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​Let’s face it, the market is tough out there right now. But there is still work to be done. Whether it’s getting through to year-end, budgeting for next year, implementing a restructure, or carrying out a new system implementation, there is always a need for skilled and experienced people. While full-time employees remain essential, when uncertainty enters the economic outlook, there is typically a trend towards engaging contractors for the flexibility and agility contractors can provide. In the Accounting and Finance space here at Beyond Recruitment, we are seeing more organisations look for ways to access talent while they carefully manage their resources. The benefits of hiring contractors are tangible and measurable – so we’ll explain in detail the difference they can make to your business. Ultimate FlexibilityOne of the most effective and simple ways to handle fluctuations in your workload is to hire temp staff. There will be times when your organisation needs to quickly build a team to meet demand during peak periods, audits, or new projects – or perhaps after a few resignations. Another underrated aspect of engaging contractors is that you can address issues arising from excess overtime. When your team is short-staffed, you run the risk of decreasing morale and productivity, as well as mental health and wellbeing issues. Adding a contractor to your team could significantly alleviate the workload and aid with the long-term retention of permanent employees.Reduce a Range of Business CostsStaffing expenses like holiday pay, sick leave and parental leave can add up fast – and put a damper on momentum during a critical growth (or survival) phase for your business. Paying temporary workers only for the hours they worked is a sensible way to keep costs under control, more so during periods of uncertainty. If you’re engaging a New Zealand agency to hire temp staff, costs like payroll tax, workcover insurance and administrative expenses will already be covered. Salaries aren’t the only area you can shave expenses from – there are other additional overheads associated with permanent employees in the form of office space, rent and utilities. With a flexible headcount, you can make easier decisions about office leases, equipment and other operational expenses.Access Vetted and Specialised SkillsGaining access to specialist skill sets is among the major benefits of hiring contractors in every industry. Virtually every organisation we encounter has skills gaps, which are often persistent and difficult to hire permanent employees for. Using contractors will bring well-developed skills to your teams and projects that may not be available within the company's full-time workforce.By hiring temp staff, you can bring in people who can work with minimal supervision. For example, a tech company developing a new software product might need a senior cybersecurity expert on board. The Contractor Hiring Process is FasterInstead of undergoing a lengthy hiring process and managing salary negotiations with an agency, you can quickly onboard a contractor at an hourly or day rate. The contractor hiring process has a much shorter lead time and is less likely to involve notice periods. As we carefully screen every contractor, you won’t need to spend time on background checks, such as criminal history, reference checks and work rights vetting.Risk MitigationContractors can help you reduce the risks associated with hiring full-time employees during leaner times when restructuring might be on the horizon. If your business experiences a downturn and redundancies become necessary, downsizing a temporary workforce will result in fewer financial obligations and the potential for legal claims. Additionally, temporary hires allow you to avoid the risks associated with a mistake hire. Hiring an unsuitable employee for a perm role can get quite expensive and time-consuming to rectify – not to mention the paying out of their leave entitlements. Innovation and Fresh PerspectivesContractors can bring fresh perspectives and ideas, having typically worked with multiple companies across different industries. With a fresh pair of eyes, they can identify areas for improvement, enhance process efficiency, and introduce new concepts that can drive innovation and growth. We’ve seen contractors act as catalysts for improved productivity in organisations. Their presence can encourage existing teams to engage in creative problem-solving. By sharing their experiences and knowledge, contractors can help build a more innovative and collaborative company culture.Find Contractors Now with a Premier New Zealand Recruitment AgencyHiring skilled temporary or contract professionals enables you to maintain a high-quality workforce and adapt swiftly to changing business needs, ensuring that you always have the right skills and talent on hand.I regularly work with exceptional contractors, and I'd love to discuss how they could benefit your organisation. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at 021 469 750 or contact the Beyond Recruitment team today.

Published Date: 13th March 2024​Welcome to the world of performance reporting, talented teams of Planning and Reporting Advisors, Performance Analysts, Corporate or Organisational Strategic Planners play pivotal public sector roles.In a time when transparency and trust in government are a growing challenge, public sector accountability reporting plays a crucial part in upholding the principles of good governance in New Zealand.Let’s delve into this category of public sector jobs, its importance, challenges, and the career opportunities it presents for those ready to make a meaningful impact.What Do Performance Reporting Roles Involve?Performance reporting positions often contain ‘performance and planning’ in their job title. Performance and planning advisors are tasked with analysing the inner workings and performance of public service functions and creating reports based on their findings. They are responsible for identifying how an organisation is meeting its objectives, what services are being delivered and how, and the outcomes of public service activities. Unlike the finance department, performance reporting is responsible for evaluating the entire performance of a government organisation, not just the balance sheet. It is a performance and planning advisor’s job to inform department leaders where things are going well and what isn’t going well, and make recommendations accordingly. The work is cyclical, with quarterly milestones in place to produce major annual reports.As performance reporting is mandatory for most organisations within the public service, OP&P jobs are typically in the domain of a Planning and Performance team within a government department. The Auditor-General (OAG), Audit New Zealand and the Treasury are examples of departments that provide guidance and manage performance reporting for a range of government entities, although most organisations have an internal performance reporting function as well. Critical Skills for Performance Reporting JobsA performance and planning advisor’s job description might sound somewhat mild on paper, but it is in fact a role that requires the highest level of communication and soft skills – relationship building, diplomacy, tact, discretion, and ultimately, the power of persuasion. As a performance reporting professional, you are both an analyst and someone who has the mana to positively influence leaders. You're extracting information out of organisational departments, and then weaving it all together to tell the story of