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The 2025 Beyond Recruitment Economic & Labour Report reveals cautious optimism and resilience among New Zealand employers, despite ongoing economic uncertainty and an accelerating evolution of jobs across multiple sectors. Beyond Recruitment’s annual Economic & Labour Report provides insights into employer sentiment about the economy, hiring and the state of New Zealand's workforce. The latest report highlights a stabilisation in employer confidence since the post-pandemic recovery, with fewer organisations (58%) describing the past year as challenging, down from 71% in 2023. Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and large organisations reported the highest levels of confidence, contrasting with slightly lower optimism among very large organisations (1,001+ employees). The economic slowdown emerged as the leading concern (31%) for employers, alongside rising operational costs and regulatory changes (both at 25%). Balancing cost management and growth is a central challenge, with 37% of organisations aiming to keep headcount stable, while 28% are planning headcount expansion. SMEs show the strongest appetite for workforce growth. Usage of artificial intelligence has surged, with 83% of organisations either exploring or implementing AI tools, up significantly from previous years. Despite initial fears, employers view AI as predominantly complementary to human roles, with 43% upskilling their employees to meet the demands of an AI enhanced workplace. CE of Beyond Recruitment, Liza Viz, notes, “While organisations are prudent in their hiring strategies, their resilience is clear. Employers are strategically positioning themselves to capitalise on anticipated market improvements, particularly through workforce development and increased adoption of technology like artificial intelligence (AI).” “Now is the time for employers to invest in their people and focus on future-proofing their workforce. The competition for talent will heighten once again, making skills development and building future talent pools a key priority for Aotearoa organisations.” Hybrid work models are now standard, adopted by 77% of organisations, with flexible work hours and remote options firmly established as key employee benefits. Office spaces continue to evolve, reflecting new norms rather than temporary adjustments. Other key insights from the report include: Pay rises are levelling at around 3%, with 38% of organisations planning this range of increase. Employer satisfaction with local talent is growing, with reliance on international recruitment easing. Organisations have increased their focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion within executive teams, which is considerably influencing executive search and recruitment strategies. The Beyond Recruitment Economic & Labour Report 2025 gathered responses from over 500 employment leaders nationwide, representing various sectors including government, healthcare, manufacturing, technology, and professional services.As the pace of change accelerates, this year’s report offers a timely snapshot of how organisations are navigating complexity while preparing for future growth. With insights from across New Zealand, it provides a clear view of emerging workforce trends, strategic priorities, and the evolving role of technology in shaping the future of work.The full Beyond Recruitment Economic & Labour Report 2025/26 will be released on Monday 31st March.

Published Date: ​19th February 2025It can happen to anyone at any time in their career: after months or years in a role, you realise you’re less motivated to go to work than you used to be. Those morning sleep-ins become more tempting, or you find yourself increasingly bored or disengaged at work. You may even be saying out loud, ‘I hate my job!’ We see professionals from all kinds of backgrounds finding themselves in a rut at some point in their career. For some, the initial excitement of a new career or role may wear off after a few years. For others, their current path or position was one they ‘fell’ into, and it no longer feels appropriate or challenging enough. And many others simply don’t find their current job fulfilling. The dissatisfaction many people feel in their jobs is echoed in multiple surveys. PwC New Zealand has found just 51% of workers find their job fulfilling. Gallup’s workplace research shows a steady decline in job satisfaction in the past four years. Digging into its Australia and New Zealand data, Gallup found 64% are disengaged at work and 43% are actively looking for a new job.Whether you’re wondering how to figure out a career change or are just weighing up your options, these tips will get to the heart of the issue and add the spark back into your professional life.Check-in With YourselfIf you’ve fallen out of love with your job, think about what made you fall in love with it in the first place. Are those elements still present, just in another form? Look for ways to reconnect with the aspects of your job that initially attracted you to it. The big picture is just as important here. Take time to reflect on your present values and current goals. Did you pursue this career path, or did you ‘fall into it’? Consider which aspects of your career are no longer serving your interests and lifestyle. Do you feel you can be your authentic self? Think about where you would like to be within five years. Which is easier for you to imagine yourself doing – working for another company or in another field? What Energises you?Even the jobs we love have aspects that we don’t like or feel engaged with. Pay attention to any peaks and dips you experience in energy and motivation at work throughout the week. Perhaps