Study: NZ technical staff in short supply

A survey released by Clarian Human Resources says employers believe that managers, professionals and technical staff are hard to come by even as we emerge from the global recession.

The study looked at New Zealand organisations; 249 employers and managers as well as 138 employees from all sizes of businesses, across many industries.

Apparently almost 34% of employers said that the skill requirements for jobs since the recession have changed. 26% say they need more skilled managers and professionals and another 16% require technical people.

 29% said that managers, professionals and technical staff are the positions hardest to fill.

Clarian Human Resources Director Clare Parkes, explained, “There is a tendency to attempt to deal with any recruitment deficit simply by raising pay rates. However, splurging on salary doesn’t necessarily deal with the underlying problem.

“Before looking at the issue of salary, it is worth also considering the true needs of the role, existing opportunities to develop internal resources, existing working methods, sources of recruitment and selection criteria.”

Parkes continued, “Organisations should challenge themselves with the hard questions: Are newly-identified roles the main driver for your present need for recruitment? Or is it simply that your key talent are leaving for greener pastures? If the latter is the issue, the focus should be on understanding where problems exist in staff retention.”

The full study can be found here.