the organisation’s performance.It’s a role for critical thinkers who can build trust and credibility in their relationships throughout an organisation. Your ability to look at the micro and macro is essential for identifying trends, challenges and opportunities. OP&P differs from the traditional career pathway you might expect for other public sector jobs. With a strong emphasis on soft skills, we find professionals who excel in these positions come from a variety of backgrounds. ​The Opportunities and Benefits of a Performance Reporting Career In a time when concerns are growing about job security, performance and planning jobs make for a stable and fulfilling career within New Zealand’s public sector. These positions, which are mostly offered on a permanent basis, provide unique opportunities for individuals with the right skill set to make a meaningful impact. They are critical government jobs for upholding transparency, integrity, and ethical standards within the public service. ​By ensuring accurate and timely reporting on organisations’ activities and performance, these public sector jobs are vital for maintaining public trust and confidence in government institutions. As a performance and planning advisor, you’re a source of reliable data and insights to government officials and stakeholders. Additionally, you get to work on a diverse range of projects and engage with leaders and stakeholders across the organisation. Your role typically involves various tasks related to improving organisational effectiveness, efficiency, and strategic decision-making.A role that promotes good governance and accountability can provide you with a strong sense of purpose and fulfilment in your work. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact on society, knowing that your efforts contribute to upholding democratic principles, fostering transparency, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly can be deeply rewarding.Recruitment Challenges in the Public SectorDespite performance reporting being a key public sector job, government departments do struggle to hire talent for these roles. Perhaps the opportunity presented by these jobs is underappreciated. Another challenge is retaining staff long-term and growing them through roles of different levels on this career path. As performance reporting follows a strict cyclical timeline, professionals in these positions cite that repetition as a reason they become disengaged after a while, leading to retention issues for some departments. Talk to New Zealand Recruitment Experts in Planning and PerformancePerformance reporting expertise is a hot commodity for New Zealand government jobs right now. For those with the right skill set and a desire to make a difference, these roles can be immensely rewarding and fulfilling career paths. We expect demand for these professionals to remain robust in the coming years. If you’re searching for a government career path that aligns with your values, uses your communication skills effectively, and contributes to the greater good for Aotearoa’s citizens, look no further. Contact us today for more information on how we can connect you with performance reporting jobs or help build your planning and performance team.

The frank and fearless public servant is a critical role in New Zealand’s government system, but recently we’ve seen a shortage of qualified, experienced Advisors, which is leaving gaps in teams around Wellington. So, what is driving this demand and how can we ensure we continue to support our public sector clients? What is Driving the Shortage? Here at Beyond Recruitment, we are observing a number of different factors that may be contributing to the situation. 1.Career ProgressionIn recent months, we have seen a lot of career progression out of Ministerial and OIA Advisors and into broader Advisory positions. Some of the reasons for taking this step include candidates seeking more variety, complexity, autonomy, advancement and salary increases. While this is a positive move for these employees, it is essential that hiring managers have a steady stream of junior Advisors ready to fill the gap. 2.Impacts of COVID-19Increases in workload and volumes of requests, hard deadlines, staff shortages and increased sick leave results from COVID-19 are challenges we hear about frequently. In addition, Advisors report a trend towards proactive release by agencies which is also adding to their workloads. Uncertainty, restructures and changes to functionality are also impacting teams across the board. 3.Changes in operating modelsAcross the public sector, we are seeing changes from teams of siloed functionality (i.e. strategic policy, operational policy and delivery) towards teams with hybrid functionality. This has impacted how Ministerials and OIAs are delivered. We are also observing transitions between centralised and decentralised models, or building teams of broader government advisors with an MS/OIA skill set. The Challenge of Meeting Requirements The root of the issue lies not just in the talent shortage itself, but in the need to ensure government agencies have the skills and resources required to meet the performance standards of the Official Information Act. With the ambiguity and increased pressure in the market, hiring managers are looking to hire people with the right skill sets and relevant experience quickly, at any cost. In the Public Service Commissioner’s release of OIA statistics earlier this year, Peter Hughes said, “Meeting the requirements of the OIA is a bottom line for the Public Service". To further promote transparency and the integrity of the OIA, he decided to make more information available about agency performance, noting that this has held up against another sizeable increase in volumes, particularly in the health sector. “Agencies have managed to maintain a high level of timeliness despite another significant increase in volumes,” Mr Hughes said in a statement. “This is a satisfactory result considering the unprecedented number of OIAs agencies are being asked to process and being in the middle of the challenge of leading the Government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.” This vital service is currently being performed by committed, hard-working and often entry-level public servants. To meet the requirements, Advisors with OIA and Ministerial services experience are having to hone their writing skills, practise writing for a range of audiences, and learn how to work collaboratively, engage effectively and meet targets and deadlines. People with this expertise are highly sought after among employers within the public sector. The Way Forward Here at Beyond Recruitment, we are discussing different strategies with hiring managers in the public sector to address the shortage of experienced Advisors, including: Growing and developing less experienced candidates who are keen to enter the public service Upskilling candidates in the Official Information Act and other relevant legislation Retention strategies to ensure we keep talented professionals longer in this field Our team enjoys identifying candidates with transferable skills, knowledge and aptitude who can be successful in these positions. We also network constantly to understand and support candidates who are seeking to transition between positions. We would love to hear about your experiences of working with the OIA or hiring in this environment. If you’re looking at hiring for public sector roles in this challenging market, feel free to get in touch with a member of Beyond Recruitment’s Government and Policy team today to learn how we can help. ​​