As we look to the second half of 2025, there’s a quiet but growing sense of momentum returning to the job market. With planning for financial year 2026 complete, many organisations are revisiting roles that were put on hold earlier in the year and reassessing what they need to move forward for future growth.
At Beyond Recruitment, we’re seeing green shoots of growth across Technology, Transformation & Digital, as well as in Professional & Corporate Services. Caution does linger within some areas, but the appetite to hire is building and being shaped by smarter, more strategic decision-making.
As Chief Executive of Beyond Recruitment, I’ve had a front-row seat to these shifts, and in this update, I’ll share our view of the hiring landscape in New Zealand for the remainder of the year, grounded in what we’re seeing across the market every day and supported by trusted external data.
Macro Factors and Business Sentiment
The modest uptick in hiring activity comes after a cautious start to 2025. As we outlined in the Beyond Recruitment Economic & Labour Report 2025, a third of organisations said they were holding back on recruitment due to budget pressures. While 28% of employers indicated plans to grow their workforce, another 18% said they needed more certainty before making any hiring decisions.
That hesitation has been mirrored in broader economic data. According to the NZIER Quarterly Predictions – June 2025, 60% of businesses are still reporting softer sales activity. At the same time, SEEK data shows applications per job ad rose by 2% in May – a sign that competition is fierce for a smaller pool of available roles.
However, with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand leaving the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 3.25%, its first pause since August 2024, there are signs that the economy is starting to steady. This decision suggests the RBNZ sees inflationary pressures easing and the worst of the post-pandemic contraction behind us. For many businesses, this is creating a window of opportunity to revisit hiring plans with increased confidence. It’s not a return to aggressive growth, but it does mark a turning point from the sharp declines of 2023–24.
New Zealand Hiring Outlook: The Headline Trends
Contract, temporary and fixed-term hiring are leading the way. We expect permanent recruitment to follow suit later in Q3 and Q4, as organisational confidence grows and internal restructures settle.
What does this mean for employers? The market remains highly competitive for experienced candidates. Offering clarity about roles and flexibility gives employers a distinct edge, as does moving quickly to make job offers.
Hiring Trends in Technology, Transformation & Digital
As 2025 progresses, we expect a lift in Technology, Transformation & Digital hiring activity as government funding for key projects starts to flow, with several agencies already set to kick off from July onwards.
Many deferred tech projects are finally resuming. In the public sector, last year’s deep cost-cutting is starting to ease, with some digital programmes coming back online, driving renewed yet selective recruitment activity. The private sector is also pushing forward on postponed Technology, Transformation & Digital initiatives, although global economic uncertainty is keeping hiring conservative.
Across private and public, AI continues to be a double-edged sword: with organisations investing in AI tools like ChatGPT and Co-Pilot, we see automation is tempering the need for certain roles. At the same time, concerns around cybersecurity and the risks of AI misuse are intensifying focus on fraud prevention and protection, especially as early exploration into quantum computing begins. This is driving demand for technology professionals who can meet these increasingly complex demands.
Enterprise-wide transformation programmes remain active, particularly in finance, government, and telecommunications, with cloud migrations and data platform upgrades in full swing. Demand for transformation contractors, including Business Analysts, Project Managers, and Change Managers, remains steady nationwide. Contracting rates are remaining steady, though tenures are still short until budgets fully unlock.
We're also noticing changes in workplace flexibility policies in Technology, Transformation & Digital. Some employers are mandating four days in the office from mid-year, while others now require senior approval for extended remote work.
Hiring Trends in Professional & Corporate Services
Hiring activity is expected to pick up gradually across Professional & Corporate Services in the second half of 2025, with the strongest movement anticipated for Accounting, Finance, Procurement, Operations, and HR.
Temporary and fixed-term roles will likely lead the way, especially in Administration, Accounts Support, and Customer Service, while organisations make operational flexibility a key priority.
As confidence improves, permanent hiring is expected to return steadily in Q3 and Q4. Contracting will remain a key strategy for delivering projects and bridging capacity gaps.
In terms of sector-specific activity, Accounting, Finance & Financial Services continues to show strong demand for professionals who can step in and deliver results immediately, particularly in interim or project roles. Procurement, Property, Operations & Supply Chain teams are leaning heavily on contracting to maintain delivery momentum while managing tight budgets.
