Fighting Flexibility is a losing battle :
Many employers have been pulling back on flexible working and remote working options in 2024 and for many this has been accepted by employers, given an uncertain economy and people fearful to rock the boat. The reality is that as we move into 2025 this will change, with further optimism, improved market conditions and a turning tide which we expect will again favour job seekers in 2025. Flexibility remains in the top three desired elements for all job seekers we engage with and for many it is an absolute ‘Deal Breaker’.
Employers who continue to support flexibility and remote working options (in whatever capacity works for both business and employees) will most certainly stand out in the 2025 market and enjoy more options when it comes to attracting top/high performing talent.
The Top 3 components that affect decisions for job seekers (we work with):
1. Annual Base Salary and then Total Package
2. Flexible and Remote Working conditions
3. People Leader they Report to and Culture within the Organisation
Talent Scarcity is Real:
We have seen a serious exodus of talent from NZ in 2024 and never mind what the media report – we have been at the front-end of this and it is real (if you were in any doubt.) This has been impacted by a weak economy and decreased confidence in NZ, alongside increased costs of living, somewhatstagnant salaries and conversely enticing salaries and options across the ditch in Australia. We have also seen a much wider range of age groups leaving and many of our younger professionals, who had delayed travelling and working abroad, making this move in 2024.
This has resulted in entry to mid-level gaps and scarcity of talent for employers and a very competitive market at these levels. At a senior level we have experienced very little movement in 2024 and a scarcity of large opportunities at senior to exec levels, which has meant high levels of competition for these roles, overwhelming responses and choice for employers (which causes its own challenges in managing such processes and ensuring candidate experience and your employer brand is at the heart of this.)
First Impressions Matter:
Job seekers will always remember how you made them feel and associate your brand and business with the experience they had. Just let that resonate for a moment…. Additionally – they will tell people more often when they have had a poor experience than a positive one. (The stats differ significantly on this, however just think about the last time you personally had a poor experience and how many people you shared this with actively?)
No longer can large businesses lean on their brand alone as job seekers are highly discerning, have clear career goals and are more concerned than ever about their own personal values and goals aligning and work making sense in their whole life equation versus living to work.
‘Failing to understand the changing generational and social needs of job seekers and what matters to them will result in employers becoming out of touch and losing top talent to other organisations who are highly engaged and focused on these factors’.
First impressions start from the minute you go to market and with the first interface, or lack of interface, they have in any given process and this continues through the onboarding process, which is where things will be made or broken for most individuals.
Interestingly – we get more feedback about the awful experiences that job seekers have experienced through their job search than anything else and in our own business receive exceptional feedback for the little things – such as responding to people within 48 hours and communicating honestly and respectfully with people. (which you would hope would be a given and is clearly not the norm.)
Final Thoughts and Projections for Employers in 2025:
– Going through a process for a new role is a ‘Big Deal” for most individuals and communicating openly and in a timely manner, with respectful engagement is key
– Flexible and remote working is not leaving job seekers agenda in 2025 and as the market continues to improve people will chose employers who understand and offer these options
– Choosing partners who are connected in their specialist markets and will represent you, your organisation and engage with top talent in the right way will reap high rewards and be great bang for buck!
– Top talent will be harder to attract, engage with and secure in 2025 and we anticipate more movement from early to mid 2025, with increased competition for the best people and a turn towards a job seeker led market again by the later end of 2025.