you’re most engaged when you’re pitching to clients. Or, you might find you’re less keen on social interaction and would rather be buried in spreadsheets. These clues can give you insights into what aspects of your current role can benefit from tweaking or if you may need a larger course correction for your career. Start a ConversationFor many professionals, what can feel like dissatisfaction with their career is more a case of poor work-life balance. If you’re feeling the symptoms of burnout at work, have noticed an increase in stress, or feel overworked, it’s indeed time to have a frank conversation with your manager. After all, the best way to have your needs addressed is to speak up about them.If a conversation with your manager doesn’t lead to a positive change, you’ll have a better idea about your next move. Before you start your job hunt, it helps to have a reputable and professional New Zealand recruitment agency by your side.Take a BreakChanging your scenery for a short period can be enough to tackle those feelings of boredom at work and re-ignite your passion. Having a break for a few weeks, or even a few months, can help you draw your mind away from the rut of daily routine and allow time for those quiet realisations and reflections. Your break doesn’t have to be an expensive holiday or sabbatical, however. Focusing on simple everyday pleasures can give you that necessary mental breathing space. If you can access a longer period of time off, opportunities like secondments, training or volunteering projects could give you new sources of inspiration on what to do next. Seek out Others for Inspiration and SupportBy surrounding yourself with people who are passionate about their careers, you can have a bit of their enthusiasm rub off on you. It’s not uncommon to be influenced by others when it comes to how you regard your job or career. Aim to socialise with more people at work and in your broader network. You may find fresh inspiration and new role models to reignite your enthusiasm. Engaging with colleagues, mentors, and industry peers may give you insights into different career paths. By tapping into your network, you could also position yourself for potential opportunities that may arise through these connections.Push Yourself With New GoalsAs anyone who has lifted themselves out of a career rut will likely tell you, the key to overcoming boredom is to look for new ways to test yourself. Challenge yourself by setting new professional goals or taking on additional responsibilities. This sense of accomplishment and growth is a great confidence booster and can relight your passion for your career.Look out for learning opportunities wherever you can. Put your hand up at work for opportunities to test yourself. Attend workshops, conferences, or take up new courses to acquire new skills and knowledge. Learning and personal development can make your work more interesting and fulfilling, with the added advantage of growing your CV. Let us Help you Make the Next MoveAsking the big questions about your job and career can be daunting at times, but it’s always easier with the right help by your side. At Beyond Recruitment, we love matching people to their ideal roles and helping them get on the right career track for long-term fulfilment. We’ll help you uncover your strengths and opportunities to find a job you love. Get started on your next journey with a leading New Zealand recruitment agency - contact us today!

Published Date: 23rd December 2024 Change and transformation are a growing priority and concern for many organisations here in New Zealand. Both employers and leadership teams are grappling with multiple internal and external pressures, making change management a critical issue for organisations and individuals alike. This challenge was the subject of Beyond Recruitment’s recent breakfast event, featuring guest speaker Megan Jenkins (Organisational Psychologist).With over 30 senior leaders in attendance, we had an insightful discussion on the forces driving organisational change and the challenges of resistance and fatigue. Led by Megan, we explored practical strategies for implementing successful change in 2025, drawing on current best practices.What is Driving Change in Organisations?During the discussion forum, Megan highlighted several key drivers of change that are shaping the future of New Zealand organisations and prompting leaders to reassess their strategic priorities. These include the ongoing wave of digital transformation (particularly the rise of generative artificial intelligence) alongside growing concerns around cybersecurity and privacy to protect organisations’ data. Businesses are also juggling the optimisation of hybrid working models with improving customer and employee experiences. Underlying all of this is the need for greater innovation and adaptability, as organisations need to remain competitive and resilient in today’s economy as well as jobs shaping for the future work environment. How Organisations are Tackling Change ManagementCurrently, organisations respond to change in two distinct ways, Megan says. On the one hand, forward-thinking organisations are embedding organisational change management (OCM) as a core practice, with the backing of their senior leadership. They’re also hiring qualified change management professionals to build internal expertise. These organisations are incorporating OCM capabilities into their leadership scorecards and facilitating workshops on change leadership and resilience. However, during the economic downturn, some organisations have taken the opposite approach – either scaling back or entirely dissolving their OCM functions. Interestingly, Megan notes that many of these organisations