which include technology, transformation, project services, engineering, and corporate services.

When she can, Scarlett loves to travel and is considered amongst her friend group as the go-to for tips on holiday destinations.

Joseph Petrovski

Joseph is an Account Executive in Melbourne who has worked with Talent for 7 years. Joseph specialises in delivering for the renewables, construction, utilities & energy industries.

Joe is a passionate music fan and can play quite a few instruments. His favourite one to play is the didgeridoo.

To find out more about contracting at Talent, click here.

While the economy has made strong rebounds in growth following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, it would be best to assume that change is the new norm. With New Zealand’s market experiencing a continued slowdown and businesses tightening their budgets, it’s easy for leaders to prioritise short-term solutions to solve immediate concerns over thinking about the long-term growth of their organisation instead.

Understanding the long-term perspective

As a business leader, it’s important to maintain a clear focus on long-term strategic objectives and avoid getting lost in the day-to-day operations. This focused approach not only creates opportunities for growth during challenging times but also positions businesses with strong foundations to thrive, while weaker competitors may struggle.

Experienced leader Michelene Hart, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Yorkway Private, underscores the importance of always keeping an eye on the ‘light on the hill’ – otherwise known as the strategic objectives for the longer term – and emphasises how the leadership team plays a vital role in providing strategic direction, especially during uncertain times. Hart advises that regularly reviewing the business’ long-term strategy and adapting it to external factors is essential for leaders to ensure that the company and their teams stay on course.

“Companies who have done the right things to survive challenging times will have the opportunity to thrive,” Hart says, suggesting that the board and C-suite set time aside to explore opportunities for mergers, acquisitions, or introducing new products and services that fit the current market conditions. The ultimate goal is to position the business for success when the market inevitably shifts, and a proactive approach will yield positive results that reflect well on your leadership.

Risks of short-term solutions

We get it, these short-term solutions will bring immediate results to keep you above the line – but what are the long-term drawbacks of immediate ‘solutions’ like minimising teams and scaling back on engagement efforts?

• Decreased employee engagement and motivation, leading to lower productivity and innovation
• Loss of valuable interpersonal relationships and collaborative efforts that contribute to the workplace environment, hindering the achievement of wider business goals
• Increased time, efforts, and associated costs of recruiting and onboarding new team members

Balancing short-term needs with long-term goals

So, how do we achieve the best of both – keeping an eye on the big picture while solving immediate concerns? Let’s think of key focus areas and their low budget solutions:

1. Communication: Set regular meetings with your stakeholders, relay any challenges and limitations with honesty, share both wins and losses, and collaborate between teams to find creative solutions.
2. Optimisation: Leverage AI and automation to handle decision-making processes and offload administrative tasks, e.g. automated invoice approval and payment processing can reduce delays and errors for finance teams and programmed employee onboarding can help streamline and free up time for HR teams.
3. Employee engagement: Autonomous working environments can help employees feel trusted and empowered, continuous feedback through open lines of communication such as surveys to voice concerns or opinions and recognising individual and team wins is an effective way to boost morale.
4. Creative L&D: Consider internal opportunities; start small and prioritise any skill gaps. Encourage cross-training between teams, shared learning sessions or working groups, and mentorship opportunities between senior and junior employees.

Getting ahead of the curve

Ask yourself, are there contingency plans in place for future scenarios? Bridget O’Toole, a former Chief Operating Officer, says, “As early as possible, it’s key to consider scenario testing.”  From thinking about changing customer demands to sudden reallocation of resources; O’Toole urges leaders to consider all possible “what ifs” with clear and precise strategies to help anticipate and respond to potential challenges as they arise.

To mitigate any losses and ensure the business’ resilience and continued long-term growth, O’Toole advises leaders to consider “diversity of clients, financial reporting, competitor analysis, and diversity of products on offer.” Understanding market trends and communicating the financial health of your company will help all leaders make informed decisions about resource allocation and strategic initiatives, increase stakeholder confidence, manage risk, and evaluate company performance, and adhere to financial reporting regulations. These considerations will serve as a compass for you to navigate a turbulent economy.

