Shortages in Engineers, Sales Representatives & Technicians

Shortages in Engineers, Sales Representatives & Technicians

New Zealand, May 19, 2011 – Manpower New Zealand’s latest Talent Shortage Survey has revealed 44 per cent of employers in New Zealand are experiencing difficulty filling critical positions.

The survey, now in its sixth year, shows the New Zealand results sit well above the global average of 34 per cent and are almost on par with the Asia-Pacific average of 45 per cent.

Across the country, Engineers, Sales Representatives and Technicians are the most difficult positions to fill.

According to Michelle Visser, General Manager of Manpower New Zealand, the 14 per cent jump in employers reporting difficulty finding staff (up from 30 per cent in 2010) suggests the talent shortage is a growing problem for New Zealand businesses.

Ms Visser said: “While not all employers are feeling the pain associated with the global talent shortage, external forces mean it is likely that they will soon feel pressure. Businesses need to adopt a long-term approach to ensuring they have the talent they need to achieve their business objectives. While skills cannot be plucked out of thin air in the short term, a robust workforce strategy will ensure a company’s business strategy is supported by having the talented people they need to execute it.”

Jobs most in demand in 2011 in New Zealand
1. Engineers
2. Sales Representatives
3. Technicians
4. Skilled Trades
5. Management/Executive (Management/Corporate)
6. Accounting & Finance staff
7. IT staff
8. Secretaries, Pas, Office Support staff
9. Customer Service Representatives & Customer Support
10. Chefs/Cooks

Jobs most in demand in 2010 in New Zealand
1. Engineers
2. Management/Executive (Management/Corporate)
3. Sales Representatives
4. Skilled Trades
5. IT staff
6. Technicians
7. Labourers
8. Sales Managers
9. Accounting & Finance staff
10. Customer Service Representatives & Customer Support

ManpowerGroup’s Fresh Perspectives Paper “Manufacturing” Talent for the Human Age, also released today, makes recommendations for how employers should tackle the conundrum of a scarcity of talent in the face of an abundance of available workers, including a holistic workforce strategy, updating work models and people practices to reflect the realities of the 21st Century and collaborating with governments, education and individuals.

“The fact that companies are citing a lack of skills or experience as a reason for talent shortages should be a wake-up call for organisations, education, government and individuals,” added Ms Visser “It is imperative that these stakeholders work together to address the supply-and-demand imbalance in the labour market in a systematic, agile and sustainable way.”

Globally, Employers having the most difficulty finding the right people to fill jobs are those in Japan (80%), India (67%), Brazil (57%), Australia (54%), Taiwan (54%), Romania (53%), USA (52%), Argentina (51%), Turkey (48%), Switzerland (46%), New Zealand (44%), Singapore (44%), Bulgaria (42%), Hong Kong (42%) and Mexico (42%).

The hardest jobs to fill in the Asia-Pacific region were Sales Representatives, followed by Technicians and Labourers. Employers in Japan have had the most difficulty filling positions both regionally and globally, with 80 percent of employers reporting they are struggling to find the right people to fill jobs. Along with Japan, employers in India are also having the greatest difficulty finding the required talent (67 percent), while those in China (24 percent) report the least difficulty in the region.

Full results of ManpowerGroup’s sixth annual Talent Shortage Survey and Fresh Perspectives Paper Manufacturing Talent for the Human Age can be downloaded at www.manpower.co.nz/research

ENDS

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