'Soft, social and emotional skills continue to grow in importance'

Technical skills aren't all that employers expect in job applicants this year

BY John Hilton 23 Jan 2020

We’re seeing vacancy activity across many sectors for skilled professionals, including finance, IT, marketing, HR, construction, office support and insurance, according to Adam Shapley, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand.

“But there are wider macro issues at play that will dictate the success of a jobseeker this year,” he added.

Indeed, DevOps Engineers, Analytics Managers and Revit Technicians make the list of the top skill shortfalls for the first half of 2020, according to Hays.

However, Hays warns jobseekers that technical skills aren’t all that employers expect in job applicants this year.

The latest Hays Jobs Report, covering the January to June 2020 half, includes the skills that are in greatest demand in 14 sectors and industries across New Zealand.

The Report, which is updated twice a year to reflect changing market conditions, also earmarks Civil Engineers, HR Business Partners, Project Coordinators and Plumbers as core areas of demand until June 2020.

The key trends are for skilled professionals who, regardless of their role or industry, possess strong interpersonal and creative skills.

Employers also want people who can make data-based decisions, adapt well to change and are continuous learners.

“In response to rapid technological change, soft, social and emotional skills also continue to grow in importance and are becoming prerequisites across all job functions.”

Skills in demand for the six months ahead include:

Accountancy & Finance: Commercial business partners, risk and compliance professionals, data analytics and interpretation experts and group consolidation and reporting skills;
Architecture: Revit Technicians, Registered Architects, ArchiCAD Technicians, Project Team Leaders and Senior Architectural Graduates;
Construction: Project Managers, Site Managers, Quantity Surveyors, Estimators, Project Engineers and Site Engineers;
Contact Centres: Customer Service Representatives, Outbound Telesales Representatives, Inbound Salespeople, Telephone Collections and Insurance Sales Consultants;
Engineering: Civil Engineers, Stormwater and Three Waters Engineers, Land Surveyors, Structural Engineers and Geotechnical Engineers;
Human Resources: HR Business Partners, Internal Recruiters, ER/IR Specialists, HR Advisors and HR Managers;
Information Technology: DevOps Engineers, Software Developers, UX and CX Designers, Senior Business Analysts and Change Managers;
Insurance: Relationship Managers and Brokers, Motor Claims professionals, Risk and Compliance experts, Property Loss Adjustors and Underwriters and Recoveries and Settlements Consultants;
Legal: Commercial Property Lawyers, Corporate and Commercial Lawyers, Employment Solicitors, Environmental Law specialists and Family Law and Relationship Property Solicitors;
Marketing & Digital: Analytics Managers, Marketing Automation Specialists, Content Managers, Brand and Communications Specialists and Digital Marketing Specialists;
Office Support: Project Coordinators, PAs and EAs, Office Managers, Administrators and Receptionists;
Policy & Strategy: Senior Policy Analysts, Policy Analysts, Compliance Analysts, Senior Policy Advisors and Policy Managers;
Procurement: Senior Procurement Specialists, Procurement Advisors, Commercial Specialists, Procurement Managers and Contracts Administrators;
Trades & Labour: Plumbers, Drain Layers, Gas Fitters, Specialised Electrical Technicians, Registered Electricians, Qualified Carpenters and Machine Operators.