What’s the latest when it comes to the permanent and contract hiring markets across Australia and New Zealand? With a slowing market as a result of an economic downturn, the hiring landscape is shifting. We explore the latest trends in hiring across both groups, providing you with an exclusive look into what to expect for the year ahead.

A preference for perm

As a sense of uncertainty permeates the market, jobseekers are looking for greater stability in their roles, with many seeking out permanent or fixed term positions for greater job security. In fact, in a 2023 Talent survey, 34% of contractors cited that they were open to future permanent opportunities.

Katie Kemp, Talent Wellington recruitment expert sheds light on how this is playing out in New Zealand, “With cost-of-living pressures and post-election flow on, there’s an element of uncertainty for people and an increased focus on security in their work. The last six months or so has seen hesitation in the market coupled with work programme cancellation and an increase in the number of people available for this work. This combined with the pre-election dialogue on contractors and consultants saw some movement toward permanent roles for this sector and downward pressure on contractor rates”.

Stefanie Mortimer, Talent Auckland recruitment expert, also observes that jobseekers are seeking out greater stability in work and are opting for roles with longer tenure, “Stability and security continue to be important to candidates and longer-term contracting opportunities are much preferred.” In Australia, there’s a similar trend amongst contractors, with Talent Melbourne Managing Director, Simon Yeung predicting that, “Career contractors will look at permanent opportunities for security.” This desire for stability has seen a shift towards a preference for longer term or permanent working arrangements, particularly with rising cost of living pressures and an uncertain market.

Cuts to contractor spend

Looking at the contracting market, contractor spending cuts are occurring across a number of our regions. In NZ in particular, the government has announced plans to cut contractor spending over the next 4 years, with the goal of reducing current spend by 18%. Resultantly, the contractor market is starting to slow, seeing greater demand for permanent candidates instead. Looking at Talent’s hiring data from October 2022 to October 2023, federal and state government layoffs and hiring freezes across Australia have resulted in a 16% decline in contract hiring in this sector.

Talent Sydney Managing Director Matthew Munson comments on where spending cuts are occurring and the impact this is having on the local market, “The NSW Government continues to look to make savings through contingent workforce cuts. Some Government agencies have looked to make savings by implementing a max two-year tenure rule although this isn’t working too well as they struggle to backfill the IP with permanent employees or fixed term engagements.”

In New Zealand, it’s a similar story, with Georgia Hynes, Talent Wellington recruitment expert noting the effect of these cost-cuts and how organisations are attempting to keep their best people on board, “Demand for candidates is down and many contractors are not being extended. Government departments are also working on reducing contractor spend. Employers understand that career contractors are likely to want to go back to contracting once things pick up, so they’re more likely to come out with fixed term roles to prevent a sudden loss of IP.”

Looking ahead: what to expect from the employment market

What can we expect in the hiring market for the year ahead? Talent Melbourne Managing Director, Simon Yeung, observes that, “Employers, grappling with the need to curtail contractor expenditures and adhere to budget constraints, will encounter challenges in securing the necessary talent and expertise. As a response, some employers are transitioning contractors into permanent roles, although this may introduce retention issues as candidate rates fluctuate.”

The market however, looks to be recovering, with Talent Sydney Managing Director, Matthew Munson, noting that, “There are some positive signs the economy is finally improving, suggesting that investment and hiring will begin to recover in 2024”. What does this mean for both the permanent and contract hiring landscape? It’s anticipated that economic improvements will have a positive impact, seeing a steadying of both markets.

If you’re looking for top contract or permanent talent to join your team in 2024, we can help. Working with professionals in tech, transformation and beyond for more than 25 years, we’ve learned a thing or two about what they want. Get in touch to uncover how we can help you build world class teams.

Are you looking to hire in 2024? Here’s all you need to know to navigate the complex employment landscape across Australia and New Zealand. Our recruitment experts share their insights and predictions to equip you with the knowledge you need to get ahead.

