Hays Property - July 2010
Hotspots
Following increasing activity in the retail sector earlier in the year, which led to a spike in demand for Property Managers, we have now seen an upswing in the confidence of candidates in this area. They are more willing to look at their options and move now, which is further increasing overall vacancy activity for Property Managers.
Client-side Project Managers are sought in response to the announcement of a number of upcoming public sector projects. Valuers are also needed, although there is a shortage of senior candidates in New Zealand.
The coming quarter
Last quarter, sales roles were the one key area of jobs growth, but this quarter hiring intentions will pick up across New Zealand's property sector. There is more positive sentiment in the market and employers are moving from a focus on temporary recruiting to permanent recruiting.
Employer trends
Employers are starting to create a role for a solid candidate in order to secure their skills, regardless of current vacancies. They realise that if the market continues improving, a skills shortage is inevitable.
Despite this, some employers maintain a lengthy recruitment process, which will see them start to miss out on the top candidates as competition increases.
The public sector is using temporary assignments when a permanent candidate is not available, while employers are also more flexible regarding a candidate's geographical location. This is most notable for Valuers, and we are attracting returning Kiwi's and Kiwi's currently working overseas.
Salary levels remain stable.
Candidate trends
Candidate levels are increasing. Candidates today are, in general, far more confident about the opportunities in the market and their ability to secure a stable new role. As a result, they are usually already currently employed and are looking for their next career step up. Given the minimal movement of these candidates over the last 12 to 18 months, this is a positive sign of increased confidence in the market.
