An "overwhelming" majority of New Zealand businesses are suffering key staff shortages and many expect the situation to get worse, a survey says.
Deloitte's Talent Edge NZ poll surveyed 360 employers across a broad range of economic sectors and company sizes. Eighty-one per cent of respondents reported they had at least
moderate shortages.
Deloitte partner Richard Kleinert said as many employers anticipated an increase in their workforce numbers in the next three years, shortages were likely to worsen. "Businesses which aren't prepared in advance may be in for a rude awakening in the not-too-distant future."
Scarce employees included managers, IT professionals and accounting and finance specialists, particularly chartered accountants.
Overall employers were somewhat "bullish" about growth expectations for their businesses, 45 per cent expecting at least moderate growth. Only 13 per cent predicted contraction.
However, larger employers were less optimistic, 30 per cent predicting growth and 22 per cent expecting contraction.
Meanwhile, most employers were not expecting significant turnover rates.
"These results are rather surprising, and I'm a bit concerned that this may indicate employers have not recognised this as a potential problem in the near future," Mr Kleinert said.
It was time for employers to reflect on their "people strategy" and align it with their business aims.
"It's also important for businesses to update their talent strategies and people management practices to take account of the new economic circumstances, otherwise they could be in for a shock when the economy bounces back."
