Recruitment outlook bleak

A looming talent shortage will affect those recruiting financial advisers, mortgage brokers and insurance advisers, according to an international recruitment firm.

Friday, September 28th 2012, 7:06AM 7 Comments

by Susan Edmunds

Michael Page International has released its Salary and Employment Forecast, which canvassed the opinions of 2500 hiring managers in New Zealand.

The recruitment firm’s survey found hiring talented people in white-collar positions was a significant challenge for many businesses. Half the employers surveyed expected to lose staff to turnover in the next year.

Almost half of the employers expected a skills shortage.

Pete Macauley, Regional Director for Michael Page International in New Zealand, said the broking world was as talent-short as any relationship management roles, with the best talent retained with good base salaries and performance-based bonuses.

Macauley said good brokers would have an established book of clients and little reason to move to those seeking new staff.

“It is difficult attracting a strong salesperson into a brokerage position where they may be required to start from scratch, and on many occasions on a commission-only basis. The best talent in the market are in a stronger position to demand stability and security from a remuneration perspective.”

He said it would also be hard for employers to hire brokers who had clauses in their contracts limiting their ability to work for competitors for a set period of time.

“While there has been a sense of optimism and increased confidence surrounding the New Zealand business market earlier in the year, the current sentiment is that the services sector has started to move into a flat feel rather than a growth feel, and manufacturing activity has contracted. However, whether we are in a strong or weak business environment, New Zealand is a talent-short market. We continually see a demand for talented professionals across all sectors, making talent attraction hugely important for employers,” Macauley said.

Many skilled people would be drawn to Christchurch for work related to the earthquake rebuild, especially in the construction and property fields, where he said there would not be enough local people to fill roles.

“Many employers are implementing strong internal retention strategies to hold on to their best people and this creates a challenge for other organisations looking to source talented staff.”

Forty-eight per cent of employers surveyed said they were likely to offer bonuses as a fixed percentage of base salary and more than half were likely to offer salary increases of 2%-3% for professionals with skills in highest demand.

Employers also planned to offer a range of incentives to appeal to potential employees, including a mobile phone (89%), company car (69%) or healthcare and insurance benefits (63%).

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Comments from our readers

On 28 September 2012 at 10:06 am Independent Observer said:
Now is exactly the time for successful businesses to lure talent away from struggling competitors
On 28 September 2012 at 3:32 pm Garth said:
Product providers and dealer groups have been running new adviser workshops for years. I have never had a problem hiring fellow advisers, they are plentiful but are uncomfortable working on a commission only basis.
On 28 September 2012 at 4:14 pm Kerr said:
I am new to the industry, having joined 9 months ago. Newpark put me through the Partners Life training and I found it excellent. I was in a class of about 40 but haven't kept in touch with any of the others. Would be interesting to know if they stayed in the industry.

I love this industry and plan to stay for the next 20 years. There is plenty of opportunity, but only for those willing to ask.
On 1 October 2012 at 1:18 pm Mac said:
It would be interesting to see statistics from our own industry. Maybe a survey from the IFA to dealer groups and product providers?
On 2 October 2012 at 1:23 pm Gordon C said:
@ Mac, what a wonderful suggestion. I would be very interested to know these figures.

I am also in the process of recruitment. Does anyone know what the average salary for an insurance adviser with 3-5exp is? I would rather not have them on a commission basis.
On 4 October 2012 at 11:39 am Lindsay Fisher said:
@ Gordon C - from Exec Recruitment, Sales Reps with 3-5 years exp would be looking for $55k - $65k + incentive + car and tools of trade (phone/laptop etc).
With a lot of insurance advise being dispensed outside of business hours (former Broker myself)it may take a little more to attract good talent.
For reference a good BDM (general market) would be looking for $80k - $110k + the rest.
On 5 October 2012 at 10:53 am mahesh muthu said:
Good day Garth, Gordon C and Lindsay Fisher.

I want to enter the insurance industry but no one wants to employ me. I have applied to many of them, even willing to work without salary for a few months but not even an interview. Everyone asks if I have experience in insurance.

I have the pre-requisities;
1) I have been a retail and real estate sales consultant for eight years. Have also worked as a financial journalist and stock broker.
2) Thinking it will be easy to enter the insurance industry if I have the qualification, I studied for Certificate IV financial services - general insurance, offered by the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance. Got distinctions in four papers, namely claims, underwriting, NZ legislation and insurance products.
Now I have been accredited as an associate of the Institute. I have also a 3yr business diploma.
Sir/Madam, I need a job, any job(even part-time, casual, no pay) related to general insurance,so that I can gain the experience. Can any of you help me, please?

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