2024 recruitment trends

1. The scales of power are tipping

Is it an employer’s market or a jobseeker’s market? Well, it depends. Across ANZ, the tech hiring market is slowing down due to an economic downturn, which is seeing a number of companies cut costs and tighten their budgets – a stark contrast to the fast-paced, candidate-driven market of 2021-22. As a result, recruitment is slowing down across certain job families – especially Project Services – resulting in more candidates in the market than jobs on offer. Talent Sydney recruitment expert, Shane Hodgins notes “Where there has been a slowdown in the market is in the project services space – many companies are putting their projects on hold as budgets for IT projects are being cut. Generalist IT project managers are most affected by this.” In this space, we’re therefore seeing the scales of power start to tip in favour of the employer.

This doesn’t mean hiring managers hold all the cards though. For in-demand skillsets, such as cybersecurity, data, and artificial intelligence, candidates remain firmly in the driver’s seat as companies increasingly recognise the importance of securing their systems, leveraging data, and adopting AI. With more choice available for these jobseekers, Talent Sydney Managing Director, Matthew Munson, notes that while “we have seen the cooling of salaries across many job families, hard to find niche talent will always test the top end of what the market has to offer.”

2. In-demand roles are demanding dollars

With the market shifting in 2024, remuneration is also experiencing movement. According to Talent NZ Country Manager, Kara Smith, “cost of living and inflation increasing will continue well into 2024 and beyond. Candidates are seeking higher salaries to compensate for this, yet organisations are driving cost-conscious decisions.” Resultantly, many job families are seeing a slowdown in salary growth. In the domain of Project Services, salaries and contract rates have dipped by as much as 15-25% due to many companies placing their projects on pause in a bid to cut costs. However, this isn’t the case across all job families and positions.

The roles commanding the highest pay? Those in Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, and Cloud Solutions. Our Talent More Than Money Salary Guide 2024, highlights that Cybersecurity salaries have increased 25-35% since 2023 and Data Analytics 12-23%. When it comes to contract work, Cybersecurity rates are up 15-30%, Data Analytics 18-25%, and Cloud Solutions 10-25%. Talent Sydney recruitment expert, Shane Hodgins, comments on this trend “cybersecurity professionals are still in high demand. Hands-on technical roles such as penetration testers and security engineers, are highly sought after, and we’re seeing more roles in the market than candidates available. Resultantly, salaries have remained high at post-COVID levels for these candidates.”

3. Sourcing beyond borders is on the rise

In 2024, many companies are looking beyond national borders for candidates to fill their vacancies, particularly in tech and transformation. In Australia, our Talent recruitment experts note that large companies have increased their offshoring by an estimated 10-40%. Talent Sydney Managing Director, Matthew Munson, comments “a conservative estimate would say about 30,000 Australian companies offshore technical skills. It has accelerated over the last 12 months and the signs are that it will continue, because local salaries are very high, there is a skills shortage, and this move to remote work is making it a lot more appealing to hire people offshore.” In New Zealand, Talent Wellington recruitment expert, Georgia Hynes, also comments on the impact of remote work in enabling the sourcing of candidates from beyond national borders, “many organisations from the US and Australia are still dipping into the NZ candidate market for remote working, particularly in the developer space”.

4. Unemployment is up

In late 2023, both Australia and New Zealand’s unemployment rates increased to 3.9%, up from 3.8% and 3.6% respectively. With an uncertain economy, company layoffs, and growing cost of living pressures, there are more candidates on the market than before, seeing a stabilisation of salaries and contract rates in comparison to the candidate-driven market of previous years. Talent Wellington recruitment expert, Katie Kemp, observes that “COVID and the shortage of talent in the market saw people look to negotiate or secure higher salaries, however there is a level of market correction coming into play now, combined with organisations looking at their expenditure and relativities more closely”. Is this a trend that’s likely to continue? Our recruitment experts predict that…

5. The market will recover

It’s not all doom and gloom in the employment space. In fact, it’s anticipated that things will start to pick up when it comes to hiring. According to LinkedIn data, while the LinkedIn Hiring Rate in Australia decreased by 7.2% from January-June 2023, as of December 2023, it increased by 1.7%. Talent Melbourne Managing Director, Simon Yeung, predicts that over 2024, hiring will be on the up. “Looking ahead, the IT job market is anticipated to experience growth, fueled by the adoption of advanced technologies like AI, cybersecurity, and blockchain by Australian tech firms. The demand for skilled professionals in cloud computing, data science, and software development is poised to rise as businesses prioritise digital transformation.” In New Zealand, Talent NZ Country Manager, Kara Smith, also observes a shift in the market “As we enter 2024 the market is feeling more optimistic than the last few months of 2023”. She cautions “just like we saw post-COVID, businesses can only halt projects, investments, initiatives for so long. In a world where cybersecurity is a top priority, investing in tech teams is a worthwhile long-term strategy.”

