Hays Construction & Property - January 2009

Hotspots

Business development and bid management are the key skills to watch out for as companies compete harder to win new business. Water industry engineers experienced in both construction and maintenance will also find their skills in demand, as will project managers and electrical and mechanical designers within rail.

Quantity surveyors with consultancy experience are required due to a lack of candidates to meet current project commitments. Civil construction project engineers are also in demand. The need is greatest in the civils/infrastructure sector due to government funding. Consulting engineers of all types are therefore in demand, particularly civil engineers with water and roads experience, traffic engineers, transport engineers, intermediate mechanical design engineers, senior electrical design engineers, and environmental engineers with contaminated land experience.

The coming quarter

Hiring intentions are positive for the first half of 2009 as works in progress continue on and government spending lifts. Temporary recruitment has grown in popularity, however permanent positions are still available for the right candidate. The hiring process has lengthened, with employers enjoying the luxury of increased candidate choice and becoming less willing to take on risk in hiring decisions.

Permanent recruitment is on the rise following the approval of several major projects, and civil construction and consulting engineers are still hiring. Operational construction candidates should see their skills in greater demand by the end of 2009. The focus continues to be on civil, infrastructure, and government-funded projects in the Auckland region while the Central North Island region has a greater mix of projects at this stage.

Executive recruitment

At the executive level, engineering skills for the rail industry are in short supply, particularly senior/strategic and planning roles, but also delivery. Senior commercial staff with water experience are also required as projects progress through to the construction and delivery stages. Executive recruitment in general should not experience any dramatic upward or downward movement, although recruitment at the highest levels may slow as upper management provide a stop-gap in the short term.

Executive recruitment has slowed and companies are hiring on an as needed basis and senior positions have been consolidated to reduce costs. Available candidate numbers have also increased for senior executive, development, and property and site management roles.

Salaries

Salaries are expected to level out in New Zealand, and although some roles may experience a slight drop due to candidate oversupply, all technical roles remain in demand. Overall, some salary bargaining will occur, and candidates may need to revaluate their salary expectations in light of current market conditions.

Candidate trends

Candidate availability has increased across all roles, including candidates from overseas. Supply is greatest at the entry to mid-level, and competition for roles here has increased as a result, with job security becoming the number one concern for candidates.