Can you find the right IT talent?

More than one in two employers across New Zealand are experiencing difficulty finding staff with the right skills, with IT the third most difficult role to fill.

ManpowerGroup New Zealand has released results of its 8th Annual Talent Shortage Survey, finding that 51% of Kiwi employers are struggling to find the right people for the right job.

The survey of more than 650 Kiwi employers found the most difficult jobs to fill are Engineers, Sales Representatives and IT Staff – with IT moving up to the top three this year, ahead of Skilled Trades, which dropped to fourth place.

The talent shortage is also increasing in New Zealand, with the percentage of employers struggling to fill roles rising from 44% in 2011 to 48% in 2012, and now to 51% this year.

"The fact that more than 1 in 2 employers are struggling to fill roles may come as a surprise, given we have an unemployment rate of 6.2%," says Lincoln Crawley, managing director, ManpowerGroup ANZ.

"However, these results demonstrate that the jobs market is more complex than a headline unemployment rate: many employers simply can't find the specialist talent they need.

"It's what we call the 'talent mismatch', where the skills available aren't the same as the ones needed by employers.

"Year after year, ManpowerGroup’s Talent Shortage Survey reveals employers struggle to fill vacancies.

"No matter how prosperous or perilous the environment, the right talent is always difficult to find."

Jobs most in demand in 2013 in NZ:

1. Engineers2. Sales Representatives3. IT Staff4. Skilled Trades5. Management / Executive (Management/Corporate)6. Technicians7. Accounting & Finance Staff8. Customer Service Representatives & Customer Support9. Machinist/Machine Operators10. Supervisors

“After years of talking about talent shortages, the survey results show employers are now awakening to the business effects that occurs when talent is scarce," Crawley says.

“Business leaders have accepted that talent shortages are an ongoing, long-term challenge and are ready to address solutions, they just want guidance.”

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