We Made It!

This time last year I was deep into my second week of a 3-month restraint of trade. As it was the start of summer in Auckland the scene was almost identical to today, overcast, windy, and wet. Strategically I chose to resign on the 1st of December knowing that Dec, Jan, and Feb are historically the slower months in recruitment. As summer is at the end of the year and not the middle like in Blighty the inclination to take some serious time off and return from whatever DHL/KFC-sponsored beach mid-Feb is strong. It always irks me that the time of year when you’re obliged to stuff your face coincides effortlessly with swimsuit season. As I’m a quarter away from Island Recruitments 1st Birthday this year has been full of reflective moments, with ‘this time last year’ being a constant phrase uttered. As this is the last blog of the year I’m looking back and hazarding a guess on what next year could hold for our fair industry.

I remember setting up shop in the PWC on Day 1 of IR, telling myself the Styrofoam packaging from my monitor would act as a short-term solution till I procured a suitable computer stand, still haven’t found the right one. A similar squeak to that of the Styrofoam came from my bum when I found out that the market had shifted, and roles were not as plentiful as they were at the back end of 2022. If you recall the R-word was thrown around a lot at the start of the year, not the one your dad calls you when you confess how little you know about car repair. I’m talking about RECESSION. As it turns out, it wasn’t as bad as we thought. Although the economy contracted over two quarters, meeting the definition of a technical recession, it only added slightly to insecurity surrounding business confidence. The biggest factor Q1 contended with was Cyclone Gabriel which tore through NZ mid Feb impacting more than just business in Aotearoa. The economy rightfully took a back seat while many a Kiwi household was affected by the unprecedented storm.

By the end of Q1 things were looking up from a business perspective, they were relatively booming. Projects that were put on hold had escaped their grips, businesses were hiring to deal with the demand that lay ahead and as a result, agencies were looking to bolster their teams. Outside of the arse dropping out of the perm and temp markets at different points, Q2 & Q3 were the time to make hay as the sun was beaming down on our industry. Like the squirrel in the old fable recruiters who had been around the block were gathering up fees to sustain them for winter time and winter, she was a-coming boy, in the form of a general election. It’s a once-every-three-year occurrence that no business owner looks forward to unless you operate a laser printing business to assist in campaign marketing or a spray paint store to assist in defacing said marketing material. Regardless of political alliances, it puts an annoying hold on things until we see where the collective chips fall.

It took longer than usual for the dust to settle from this year’s election and I’m dubious of the decisiveness we were sold on. Considering the Beehive is being divided like that old episode of The Munsters, I’m a touch pessimistic about the speed of decision-making. Stability breeds confidence so I’m just hoping that whoever is at the helm delivers consistency. There has been a lot of activity as we head into the end of the calendar year with Feb looking more like we’re used to. The general sentiment I'm getting from recruiters is that they are looking forward to putting this year behind them. Many have struggled to hit their straps and with a slow December and no existent Feb, throw in an election, you can’t blame them really. Comparatively, last year was a belter. We had come out of the Covid malaise ready and roaring, as a result, many agencies took the initiative and grew. December and Jan are always difficult months, and we’ve already seen a trickling of redundancies, unfortunately, I think there will be more to come. But at the end of the storm is a golden sky and while this year has been so stop-start, the start of next year is looking bright! At the risk of jinxing it, I think next year will be a beauty! Meri Kirihimete to all and all a good summer! 🎅