find themselves reinvesting in OCM years later once they recognise it as essential for managing successful change in the long run. Change Resistance and Fatigue Is RisingChange resistance and fatigue have become significant challenges for organisations, driven by a combination of societal, organisational and individual factors, says Megan. In the past few years, anxiety stemming from post-pandemic fatigue and the economic downturn has permeated organisations. This unease is further heightened by concerns about job security and increasing workloads – everyone having to “do more with less”. Included in the mix is the rapid rise of generative AI, which is leaving some employees feeling unprepared to adapt their skill sets. At the organisational level, resistance to change often stems from employees feeling uninformed, unprepared, or even disconnected from their organisation’s rationale for implementing change, Megan says. These feelings are especially prevalent in organisations that have ‘low change management maturity’, where internal stakeholder engagement and communication are poor and there is insufficient planning or leadership around change initiatives.Organisational history plays a role, too. When employees have previously experienced organisational change that was poorly executed, misaligned, or had conflicting changes, they’re more likely to be less trusting and more sceptical. At the individual level, Megan says that the personality traits of employees can also contribute to change resistance. People who are particularly conscientious, prone to worry or anxiety, or who lack confidence can further elevate resistance to organisational change. Managing Change Successfully So, how can leaders and organisations successfully implement change without alienating employees or walking into other common pitfalls? Megan says communication is key. Managing change requires clear communication of the "why" behind the change. Provide regular updates and opportunities for employees to feel involved and prepared. Without these measures, organisations face multiple risks, including employee dissatisfaction resistance and misaligned strategies. Improving Change Capabilities & Agility Active, visible sponsorship from leadership Effective role modelling of changeEmbed robust organisation delivery systems, including transparency of dependencies and riskRegular and relevant communication with employeesInvolve affected teams early in the process, for feedback and co-design opportunitiesHelp employees build resilience and an adaptive mindsetTrack, monitor and improveWhat Change Management Maturity Looks LikeCommunication practices are essential, but behind every successful change management initiative is thoughtful leadership. Megan has provided us with further insight into the best practices of organisations that are managing change effectively. Organisations with higher levels of change maturity regard change management as a strategic competency, she says. They prioritise enabling leaders to lead through change and helping employees build their change resiliency.What does that look like in practice? Megan says that organisations doing it successfully have established a formal OCM practice internally. This involves weaving OCM into the delivery function of the organisation and establishing controls to assess change impact, risk and business readiness alongside the delivery rollout of the change.OCM is made possible with the backing of senior leaders and embedding change managers into cross-functional teams to ensure impacts are carefully considered and well-prepared. Change Managers must be able to operate strategically, with a seat at the leadership table, so they can anticipate challenges and support a smooth rollout which, ultimately, is leader-led. Defining clear success measures is critical for tracking progress so teams can adjust change activities where necessary, Megan adds. Looking AheadAs we look forward to 2025, off the back of a difficult few years (post-pandemic and commercially), businesses are feeling the pressure to perform, build a positive culture and retain talent.Exhaustion has set in for many, exacerbated by downsizing, and is fuelling reticence about change. There will likely be continued pressure on businesses, along with heightened emotions and fatigue. Meanwhile, customer and employee expectations will increase. AI will continue to reshape work. By the World Economic Forum’s 2023 estimate, almost a quarter of jobs are expected to change within the next five years. Change capability and maturity will become increasingly critical for leaders in the years ahead, says Megan. On the ground, that means focusing more on transferrable skills and upskilling in new technologies – a priority for both leaders and employees. Further, we can expect a need to change our ways of working, such as processes, mindsets and behaviours. Organisations that do this well will be more adaptive, operate more strategically, and embed quicker, more successful change, she adds. New Zealand Recruitment Support and Change ExpertisePreparing your organisation for ongoing change is a necessity. Engaging a New Zealand recruitment partner with proven HR, Change and Transformation expertise can provide you with the resources to fulfil these goals and build a thriving business. At Beyond Recruitment, we provide employers with the right resources to lead positive change and strengthen their organisation’s change capabilities. If you’re hiring for an HR, Change, or Transformation role or need advice on enhancing your change management strategy, get in touch with Kris Attewell at 021 435712 or by email at kris.attewell@beyond.co.nz or contact the Beyond Recruitment team. We’re here to help you.