Need a hand navigating this hiring landscape?

We can help. At Talent, we’ve been working with top candidates in tech, transformation and beyond, since the birth of Javascript. For over 25 years, we’ve placed thousands of professionals across almost every sector to the world’s leading companies. Let us help you get ahead in the recruitment market and connect you with a world of leading tech and transformation experts to boost your teams. Get in touch today.

The tech hiring market is shifting, seeing the scales of power continuing to tip between candidates and employers. So, who holds all the power, and does it only belong to one group? With exclusive insights from our recruiters across Australia and New Zealand, we dive into current tech hiring market trends to uncover who really has the upper hand. Let’s get into it.

What does the current market look like?

While the current tech hiring market is characterised by a greater sense of caution and conservatism – a stark contrast to the frenzied, candidate-driven hiring market of 2021 and 2022 – it doesn’t mean that demand for top tech skills is out the window. While the scales have started to tip in favour of the employer, with an influx of candidates in the market due to recent layoffs, there is more to the debate than this. Our recruitment experts share both sides, uncovering the nuances of this evolving market landscape.

An employer’s world

Throughout 2023, the market has experienced almost 250,000 layoffs across over 1,100 tech companies globally, resulting in a significant influx of talent to the market and more candidates available than roles on offer. Employers have subsequently found themselves holding the power across numerous roles, seeing a slowdown in the unprecedented salary rises of 2021 and 2022.

This particularly holds true for those in project services positions – think, your Project Managers and Business Analysts – where we are seeing slowed demand as companies cut costs and press pause on their projects.

Shane Hodgins, Senior Account Manager at Talent Sydney observes, “Where there has been a slowdown in the market is in the project services space – many companies are putting their projects on hold as budgets for IT projects are being cut. Generalist IT project managers are most affected by this. Where they have been let go and previously would have been picked up within weeks, many are taking longer to secure their next role as there aren’t as many project services functions available for them to work in.”

In New Zealand, 2023 has been a year of flux – something the tech hiring market was not immune to. JP Browne, Talent Auckland Practice Lead notes, “Auckland’s serious weather events at the start of the year caused a lot of organisations to put projects on hold. Inflation then hit and there was uncertainty around the economy. Put an election in that mix and we saw a lot of employers holding on to see what was going to happen. The demand for Project Services talent therefore remains low.”

Talent Wellington Managing Director, Nik King-Turner also weighs in, “2023 saw a huge increase in supply of amazing talent onto the market with many struggling to secure work as there were fewer roles to go around. With candidate supply high and job demand only slowly increasing, organisations are in the driver’s seat to have more control over rates and salaries that are paid.”

So, while it appears to be an employer’s market, is this really the case across all tech roles?

A case for the candidate

Despite layoffs and the flood of candidates in the market, the tech skills shortage remains and is only growing. With businesses seeking to leverage the power of AI, secure their cyber defences, and harness the capability of data, the demand for tech professionals to lead these programs of work has only grown. This has seen top AI, cyber, and data experts remain in high demand, with employers competing to secure this talent for their teams. With a shortage of qualified tech professionals on the market, top candidates who possess these skillsets are finding themselves in the driver’s seat, with more choice on offer and the ability to command those higher salaries.

Shane Hodgins notes, “Cybersecurity professionals are still in high demand. Hands-on technical roles such as penetration testers and security engineers, are highly sought after, and we’re still seeing more roles in the market than candidates available. Resultantly, salaries have remained high at post-COVID levels for these candidates.”

