KEY POINTS:
It seems just like children in a sweet shop, as it seems job hunters are in a position to pick and mix to their heart's content.
According to one industry expert, professional, skilled and experienced workers are in a stronger position than ever before and that is putting
increasing pressure on employers.
Jason Walker, Hays' New Zealand regional director, says the ongoing skills shortage shows no sign of abating and means employers need to work harder to keep and attract staff.
And while it was once seen as a Kiwi issue, he believes the skills shortage is becoming a global one.
"Australia's unemployment rate is now 4.2 per cent, the US economy is turning around and the economies of Europe and Britain are rebounding - that means the people we need have an even bigger choice of places to work.
"The labour market is tight here and will continue to be tight for the foreseeable future.
"Low unemployment is going to be the normal state of affairs in New Zealand for our children and our grandchildren."
He says the abnormality in the job market happened in the late 1980s and 1990s due to the economy restructuring.
What's happening now is to be expected.
Walker says that while New Zealand had low unemployment during a "rocky global economic market" now that it is improving there are going to be increasing strains and stresses on the New Zealand economy in relation to retaining talent.
"We have to get used to seeing unemployment rates around the 3.5 to 4 per cent [in New Zealand] particularly in the skilled areas," he says.
"Even people who were once deemed unemployable are getting jobs - those who are out of work either choose not to work or are institutionally unemployed."
He says a Hays survey has shown that job hotspots such as resources and mining, construction work, contact centre administration and HR are in high demand.
Walker also says there are plenty of opportunities for qualified and experienced financial controllers and finance managers - particularly within small firms or subsidiaries of international corporates.
In particular tax specialists with two or more years local tax experience are required for chartered accounting firms and the commercial sector.
Assistant accountants with local commercial experience and studying towards their professional qualifications and credit controllers and payroll clerks with more than two years local experience are all in demand, he says.
And it is not just office workers who are in short supply.
A report from the petroleum industry has identified skills shortages at either end of the oil to pump chain.
The Petroleum Exploration & Production Association of New Zealand says there is a "chronic" shortage of skilled workers in both the upstream and downstream sectors of the country's petroleum industry.
In November last year it agreed to spend $50,000 on a survey to identify key skills shortages as a precursor to implementing an industry training programme concentrating on the key skill and resource needs of the Taranaki oil industry.
Earlier this year a survey of New Zealand business owners published in the Grant Thornton International Business Report most were worried about a shortage of skilled workers.
When asked to rank constraints on their ability to expand, 60 per cent of New Zealand businesses surveyed said they felt most pressure from skills shortages.
This was the highest reading for this element among all countries. Two other southern hemisphere nations, Australia (59 per cent) and South Africa (58 per cent) were not far behind.
Grant Thornton's international survey commentary said that all three countries had not been able to benefit in the way that the European Union had in terms of substantial inflows of skilled migrants from Eastern Europe.
Walker says the skills shortage puts employers in a difficult position because increasing salaries may not be possible for many firms and says money is not the total answer.
"What a lot of organisations are trying to do is provide non-cash benefits," says Walker.
"I have met a lot of employers over recent months who are looking hard at increasing their EVP or employer value proposition.
"And that includes company managers looking at their organisations and saying - who are we and how are we viewed by our employees and the general candidates in the market place. And what can we do to make our organisation look more attractive to existing and potential staff."
Walker says non-cash benefits include better working conditions, flexible hours, looking at how they structure their working day, health plans, training and education.
Kim Smith, division director of Robert Half Finance & Accounting agrees.
"It is really important to understand why potential candidates either want to join your organisation or wouldn't even consider you as a potential employer," she says.
"It is equally important to understand what your employees in all departments, at all seniority levels and in all of your office locations understand to be your employee brand, what the 'value add' of being an employee with your company is.
"If these perceptions don't match up to your business goals then it is time to begin looking at readdressing your employer brand."
And the skills shortage cannot be fixed by relaxing immigration says Walker. "The skills gap is due to education and qualifications so you can't open the floodgates and let huge numbers of migrants into New Zealand."
"We need people who understand business communications, the culture and the economic landscape.
"That's fairly important and that's what we hear from our customers and clients."
Walker says the Government needs to step in to make New Zealand a better place to live.
"We need to make sure that New Zealand and the major cities are attractive places to be," says Walker. "And that's got a lot to do with the Government and its investment in infrastructure. Then we will attract the skills and have a greater productive economy in New Zealand."
While employees appear to have the luxury of hopping from one job to another, and perhaps the perception of holding employers to ransom, Walker says the skills shortage is not creating a complacent workforce.
"People are more aware of their options and everywhere they look they can see job opportunities," he says.
"If you are an accountant then there are probably a thousand jobs out there at different levels.
"Job applicants are becoming more confident in their ability to go to interviews and are going to five or so interviews to select the position that's right for them.
"What we have seen change in the last three to five years are companies who are promoting themselves more at the interview than the candidate is.
"Good companies are saying to themselves; why would a great candidate come to us, what do we represent.
"These firms understand that baby boomers are starting to retire and for every two who retire one new person joins the workforce and that puts pressure on organisations."
And it creates a new set of opportunities for older Kiwi workers who could have the choice of working when they want, well after the standard retirement age of 65. "These people will be able to work as contractors or in consulting," says Walker.