By thinking ahead and creatively using the resources you have at your disposal, navigating budget constraints while maintaining a long-term perspective is possible. Reach out to our team to discuss how we can help you chart a course for business success.

For a more detailed guide on what actions you can take during uncertain times, we’ve gathered insights from 26 seasoned business leaders across industries who’ve weathered the storm before, from Board and C-Suite to Heads and Managers. Find out their key strategies for leading teams and businesses through periods of uncertainty here.

Talent New Zealand is celebrating two wins following the SEEK SARA awards.

Awarded Large Recruitment Agency of the Year, Talent demonstrated to the judge’s dedication and pursuit of excellence across culture, innovation, growth, candidate engagement and contribution to the success of the recruitment industry.

Talent also took out the win for Outstanding Progress in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The award submission was centred on the success of Talent RISE (Talent’s charitable foundation which helps young rangatahi with barriers to employment find meaningful work), within the New Zealand market. The category is marked on businesses demonstrating their commitment through meaningful initiatives and strategies that benefit diverse talent pools and the business.

On top of the two award wins, Country Manager New Zealand, Kara Smith, was runner-up for the Recruitment Leader of the Year award. Finalists were judged on their inspiration and motivation for their team, how they perform to business objectives, how they make a positive impact within their agency and the overall recruitment industry.

“It is such an honour to receive these two awards and wonderful recognition for Kara. It’s no secret it’s been a very challenging market for New Zealand. In challenging periods, Talent prides itself on investing in our people and where we want our business to go moving forward. People talk a lot about culture and it’s easy for that word to become quite meaningless but for us, people genuinely care about their jobs and each other, making work fun.

The DEI award represents our commitment to empowering people to build a better world of work. With the backing of Talent, RISE has assisted 111 rangatahi into meaningful employment, with 93% transitioning into sustainable roles. I’m so proud of everything that our team has achieved.” – Mark Nielsen, Global CEO, Talent

In today’s tough economic climate, many New Zealand businesses are facing hard choices about where to invest. Despite the downturn experienced in the last 12-18 months, our clients are telling us that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) remains a critical priority but is often at risk of being sidelined by budget pressures and competing concerns.

Kara Smith, Managing Director of New Zealand, and Tom Bailey, Senior Consultant here at Talent speak with leading HR and TA experts who share their practical tips, and insights on overcoming barriers, as well as how to make a strong case for DEI investment during uncertain times.

Know your ‘why’: Approaching DEI with clear intentions

Katrina Hau, Director of People Experience at Auror, emphasises the importance of intentionality and the need for a strategic approach to DEI. While DEI ultimately isn’t about hitting targets, it’s important to have an idea or goal in mind for specific areas, for example in engineering, where women are underrepresented. She states her three key steps are to “find a baseline, identify the teams or areas you really want to be intentional about”, and then, for Auror, it was to look at their leadership. “We really wanted our C-suite of six people to be fifty-fifty, and to this day it’s fifty-fifty,” she notes, illustrating the trickle-down effect of diverse leadership into the makeup of the company which similarly reflect this gender balance.

Understanding privilege and unpacking unconscious bias

Sid Kumar, a technologist and people leader as a Head of Product, actually challenges the traditional order of DEI, suggesting that ‘Equity’ should be addressed first. “You must think of equity first, everyone is not equal, and some people simply need help levelling the playing field,” Sid states, highlighting the importance of understanding equity as a precursor to true diversity and inclusion.

He also addresses the complexities of hiring for merit and the need for ongoing conversations about unconscious biases. “I have a large team of 250 people in my department and there’s a belief that people must be hired on merit, but how do you define that? In the first 5 minutes of the interview, can you truly see that merit? For technical roles, you can ask problem-solving questions but for leadership roles, it’s an ongoing conversation.”

