New Zealand continues to perform well in the on-going COVID-19 environment. Our vaccination programme is rolling along and although it is a slower process than many around the globe, we are in the fortunate position of still having no active cases inside our boarders.
We are getting many enquiries from people overseas wanting to come and live and work in New Zealand. At this stage government regulation as well as the physical ability to get here are making this option more difficult than it had been in the past unless you are a returning kiwi (New Zealander).
Since being in a full lockdown (over a year ago) and, during that time, getting used to working from home, one option that we are seeing more of is the use of global professional contractors. We currently have contractors living offshore and working remotely for companies and government agencies in New Zealand.
The current situation in New Zealand: We have now opened a travel bubble with the Cook Islands (COVID-19 free) and with our friends “across the ditch” in Australia. The Australian travel bubble is opening and closing as case numbers change in Australia and it is currently on pause with some States as Australia deals with another smallish outbreak. New Zealand continues to use an “Alert Level” system and due to a resent scare Wellington (New Zealand’s capital city) has just returned to normal after operating at Alert Level 2 for a week (social distancing, mask wearing, no groups over 100).
All the above now see’s New Zealand as a very attractive place to be and to work if you meet the regulatory requirements. On the other side of the coin New Zealand (like many other countries) is now operating in a very candidate short market with people tending to stay in their current roles longer and not looking to change. There is also still a mismatch with clients still believing that people are readily available. The New Zealand unemployment rate is currently around 4% and this is still mostly from the impact of the hospitality and tourism space rather than at the executive level.
So, if you are a returning kiwi or someone who has the right status to work in New Zealand, we would be very happy to hear from you.
Article written by David Hollander, CFR Global Executive Search New Zealand
Photo source: Freepik