Fred News – October 2025

October news at Fred

October has been busy.  This month, work flow continued to increase, and for the first time in a long time, temp requirements are on the rise.  An obvious shift in FTC is also noted with more consideration to outsource solutions v the last year’s mentality of using internal resources to cover overflow work.

What does this mean?  Many things in truth – we are closer to the busiest time for some of our business partners so staff resources always increase, but there is a deeper conversation going on.  Businesses are reporting an upturn, confidence is improving, and where confidence and funds allow, the investment in building teams out again is starting to be the norm rather than the exception.

Some interesting stats from a dive into our data this month:

• Less than 5% of applicants are suitable for the roles they are applying for (the right talent, location, soft skills and salary fit) This means the screening process is lengthy, but important, with job seekers appreciating solid communication around their applications.

• Approx 40% of our successfully placed candidates this month juggled multiple interviews and offers.  Some are ‘first to offer, I’ll take it’ others are counter-offered to stay (stability still trumps job satisfaction), and others will consider all options before decisions are made.

• What does this mean for you?  If you love a candidate and you’re hiring, put your best offer forward and show them you’re serious about them.  We predict this is going to be more and more important for successful hiring in the coming year ahead.

• Last minute top talent – there are still very good numbers of great talent in between work with outstanding technical skills in the finance and operations space.  A great time to consider short and longer term solutions for optimization and systems improvements before the market absorbs this talent as the hiring pool continues to narrow.

• Seek reports job ads in Canterbury are 17% up YOY making it the fastest growing region in NZ currently.

• The healthcare market remains fiercely competitive as we head into the end of 2025. Skilled professionals are in short supply across nearly every clinical area, and hiring times continue to lengthen as organisations compete for the same limited talent. In response, many employers are embracing flexible work options from part-time roles to short-term contracts in order to attract and retain staff. Yet, despite these efforts, burnout and retention challenges remain front of mind. Success in this market will come to those who move quickly, think creatively about where to find talent, and build a strong employer brand that stands out to healthcare professionals seeking purpose, balance, and support.

On a personal front, the team attended the Talent X Recruitment Big Day Out last Thursday, a fantastic event offering up the latest trends and analysis for the recruitment industry.  All in all, key messaging embraces AI as a fast-evolving, essential industry tool – no surprises there – those of us who learn to integrate it will thrive.  With so much innovation around AI, it’s really the challenge of deciding exactly what solutions are the best for our industry, that support a better experience.

The team are also chuffed to be finalists in two categories for the Seek industry Awards (Candidate Experience and Diversity Equity and Inclusion).  For a business that just started in 2024 we are humbled to be acknowledged as finalists and look forward to joining other agencies mid November to celebrate the innovation and development in our industry that pushes us always, to be the best we can be.

As always the team at Fred are here for any recruitment support and advice, as we look at the best way to close off 2025.