Fred News – March 2025

Fred News

With the year well underway now, and nearly into the second quarter, the Fred team have noticed some interesting shifts in the market.

The good news is that we are no longer in a recession according to Reuters, with growth of 0.7% last quarter. Construction remains yet to recover, however clients in this sector do report on a more stimulated market, though one that is still tough going. Record numbers of quality job seekers flood this space.  This wont last – much like other sectors we are seeing a very clear shrinking of talent pools, as the tides slowly turn on the market.  Now is the time to hire strong people into your teams.

HR and recruitment roles, sales, and finance positions appear to be on the rise – and clients can afford to be very choosy with their talent.  We still see very high numbers of applicants on warehousing, finance and administration roles.  However, while 400 CV’s may turn up, once screened, the talent pool that genuinely fits the brief is very small. Salaries remain stable with good competitive bases in the sales space.

We are still losing huge numbers of kiwis to the Australian employment market, however on a more individual note, we’ve noted some don’t agree that it’s better across the ditch and come back to NZ with a renewed sense of appreciation.

March at Fred has been a very busy one.  We cannot quite believe it ourselves but Fred turned 1 this month and we celebrated with a sunny and relaxed afternoon of tennis and Aperols.  Turns out we can’t play, but we can hit balls, sometimes.

We have learned a lot in the last 12 months.  One thing that stands out for us more than ever in a stressed market, is the need for resilience and balance.  Providing your teams with simple initiatives to support them always goes a long way.  Resilience will see us all through, but the opportunities in each day to down tools, reconnect, and take a moment, can really make all the difference to your teams health and wellbeing.

Never a dull moment at Fred, and so our exciting news is that our team is growing again, with two new consultants for Auckland and Tauranga.  More to follow in due course, however we are very much looking forward to having them join us and can’t wait to see them thriving in their new roles.

Have a great month ahead, and reach out to any of the team at Fred if you’d like to discuss any of your recruitment needs.