Published Date: 11th December 2024​Many New Zealand organisations are grappling with an HR capability gap at Senior Advisor and HR Business Partner level. This critical challenge was a key focus at a recent HR forum hosted by Beyond Recruitment. Our amazing expert panel led the discussion: Abbey Macalister (Head of People & Operations, Ministry for Regulation), Gina McJorrow (National HR Support Manager, Te Whatu Ora Health NZ), and Nick McKissack (Chief Executive, HRNZ) – accompanied by our own Sandy Eaton (Regional Manager – HR & Professional Services, Beyond Recruitment). With 40 senior HR leaders in attendance, we were privileged to engage in an open and insightful discussion about HR practices across Aotearoa. Attendees came from public, private, and not-for-profit organisations of varying scale. Here, we share the common challenges HR leaders are facing – and explore potential pathways to address them.Challenges for HR Business Partners and Senior HR AdvisorsInexperienced HR TeamsA key trend that emerged during the discussion is the growing skills and experience gap within HR functions. Particularly in the talent shortage post-Covid, hiring managers (under pressure to resource their teams) onboarded relatively inexperienced candidates for “Senior Advisor” roles. In an effort to retain existing kaimahi, many also prematurely promoted Advisors to Senior Advisor. With more junior people in Senior roles, the level of experience and capability previously expected at Senior Advisor level isn’t always being met.New Zealand’s HR Business Partnering is not generally as mature as overseas. A reason for this may be around the limited size of our population, as well as the smaller scale of our organisations. Attendees reflected that true Business Partnering is a harder model to do well in smaller organisations of sub-1000 people.The result is a capability gap where many people no longer bring either the depth or breadth of experience that would have traditionally been expected at this level. However, strong – and trusted – HR expertise is needed more than ever. With restructures and redundancies on the rise across government organisations, experience in complex Employment Relations (ER) case management, for example, has never been more essential. Blurring DistinctionsOne factor exacerbating these challenges is that the distinction between HR Business Partner (HRBP) and HR Advisor roles is often unclear. HR Business Partner is a commonly used title, but there is a question around whether HR functions (and organisations more generally) know how to use Business Partners effectively. HRBPs should work closely (in partnership!) with senior leaders and managers to understand the strategic plan – where the organisation is going, and what can be done from a People perspective to achieve that. HR Business Partnering can be quite commercial in nature. In contrast, HR Advisors provide advice to internal stakeholders around organisational policy, and guide cases in line with policy and legislative requirements. Often these two roles are operating without the degree of separation that they need to have. We may see this merging/muddying of water happening more often as HR teams are compressed in a bid to save on cost. The group discussed how hybrid roles without clear commissioning can lead to either the strategic or the operational deliverables being lost. How did we get here?The rise of premature promotions in HR does not have a single cause. At the heart of the issue, as our panellists noted, is the desire to retain good talent. Organisations understandably want to reward top-performing HR employees with promotions to keep them on board. However, this raises an important question: is it better to let them move elsewhere for their next step rather than advancing them prematurely into roles they may not be ready for? Implementing a purposeful learning and development programme could enable managers to answer this question with more confidence.The topic of remote work generated significant debate and was identified as a major contributing factor to HR capability challenges. Attendees noted that less-experienced kaimahi miss the hands-on learning opportunities and subtle cues that are only noticeable when you’re in the office, such as a change in an employee’s body language or a candid water cooler conversation. This can lead to ER problems escalating unnoticed. Many agreed that culture and engagement deserve more attention when managing remote teams. Additionally, inflating HR job titles or salaries to attract ambitious younger candidates has created confusion around expectations. With advertised salaries for HR Advisor roles ranging from $50,000 to $150,000, many candidates are left uncertain about where they fit.The Effects of an HR Capability GapThe discussion raised several real-world examples of what can happen when organisations rely on HR Business Partners and Senior HR Advisors