He also adds, having hiring managers confront their unconscious bias “makes people uncomfortable, and you can’t change that in just 2 hours of DEI training – it’s impossible!” and is advocating for a deeper commitment to change. Sid states that leaders must identify their “why” to avoid tokenism, while Cameron Robinson, Head of Enterprise Solutions at Solve, aptly reminds us that talent acquisition leaders don’t need permission to implement what should simply be good hiring practices instead of so-called “DEI hiring”.

DEI on a budget: Creative solutions

In the absence of funding during uncertain times, what are creative no or low budget strategies HR leaders can implement now?

Katrina suggests leveraging DEI surveys to understand gaps and engage employees and the tangible benefits of one of Auror’s DEI initiatives, transparency in salary bands, which fostered equity and inclusion. “It wasn’t quick, but it’s best to start now before the organisation gets bigger and it gets more complex,” she advises.

Sarah Bellett, Head of People Experience at One NZ, shares how their rebranding process became a catalyst for DEI-focused change and, like Katrina, uses surveys to get to know their people and address their needs. “We surveyed our people and found that 50% are caregivers of some kind so we worked with them to redefine our policies to be meaningful,” Sarah said. This also helped reveal the ‘cultural tax’ that employees of marginalised groups have experienced and led to the business supporting them with employee-led networks through kai (food) and time. It was an effective and strategic shift to help make their organisation a great place to work.

Sarah also points out the power of data in communicating the value of DEI to leadership. “Boards and executives like numbers, talking vaguely about DEI might have their eyes glaze over, but putting numbers in front of them are far more compelling.”

From a hiring perspective, Cameron spoke to the power of persona-based hiring strategies and being intentional about which platforms to advertise jobs. He further explains, “Being very targeted about the imagery and language used to find candidates” is key to attracting the talent you seek and comes at no extra cost.

He adds, “Think about how you’re writing your job ads; really practical things like words – ‘competitive’, ‘challenge’, ‘courageous’ are considered masculine words and may deter female candidates from applying for your jobs,” suggesting running job ads through free gender decoder tools that can flag gendered language.

Sid urges leaders to think long-term, “The change that you make is not just for you, it’s for generations ahead.” DEI can be a cornerstone of an organisation’s identity and success, through intentional actions and leadership commitment as demonstrated by our panellists. Even when budgets are tight, DEI can continue to flourish and become a strategic advantage that can help businesses thrive during economic downturns.

If you would like to learn more about implementing better hiring practices, head to our DEI Hiring Toolkit: Less Talk, More Action. To continue this conversation and discuss how Talent can help you create a diverse and inclusive workplace, contact us here.

Talent has spoken with 26 business leaders for a new guide on how they are navigating investment, staffing, and operations within a challenging New Zealand market. The guide, released amidst the ongoing economic challenges that New Zealand is facing aims to help business leaders survive the current market and emerge stronger. You can view the guide here.

Business leaders featured include Nicole Rosie, CEO of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi; Karla Davidson-Brown, Senior Procurement Leader at Ministry of Education of New Zealand; Joanna Saraf, Finance Transformation Programme Manager at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited among others.

The guide highlights a thought-provoking side of leadership and provides a comprehensive overview of what businesses can do to navigate through challenging times. Their insights and the actions they are putting into place provide readers with strategies and knowledge that they can take into their business.

Kara Smith, Country Manager, Talent New Zealand, touched on the need for the guide, “Businesses across Aotearoa continue to navigate an environment marked by longer hiring cycles, cautious spending, and the unfortunate reality of a “brain drain” as many Kiwis seek opportunities abroad. After many discussions with businesses, we felt the need to put together this guide to provide other leaders with the tools, insights and strategies needed to lead effectively during these turbulent times.” 