Talent Sydney Practice Manager, Alan Dowdall also observes that, “The market is in an interesting place currently. In certain job categories, mainly Project Services & Change, we see applications increasing tenfold from 18 months ago, with applicants getting a response to less than 10% of roles applied for.” Despite this, Alan notes that certain positions aren’t seeing this increased candidate competition, and instead, are experiencing the opposite. “Accomplished mid-level Software Engineering, Cyber, and DevOps professionals are still highly sought after. In these professions, demand outstrips supply, and the expectation of passive candidates to consider a move remains strong.”

The final verdict

There is no singular way to characterise the current tech hiring market. While project roles are down and employers hold the power in this sector, cyber, data, and AI roles are on the up and candidates are in control. It’s both an employer and candidate’s market. So, what can we expect for the next 12 months?

Looking ahead

Moving into 2024 and beyond, we know that the tech shortage isn’t going away anytime soon. As tech only evolves, and with it, presents new opportunities and risks, the right tech professionals are needed at the helm to guide companies forward.

Joelle Beaton, Talent Melbourne Practice Lead comments that, “Although there is malaise surrounding the broader economic climate, in the tech sector, analysis from Deloitte shows that 1.8 million new tech skills will be needed by 2030, an increase of 1.3 million on today’s levels. At a minimum, Australia will need 445,000 more technology skilled workers by 2030 to keep pace with international economies. With demand at these levels, I feel this sector will continue to see steady employment opportunities for both permanent and contract workers throughout 2024. Much of the demand will be in security, data and AI-related disciplines.”

Are you looking to recruit top tech professionals for your cybersecurity and data teams? Or are you a tech professional ready for your next opportunity? Check out our job search or get in touch with us to discover how we can help.

Welcome to another instalment of Leading the Way. Today we’re joined by Richard Adams, CEO of CCL in New Zealand. Richard shares his leadership insights and thoughts on the NZ IT services industry. Discover his approach to talent acquisition, company culture, and staying ahead in this exclusive conversation with a tech industry innovator.

Tell us a bit about your role as CEO of CCL – what does a typical day look like for you?

We are lucky at CCL to have a really diverse range of customers so a typical day can involve a wide variety of topics. I try to balance my day so that I am looking at how we keep providing service for our customers in the short term, whilst looking out to the medium/long term to ensure we are investing in the right areas to set ourselves up for success.  To be able to achieve any of that we need to provide a strong culture for our people and opportunities to progress in their careers, so a lot of our time is focused on trying to provide that environment.

How does your background in sales and business development shape your leadership style and decision-making as CEO?

I feel very fortunate to have spent a lot of time in roles that have been focused on growth and it has definitely shaped my leadership style. Sustainable growth provides you more freedom as a Leader to invest in your people and customers. I find that many people feel uncomfortable to talk about the need to grow and be profitable, however it is essential so we need to get better as a country to feel comfortable to talk about this. Also, from a company culture perspective, being part of a company that is growing is usually a much more positive environment, so selling more is always going to underpin those outcomes.

What challenges or opportunities do you see for the IT services industry in New Zealand in the coming years, and how will you address them? 

Finding and retaining talent will continue to be the biggest challenge. That’s a macro challenge across most sectors in NZ and its no different in the Technology sector.  In terms of opportunity, NZ already punches about our weight globally and I believe that to maintain that position we must embrace new technologies to give us a sustainable competitive advantage.

What do you look for when it comes to hiring talent?

Hiring for culture first and then capability/craft is really important to me. We are working hard to keep improving the environment we provide for our people and customers so prioritising the cultural fit when you hire talent is critical. We also have a clearly stated ambition within Spark Group to improve our Diversity and Inclusion position so we take this into consideration when we get the opportunity to bring someone new into the team.

What advice would you give to an aspiring leader or someone who is starting out in your field?

If you can find a company whose values align with your personal purpose, plus you are interested in the outcomes they provide, then you have a great foundation to build from.

Talent has announced it has acquired Wellington based recruitment agency, People&Co, effective immediately. The acquisition comes off the back of a highly successful financial year for Talent with the business cracking $100 million in gross margin and boosting EBITDA by more than 10% to $27.5 million.

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.

