FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Christchurch Company underwhelmed with job applicants
Christchurch-based IT Company Doubledot Media are underwhelmed by the lack of applications they have received for their
four current job vacancies. Despite the fact New Zealand is experiencing its highest unemployment rate in 9 years,
Doubledot Media have had one vacancy open for more than a year - and the other three are heading in the same direction.
The company currently requires a Senior PHP Developer, a UX Designer, an Online Marketing specialist, and a Copywriter.
These are newly created positions within the growing company, and have been advertised numerous times in popular job
searching websites and newspapers, but with very little response.
Doubledot Media Managing Director Simon Slade finds this bewildering given the number of reported job seekers in
Christchurch. “I anticipated that we would be flooded with applicants - instead we are left drowning in work as the
roles remain vacant,” says Slade.
The Seek NZ Employment Indicator (SEI) measured by Seek NZ was released yesterday for the month of November 2009. The
figure for Christchurch came in at 8.8, a 2.6% growth from the previous month. However, when compared to the figure of
15.1 from 12 months ago, these statistics indicate that there are still currently far more job applicants than job
vacancies. Yet Doubledot Media’s job vacancies have had very few applicants – and even fewer quality applicants.
Slade believes that a contributing factor towards this phenomenon may be the type of industry that the company operates
in. “As an online media company, we employ a skill set that is relatively new to the workforce, and this is especially
the case for New Zealand,” says Slade.
“While we are very keen to hire talent, we are unfortunately forced to look offshore to fill some positions. It is a
huge shame that we have to do that when there are so many local jobseekers out there.”
Online marketing skills such as search engine marketing, user-centred design, affiliate marketing and web framework
development are skills that are not commonplace in Christchurch.
While these skills may be the trade of a younger generation (the staff at Doubledot Media are all aged 30 or under)
Slade says it is of concern that these skills are still not being taught locally. “Our Universities are not teaching
these skills because there is no one to teach it. This is troubling because it is restraining New Zealand from reaching
the same level of online development as other countries,” says Slade.
Commended in the past for his company’s exceptional working conditions and outstanding treatment of employees, Slade
rules out the possibility that there are other factors contributing to the lack of job applications. Doubledot Media’s
office boasts a foosball table, free food, and a constant supply of M’s. “We have a great team and a great environment here waiting to welcome new team members, we really hope they come
along soon!”
Doubledot Media’s job vacancies are posted on the company’s website at http://www.doubledotmedia.com, in addition to
being regularly advertised through third parties.
ends