Employers forced to choose 'next-best' candidates

ICT managers are having to make compromises in their hiring choices as salary expectations outstrip budgets, according to a new report.

In a survey of 935 ICT employers and 1401 ICT employees throughout New Zealand and Australia, recruitment firm Hudson found that of the kiwi employers, 54% reported that potential employees' salary expectations had exceeded their own budget limits.

43% increased their budget to secure the best candidate, but the rest had to settle for their next-best choices.

Fewer than 34% of employers had experienced the same challenge in Australia.

Roman Rogers, executive general manager for Hudson New Zealand, says employers are under pressure to improve the quality of their hires while at the same time controlling salary costs.

"They need valuable employees to take the business forward," Rogers says, "but not at any cost.

"In challenging times, businesses can't afford to compromise on investing in their people, but at the same time they face a dilemma with corporate growth rates lagging behind employees' heightened salary expectations.

66% of ICT survey respondents across New Zealand and Australia were considering changing jobs in the next six months, and more than a third believed it would be 'easy' or 'very easy' to find a similar job with comparable pay and conditions. More than half of respondents saw their salary increase in 2011, and more than a quarter received a pay rise of 10% or more.

ICT employers – have turned down a top candidate because of budget constraints? And employees – do you think it would be easy to find a similar job to the one you have now?