Rotorua newcomers take advantage of temporary employment benefits

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Newcomers to the Rotorua region are reaping the benefits of accepting temporary employment positions.

Director, recruitment and human resource specialist of Talent ID, Kellie Hamlett, told the Rotorua Daily Post more locals have been willing to take on temporary roles.

Ms Hamlett's comments reflect a study released recently by recruitment experts Hays.

The Hays study polled 1624 New Zealanders and found 59 per cent were happy to take on temporary roles. Another 9 per cent of those polled already held temporary positions.

Just 32 per cent of people surveyed said they were exclusively seeking permanent employment.

Jason Walker, the managing director of Hays in New Zealand said "temporary, contract and freelance workers have certainly become the new normal in workplaces across New Zealand".

Mr Walker said job seekers who were not willing to consider that type of work halved the job opportunities available to them.

Ms Hamlett said she was noticing more candidates willing to accept temporary roles in Rotorua.

She attributed this to a steady increase of candidates who had recently moved or were considering relocating to the region.

Temporary positions were perfect for those who were new to the area as it "allows them to get a feel for the local employment market", said Ms Hamlett.

She said accepting temporary work helped newcomers to the region "gain social traction" and connect to the community.

Ms Hamlett said accepting temporary roles also had advantages for those seeking something permanent.

"Temporary roles, more often than not, continue on longer than the original assignment and in some cases lead to permanent opportunities," Ms Hamlett said.

"If you have left a great impression they are likely to try and find a role within the business or company to retain you."

Ms Hamlett also said temporary employment was a great way to network.

"If nothing else they would highly recommend you to any other prospective employers through word of mouth."

She said her agency also helped candidates who preferred to work on a "temp-only" basis.

This means a candidate would only accept short-term assignments, moving from business to business.

"This works really well for some people."

She said it provided "variety and the stimulation of learning new roles, skills and meeting new people".

Temporary work allowed candidates to pick which jobs they wanted and enabled applicants to take time off work during the year, she said.

Employers always needed temporary workers to help cover staff absences, project work and help in periods of heavy workloads.

"The great aspect about hiring temporary employees is also that it can add some flexibility to your workforce," Ms Hamlett said.

It also allowed businesses to establish staffing needs before hiring on a permanent basis.