Right now, there’s a shift happening in New Zealand’s recruitment IT landscape. On one side, highly skilled IT professionals are changing their priorities in the workplace and placing a stronger focus on a work-life balance. On the other, the skills shortage continues to cause New Zealand’s market for IT talent to become even more competitive.
As a result, New Zealand employers are having to change their offerings to remain attractive to top-tier talent and close skill gaps in their operation. To this end, business leaders are moving to expand their contingent workforce and leverage the specialist expertise of contractors. With employers offering more contract opportunities than ever, here’s why 2017 is the year to be an IT contractor.
There Are More Contractors Now Than Ever Before
A recent study has shown that 69% of New Zealand professionals rank work-life balance as their top priority when seeking a new role. Over the last few years, we too have noticed the same emerging pattern in our candidates’ priorities. As workplace attitudes change, more IT talent is looking for greater flexibility in their work lives as they look for new opportunities.
Naturally, the wish for more flexibility lends itself to different kinds of working arrangements, such as contracting or freelancing. To attract candidates who are prioritising flexibility, we’re seeing employers begin to embrace these arrangements where possible and offer non-permanent roles. However, some professionals are deciding to take matters into their own hands and move into contracting themselves. As independent contractors, these professionals have unparalleled control over their careers by being able to choose who they work for, and when and where they do so.
Recent advances in technology have also played a part in contracting becoming a more viable option. Instant communication software like Skype and Slack, coupled with easy-to-use project management systems such as Trello, have changed the working environment. The isolation that accompanied contracting and freelancing put many professionals and employers off exploring these options. However, better connectivity has quashed this concern by making it considerably easier to integrate contractors into a workforce; whether they’re based in the office or away from it.
Businesses Are Adapting to Meet Changing Demands
In Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends 2016 survey, they found that 81% of Oceania business leaders rated the rise of the ‘gig economy’ as very important, and that 51% of executives plan to increase the use of contract workers in the next three to five years. So, as the talent market continues to change, it’s clear that a lot of employers look to take advantage of this to stay competitive.
Last year’s Diversity Survey found that over two-thirds of New Zealand employers are now using temporary, fixed-term or casual contract employees in their workforce. With so many businesses open to engaging contractors, it’s clear that there are plenty of opportunities to pursue this career path.
Another factor which has influenced the rise of contracting over the years is New Zealand’s unique labour market. Leveraging the specialist skills and immediate results contractors can bring can be appealing to businesses of any size. However, for small-to-medium enterprises, these engagements can encourage significant exponential growth. The high demand for experienced contractors is put into perspective when you consider that 97% of all New Zealand businesses, have fewer than 20 employees.
Mitigating Contracting Risks Has Never Been Easier
As mentioned earlier, contracting can offer excellent flexibility and control over your career, but becoming a contractor doesn’t come without significant risks. Due to the ease of letting them go, contractors can often be affected if the New Zealand economy takes a turn for the worse. However, at the same time, if you’re well networked and highly skilled, an economic downturn could also create opportunities for you when businesses become temporarily reluctant to hire permanent staff. As contractors have experience in moving into a new role and hitting the ground running, an employer may bring you in to fill the gaps left open from redundancies.
As a contractor, experiencing downtime from being in-between assignments could cause significant financial strain and stress. For that reason, it’s crucial to stay ahead of the curve by keeping a close eye on the industry. A great way to do that is to partner with a specialist Recruiter who will observe the market on your behalf. At the same time, your Recruiter will be paying close attention to the IT industry. The advice they can provide you on emerging trends and changes could be a huge competitive boost to your career as a contractor, and they’ll be able to connect you with opportunities so that your downtime between assignments is minimised.
Summary
As two-thirds of New Zealand employers are actively engaging contractors to benefit their business, and mitigating contracting risks have never been easier, the number of contractors is growing. If you want to take advantage of this changing dynamic in the IT industry, there’s no time like the present to become a contractor. If you’re convinced that contracting is the next step for your career, read our contractor’s guide to contracting or contact us today to find out how RWA Technology People can help you move your IT career forward.