with inadequate breadth or depth of experience.Managers and leadership teams might receive incorrect guidance or information, which can undermine their confidence in the advice and, in turn, encourage them to seek advice outside of HR. A lack of competency in HR advice can create broader ripple effects. It often leads to inefficiencies that require senior staff to step in and limits the organisation's ability to drive meaningful change or respond effectively. (For HR practitioners, the stakes are personal, too. Poor advice or decisions can damage their confidence and sense of self-worth.)Such effects can increase an organisation’s risk exposure. For high-risk areas such as ER, where mistakes can be costly, theory-based training isn’t enough. Attendees collectively agreed that HR practitioners need significant hands-on ER experience to be confident and effective – especially at Senior level. In the public sector, where change initiatives are frequent of late, these issues are just as noticeable. In recent consultations with senior change contractors, we observed that rushed processes and cost pressures have led organisations to increasingly rely on internal teams to manage change. This shift has added significant strain to HR teams, particularly in employee relations (ER), further highlighting capability gaps.Rushed or cost-focused change processes may have delivered initial savings, but we’re hopeful that future initiatives will use the expertise of experienced change contractors – because change is ongoing, not a one-off, and it’s crucial to get it right.How can we Fix It?Complex challenges, of course, require more than one solution. For effective hiring and development of HR talent, discussion participants highlighted several overarching strategies, including:1. Clarifying HR RolesDefine your HR roles with precision – what capability does your team require (now and in the future), and how can this specific HR role complement it? Do you need advisory capability, or are you looking for a truly strategic business partner? How does this tie into your broader organisational design? Avoid re-using outdated position descriptions or advertising aspirational roles or job titles that misrepresent the actual responsibilities of the role. When working with recruitment agencies, clearly communicate your needs and ensure the job title is level with the role’s scope. (Recruiters with genuine HR expertise will know when to seek clarification about the job description and provide healthy challenge at scoping stage!) 2. Assess Candidates’ Experience Levels against your RequirementsInvest in a robust assessment process when recruiting – whether you are hiring direct, or through a recruiter. Consider how a candidate’s specific experience will translate and fulfil your organisation’s needs. For instance, HR professionals from smaller organisations often gain broader hands-on exposure across the breadth of operational HR – but might not bring deep expertise in areas like ER. Working in larger organisations can lead to deep specialist skills in one aspect of HR, albeit with less hands-on involvement across the full gambit of the function. Which will work best for your team’s needs? Can you commit to actively coaching your new employee in their development areas?Including technical exercises during interviews helps assess candidates’ practical skills and approach to mahi.3. HR Professionalisation and StandardisationNew Zealand’s small, broad-scope HR teams benefit from using a tailored framework developed for the local professional environment. Adopting industry standards, such as HRNZ’s accreditation program, can provide structured development and improve capability across the HR profession.There is a strong argument for the HR profession to come together to collectively develop a clear HR career pathway. This could include formalising secondment opportunities across the system to ensure up and coming HR practitioners have the breadth and depth of experience they need to be effective. We also discussed cross-organisational workshops for developing kaimahi to learn from each other and other leaders. Final ThoughtsTackling HR capability gaps requires clear role definitions, thoughtful hiring, and a mature professional development framework. With the right groundwork before starting the recruitment process for a critical HR role, leaders can drive efficiency across their organisation and minimise employment-related risks. Engaging with a recruitment partner with proven HR expertise can provide you with the resources you need to fulfil these goals and build thriving HR teams. At Beyond Recruitment, we connect employers with HR professionals who enable them to drive positive change in their organisations. If you would like to discuss hiring for an HR role or advice on refining your HR capabilities, please reach out to our HR specialists, Sandy Eaton or Kirsty Clarke, or contact our team.