Within Engineering & Technical, demand remains steady for candidates with niche and sector-specific expertise. The Construction, Architecture & Design space is being buoyed by infrastructure projects, creating demand for senior professionals who can operate in high-paced environments.
Hiring within Customer Experience, Sales, Marketing & Communicationsis more selective, often tied to campaign work or business development efforts, particularly for SMEs. Meanwhile, hiring within Government & Policy, Specialist is stable, with fixed-term and contract roles dominant, especially in critical areas like energy, health, and environmental policy.
Candidate Availability and Attraction Factors
Offshore movement of talent is having a noticeable impact on candidate availability. In key Professional & Corporate Services sectors, including Accountancy, Human Resources, and Government & Policy, Specialist, we’re seeing more professionals actively weighing up opportunities in Australia and the UK. Higher salaries, better progression pathways, and lifestyle benefits are drawing many to make the leap. Stats NZ data confirms the trend: New Zealand recorded a net migration loss of 30,000 people to Australia in 2024 – the largest calendar-year loss in more than a decade. Departures have continued into 2025, with annual migrant outflows in May provisionally hitting a record high of 124,500.
Offering candidates flexibility and transparency around role expectations, growth plans, and team culture makes it easier to get the best candidates accepting job offers.
Within Technology, Transformation & Digital, competition remains tight for specialist tech talent, especially developers, engineers, and data professionals, with many opting to stay put rather than make a move in an uncertain market.
While candidates are showing more flexibility around contract types, those with in-demand skills are still highly selective, and candidates for permanent roles are factoring in rising living costs when negotiating salary. Contractors with strong transformation experience are in demand, often locked into long-term projects through 2026. They’re also asking tougher questions before committing to contracts, seeking clarity on extensions and the quality of work on offer.
Other key candidate trends we see across various sectors currently include:
High demand, low supply persists for resilient admin and customer service professionals with multi-system capabilities and excellent communication skills.
Flexible hiring strategies, like temp-to-perm, are gaining popularity as employers look for ways to test cultural and performance fit before committing to a FTE.
Speed matters: Employers who keep their hiring process fast and efficient are securing better talent. Many strong candidates are being lost to faster-moving competitors.
Summary
The New Zealand hiring outlook for the rest of 2025 is shaping up to be more active, despite broader caution around budgets and commitments to long-term staffing resources.
Contracting remains a critical tool for delivery and flexibility, although we expect permanent hiring will gradually return as the pace of internal changes eases and demand picks up.
Businesses that communicate clearly, move decisively on candidates, and offer flexible working opportunities will be best positioned to secure talent in a market where experience is still everything.
Get In Touch with New Zealand’s Leading Recruitment Agency
As Chief Executive of Beyond Recruitment, I speak with business leaders across Aotearoa every day about the challenges and opportunities shaping their workforce decisions. If you’re planning your next hire and need authentic insight into what’s happening in the market (not just the headlines), my team and I are here to help. Get in touch for advice tailored to your industry, organisation and hiring goals. Let's find the right solution together.
Click here to request your copy of the Beyond Recruitment Economic & Labour Report 2025
Get in touch with our Regional Management Teams for specialist insights;
Executive Recruitment and Executive Search
Liza Viz (National) – liza.viz@beyondrecruitment.co.nz
Ben Pearson (National) – ben.pearson@beyondrecruitment.co.nz
Technology, Transformation & Digital
Grant Habgood (National) – grant.habgood@beyondrecruitment.co.nz
Bianca Jones (Wellington, Lower North Island and South Island) – bianca.jones@beyondrecruitment.co.nz
Clare Saunders (Auckland and Upper North Island) – clare.saunders@beyondrecruitment.co.nz
Professional & Corporate Services
Carren Walker-Raos (Auckland and Upper North Island) – carren.walker-raos@beyond.co.nz
Sandy Eaton (Wellington, Lower North Island and South Island) – sandy.eaton@beyondrecruitment.co.nz
Kris Attewell (Auckland and Upper North Island) – kris.attewell@beyond.co.nz
Sharlene Yule (Wellington, Lower North Island and South Island) – sharlene.yule@beyondrecruitment.co.nz