Speaking on the acquisition, Mark Nielsen, Global CEO, Talent, touched on the strong business and cultural alignment between the two companies. “When the opportunity to acquire People&Co arose, we believed it would be great fit for Talent. In addition to significant growth potential, we recognised a strong affinity in terms of culture and vision between the two organisations, and our shared commitment to the New Zealand market.”

Sam Collins, Managing Director, People&Co, will be joining the Talent Group as part of the acquisition will be responsible for scaling Avec’s business in New Zealand. “It’s a new era for the People&Co brand and for me personally. We are excited about the opportunities Talent and Avec will deliver for our sales team and our customers, candidates and contractors. Our culture that we have built is aligned with Talent’s which was a non-negotiable, and we resonated with the growth mindset of the leaders and their teams,” Sam said.

Kara Smith, Country Manager, Talent New Zealand commented. “We are incredibly excited about the acquisition of People&Co. Talent’s commitment to further expanding and investing in Aotearoa is an exciting time for all our team members, clients, candidates and contractors, and this growth begins a new chapter for us.”

Sam and Kara will work closely with Talent Wellington’s Managing Director, Nik King-Turner, Talent’s Global CEO, Mark Nielsen, and the wider Talent team, focusing on the growth of the New Zealand company.

People&Co is a proud Māori-owned organisation, and a member of the All-of-Government (AoG) External Recruitment and Consultancy panels. Through co.star they offer OD, HR and business consulting to individuals and organisations looking to drive change or results.

​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.

Bianca Jones, Country Manager, Talent New Zealand, will be transitioning into a newly created role of Managing Director, Projects New Zealand. In her new role, Bianca will be responsible for implementing new revenue streams across NZ, as well as growing the Talent RISE and Avec brands in market.

Kara Smith, Managing Director, Talent Auckland, will be stepping into to the role of Country Manager, Talent New Zealand. In this role, she will be overseeing all day-to-day operations for both the Auckland and Wellington Talent branches.

Nik King-Turner, Senior Consultant, Talent Wellington, will be transitioning into the role of Managing Director, Talent Wellington. In this new role, he will be responsible for running the day-to-day operations for the Wellington branch.

Bianca, Kara and Nik will work closely with Talent’s Global CEO, Mark Nielsen, and the wider Talent team, focusing on the growth of the New Zealand company.

On the announce, Bianca Jones, Managing Director, Projects New Zealand, said, “It is an absolute privilege to watch Kara and Nik transition to the next phase of their careers. They are both incredibly passionate about what they do and work hard every day to make Talent Aotearoa an awe-inspiring business. I am confident under their leadership the recruitment business will continue to grow and thrive. As I pivot into a new phase of my career, I look forward to working closely with them both as we tackle some exciting and ambitious growth initiatives in 2023 and beyond.”

On the transition, Kara Smith, Country Manager, Talent New Zealand commented, “I’m thrilled to be taking my next step with Talent! I’m very passionate about creating safe and inspiring spaces where our diverse team can be challenged, achieve their dreams and of course have loads of fun along the way. In this role I have the privilege of building on our amazing foundation and helping to take our Aotearoa business to the next level – harnessing success for our colleagues, clients, contractors and community.”

Nik King-Turner, Managing Director, Wellington, said, “I am super excited to be leading the Wellington team. We have an awesome group of people with amazing skills and potential. Our business has a great platform to launch from with amazing clients and contractors. I am really looking forward to watching it grow and being part of the team’s successes and triumphs.”

Welcome to another instalment of Leading the way. Today we are joined by Jamaine Naicker, Digital Engineering Manager at Watercare Services Limited NZ, who talks us through her career journey, the biggest shifts that the technology industry has gone through, and the importance of mentorship. Let’s get into it.

Tell us a bit about how you started your career in tech and the journey that led you to your current role.

I started my career as an analyst programmer and worked my way through a lot of different roles in IT. I always had a passion for software delivery but as my career grew, I realised my real strength was leadership.  I enjoyed growing and mentoring people.  My thirst for continuous improvement and growing high performing teams was a key contributor to my career success.

What does a day in the life look like for you?