The leaders touched on many different topics. Highlights included:

“The rise in cyber threats during economic instability is significant. Cybersecurity is not an area where you should look to cut back when reviewing budgets. Reducing investments here can expose your organisation to severe risks and potential breaches.” – Dugald Macdonald, former CIO of Harmoney

“Even if you’re not actively hiring, keep telling your story and reinforcing your brand. It’s critical to your ability to hire great people, whether in the short, medium or long term.” – Cameron Robinson, Head of Enterprise Solutions at Solve

“As long as you have strong buy-in, trust, respect, and engagement with your stakeholders, you’ll never have an unsuccessful project – even if the project is put on hold, cancelled, or a significant change was required.” – Joanna Saraf, Finance Transformation Programme Manager at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited

For the financial year to 30 June 2024, Talent has continued its track record of profit growth. Following the exit of the UK market for management to focus on its growth regions (ANZ/US), revenue increased 4.4% to $992m (FY23 $950m)* and EBITDA increased 1.2% to $26.1m (FY23 $25.7m)*.

This growth is despite permanent income coming off 27%, in a year which saw the recruitment sector heavily impacted by a global downturn in requirements. Talent’s reduction in permanent income was offset by continued contractor growth, primarily in QLD and WA, and exceptional growth in Talent’s technology project delivery and consulting business, Avec.

For the 2024FY, Avec achieved significant success growing by 48.5% to generate $48.6m in revenue. This success is underpinned by the growth of its team which increased from 47 to 83. Avec will continue to scale organically and through niche acquisitions which complement its service offering.

In FY24, Talent continued to build out its contractor engagement solution, ENGAGE. New functionality includes the ability for 20,000+ ENGAGE members (Talent’s prior contractors) to apply for available positions in seconds and receive priority processing as proven candidates. Additionally, for the first time, ENGAGE is now available on an invitation-only basis to top tier candidates who have not yet been placed. These developments position ENGAGE as an elite talent pool of vetted specialists, offering clients access to high-quality, proven professionals.

Talent’s charitable foundation, Talent RISE, continued to support young people facing barriers to employment in FY24. During the year, Talent RISE expanded its operations to Auckland and successfully placed 61 young people from challenging backgrounds into meaningful employment and put over 500 through training and coaching. This milestone has the potential to be truly life-changing for these candidates, offering them the opportunity to overcome adversity and thrive in the workforce.

Mark Nielsen, Talent’s Global CEO, praised the Talent team on delivering these results, “These results show the grit and resilience of our team and our business. We have now fully embedded a growth mantra into the business. We have done this by embracing change as the new norm, continually raising the bar and uniting the team for growth. We have a strong culture 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 COO, Megan Woodbury, said, “I am so proud of the team for achieving such an incredible result especially after a challenging year for the industry. We continue to invest, innovate, propel efficiency with our stakeholders, and expand our service offering to drive our business operations forward.”  

*Prior year numbers excluding discontinued operations.

Ready to build a successful project team? Before embarking on your search for top talent, here’s what you should know about the hiring market. Hint: the project recruitment landscape is complex and constantly shifting. We dive into the latest trends in the project hiring market across Australia and New Zealand, sharing exclusive insights from our recruitment experts.

1. A global shortage of project talent

Research reveals that there will be an anticipated shortage of 25 million project candidates globally by 2030, and the shortfall of skilled project professionals is anticipated to have a significant impact, with the global GDP predicted to take a hit of approximately $345.5bn by the end of this decade. When looking at specific regions, however, the market varies greatly. Some are feeling the effects of this shortage while others are experiencing the opposite.

2. Market conditions vary based on region

In certain markets, particularly across New Zealand and some of Australia’s East Coast, an economic downturn, slowed project investment, and layoffs have seen more talent in the market than previous years. However, in other regions, especially across Australia’s West Coast, project activity remains strong. So, what does this mean for jobseekers and hiring managers trying to navigate this complex market? Companies and professionals need to remain agile and continue to adapt to changing market conditions.

