Fred Recruitment Market Update

Fred Recruitment Market Update

We’ve been stoked with how well Fred Recruitment has been received in the market, after launching earlier this year. We’ve had a fantastic start, and we have loved the reconnection with valued long term relationships and the beginnings of new and fruitful partnerships ahead – these conversations hit a little differently for us now, and with such a positive start it is actually more than a little humbling to reflect on our loyal relationships.

The second half of 2024 brings a lot of growth and excitement for Fred, with the addition of four outstanding and experienced Consultants joining the team (to be announced in July), as well as having Principal Consultant, Stacey Committie join us off the back of maternity leave in June. Stacey has an exceptional work ethic and we all love her energy on the team!

Having stepped out of a fairly robust and thriving 2023, it is a very different economic climate to re-enter back into the second quarter of 2024.

The obvious challenges in a market like this are the sheer numbers of applicants, and screening for those who are a serious consideration vs those who are fishing for an opportunity or plugging a gap in their CV in a tight job seeker market. Despite the high numbers of applicants, there is still the challenge of finding the very best people available, who are often in the passive market not necessarily looking.

While there is no denying the market is in a downturn, there are still thriving sectors in these fluctuations. Notably, technology based industries will always forge new pathways, healthcare remains pressured and in demand, and with budgets and spending windows set in other government departments, there is a flurry of construction infrastructure on the horizon, which offer some promising green shoots in the short term future.

Unemployment sat at 4.3% in March 2024 and is predicted to peak at 5.3% by the end of the year. New Zealand’s immigration policies are increasingly geared towards filling skills shortages with the government offering various visa options to attract skilled migrants.

At Fred, we’ve gained success through our sophisticated search campaigns, headhunting and networks. From the start we made a decision to invest heavily in our technology and CRM and we are seeing the benefits of that already. With a nationwide reach and a team that is soon to double in size, please get in touch if you’ve got recruitment you need help with. Despite negative commentary in the media, we are feeling freshness, vigour and positivity in the circles we are moving in.

Lastly, we’d like to take the opportunity to thank you if you’ve already engaged with us – your business is hugely appreciated and we understand that even though we may have worked with you for a few years personally, taking the leap with us under our own agency brand still involves immense trust, so for that, thank you very much from the founders at Fred.

Wishing you a prosperous start to winter.

The team at Fred 🙂