No two days are the same. I find my day filled with context switching, problem solving and mostly helping technical people focus on delivering strategic outcomes that offer customer value. The diversity of my role really energises me and allows me to bring alignment across the key pillars of delivery.

You have been in the tech and digital sector for quite a few years. What do you feel has been the biggest shift in that industry?

Having the right people with the right attitude in my team, is way more beneficial and successful.  Early on the focus was mainly hiring based on skillset. These days, having a culture of continuous improvement and challenging the norm with a growth mindset are invaluable.

Do you have any mentors? If so, why would you recommend having one?

Yes, I have had a few mentors over the years and would highly recommend it.  As you go through your career you always have people you aspire to become, who seem perfect and far out of your reach.  Having a mentor reminds you that everyone has challenges, and the people that succeed have only done so because of their resilience and tenacity to overcome their obstacles.

What is your biggest learning that you would want to tell someone starting out in your industry?

Self-doubt or imposter syndrome.  Too often the high expectations we set for ourselves, are the very thing that trips us up.  Failure is all part of growing as an individual. Set small achievable goals and never let anyone tell you that you can’t achieve something. In fact, for me it is the very trigger that motivates me. The more I am told I can’t do something, the more I want to prove them wrong.  It has made me stronger and in the process a lot more confident.

Read more Leading the way and industry insight blogs here.

1. Tell us about your career and how you got started? 

When I left law and business school, I wanted to do something entrepreneurial with law and technology.  There was no clear role or path to that at the time. I started in tech, then worked as a lawyer in a law firm, then found my way building a legal-AI startup which we successfully exited.

Today, I’m a co-founder and VP of Onit’s AI Center of Excellence. We are growing our global team and are working with some great clients to transform how they deliver legal services.  I love that we are about transforming a conservative but really important industry, and get to innovate everyday. It’s easy to connect obvious dotted lines in my career when I look back. The reality is that I was figuring it out as I went, but I made sure to refine a strong sense of what I wanted.

I started my career like many of us do: being a sponge in the environments we find ourselves in. However, my career truly started transforming when I began to do something about my frustrations (for me it was trying to automate the parts of my job I didn’t like).

2. What are the best leadership qualities you look for in other leaders? 

There are some essential qualities you have to nail as a leader. These are often talked about.

In my world, I also have a special appreciation for leaders who have an amazing ability to see things from other perspectives, and thrive on it. They seek thought diversity in their teams even if it makes them uncomfortable. They want to be challenged. They are adaptive enough to hear or speak different “languages”. They are mindful of blind spots and are inclusive. These leaders make better decisions, are effective across the business, and can lead change on interesting multi-disciplinary problems.

3. What are the daily ways you keep your team on track with the mission and vision of the organisation? 

In fast paced environments like a startup, it’s so easy to find yourself just being really busy without staying laser focused on your vision and strategy. A few things we try to do:

• Measurement & transparency: We are really honest with ourselves about what we should measure. Then it’s about being disciplined in assessing our progress against our objectives and transparent with sharing it.
• We involve everyone in the bigger picture and help them understand why their part is important. An easy example would be bringing back the client stories so everyone can see the impact and have a share in the success.
• We encourage and cherish people who ask the right questions: Does this really matter? Does this actually solve the problem? Have we defined the goal well or at all? How does this align to our strategic objectives?

4. Is there anything you do in your personal time that helps you be a leader in your career? 

I perform the best when I’m happy and having fun. I keep up with sleep, hobbies, loved ones, and my health so that I’m able to give my team the best version of me each day. Part of that is making sure that I’m not leading a life that is inauthentic and destroying my soul.

I also keep working on myself.  On top of coaching your team, don’t forget to hold yourself to as high (if not higher) of a standard.

5. Are there any great resources you would suggest for new leaders? 

Your peers. They say your most important team isn’t necessarily your immediate team. Perhaps you should connect with leaders in other functions of the business or even other industries?

As a female founder in New Zealand, I often felt lonely with certain challenges I was facing. I wished I asked my friends for introductions earlier, for example to other women who had exited a start-up, raised capital etc. They are out there, but you may need to take the first step in creating that circle of camaraderie and support.