3. A hiring slowdown for some

Several companies across New Zealand and some of Australia’s East Coast are placing projects on pause as confidence in the economy wanes. While this won’t last forever, it is affecting the current hiring landscape. According to Talent Head of Government, Steve Tompkins, “The largest employers of project managers and practitioners are putting projects on hold, cancelling some projects in flight and reconsidering what they are working on. This means a reduction of project practitioners, especially in local Government, as part of an overarching strategy of reducing contract labour spend.”

In New Zealand, Talent Auckland Senior Recruitment Consultant, Adeline Le Bris also notes that, “Most businesses are in a holding pattern, with hiring freezes common. Confidence is down, yet there is still a need and want to hire as there are vacancies in teams. However, approval is only being given to very select positions so there are only a few roles here and there. We see a high volume of candidates looking.”

4. A hiring boom for others

While some markets are seeing a slowdown in projects and hiring demand, others are booming. Talent Brisbane Managing Director, Keith Dixon, notes, “In comparison to other states, the Queensland market has held up well and proven to be quite resilient. Whilst numerous commercial technology projects have come to an end and other commercial employers choose to defer new projects, other companies have kicked off new transformation and technology programs of work, maintaining a strong demand for project management, architecture, business analysis and change management skills.”

Talent Perth Principal Account Manager, Edwin Foo, also observes “For both candidates and companies in Western Australia, the economic outlook remains highly optimistic, fuelled by substantial investments from WA-based organisations. While there might be a slight deceleration in employment growth, Western Australia is expected to outpace national growth. The resources (mining & energy) sector will continue to contribute significantly, thanks to ongoing investments in new projects and expansions. The construction industry also remains robust, with several large-scale projects in progress.”

5. A shifting contract & permanent landscape

Talent Auckland Practice Lead, JP Browne, notes that in the project space in NZ, “Contract business analysts are in most demand, although the levels are lower than normal. There simply isn’t the movement of permanent staff like we had during COVID. People are concerned about stability, so are willing to stick things out until the market picks up. This means there are fewer permanent candidates available, and the only other place to look is the contract sector.”

Demand for permanent professionals, however, is strong in other regions. In ACT’s public sector, for example, Talent Canberra Managing Director, Robert Ning, notes, “There will continue to be a push to increase Australian Public Service capability with permanent employees over contractors or consultants”. Talent Canberra Account Manager, Connie Tong, also comments “Government employers have been focusing on converting labour hire contractors to permanent roles as much as possible. This focus is mainly on supporting core functions such as project support, administration, finance, communications, and marketing. While demand for permanent professionals is strong, where there aren’t enough suitable permanent options and budget is available, employers will consider hiring contractors”.

6. A hiring market on the up

For the regions experiencing a hiring slowdown, it won’t stay that way forever. Projects are an essential component of business growth, and the right people are needed to bring these to life. Matthew Munson, Talent Sydney Managing Director notes, “We anticipate that the market will start to pick up again. The financial services sector, for example, had 12 months of consolidation, cost cutting and projects being put on hold. The initial signs are that hiring growth will return later in 2024 and 2025, with a number of large projects kicking off in Q4 this year.” Talent Adelaide Managing Director, Anthony Whyte, also observes an uplift in South Australia’s market, “While the latter half of 2023 saw the market drop due to increasing inflation, cost of living, rate increases and other world events, in 2024, the tech sector in Adelaide remains steady. We’re also seeing strong demand for Business Analysts, which is a promising sign of new projects on the horizon, plus continued interest and demand for skilled people in cloud technologies, AI and cyber.”

Uncover more insights on the project market in our Project Services Hiring Market Snapshot.

Ready to hire top tier project professionals?

We can help. At Talent, we’re experts in project management recruitment. As a Platinum partner to the Project Management Institute (and the only recruitment partner), we understand what – and who – it takes to successfully deliver a project.

Working with more than 11,000 project professionals around the world, and a global network of clients spanning across all industries, as well as placing over 1,000 PMs in new roles per year, we’re fluent in project management. Let us help you sprint to the finish line when it comes to hiring, by finding and placing top tier talent at speed. Ready to get started? Get in touch.