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\nPhoto: 123rf\n<\/p>\n
Fiordland Lobster Company group human resources manager Toni Magi says she’s never seen anything like it.<\/p>\n
The company recently received 91 applications for a factory hand role in Te Anau and more than 120 for a position in Auckland, not including overseas applicants and those without work visas.<\/p>\n
“There’s a shortage of roles<\/a> within New Zealand. There’s certainly not the wide range of positions<\/a> that are touted to be available and people are desperate for work.”<\/p>\n The jobs were entry level roles that did not require specific qualifications.<\/p>\n The increased number of applications had been noticeable in the past 10 to 12 months, she said.<\/p>\n People were willing to move to Te Anau for work, she said. Those numbers in particular were “unheard of” for such a small centre.<\/p>\n “I think it’s hard for job hunters because they’ve got to be able to set themselves apart and be the one that stands out in all those applications.”<\/p>\n She said more recruitment agencies were cold calling, too.<\/p>\n Sometimes applicants made silly mistakes, she said.<\/p>\n “I think reading the requirements of the role, you know, always double check what you’re sending in because the amount of people that will apply for a job that’s actually got some other company’s name or the wrong job title or, you know, if we say send a cover letter, that’s your opportunity to sell yourself and they don’t. So, it’s just those little things that are going to set people apart.”<\/p>\n Neil Webster, country manager for Employment Hero, agreed times were tough for job applicants.<\/p>\n “Yes, there’s growth in pockets, but we’re hearing from SMEs (small-to-medium enterprises) every day that the pressure is very real. Heading into December, it’s clear many New Zealanders are still scrambling for stability, and businesses are feeling it too.”<\/p>\n Jobhunter Emily Turner is one of those people. She has been looking for work, at a management level, for 16 months.<\/p>\n She had applied for about 50 jobs and had more than 10 interviews.<\/p>\n She said there seemed to be particular problems for people who were looking for more senior positions. “No hiring manager is going to hire me for a lower level role when I often have more experience than they do.”<\/p>\n She said she was now seriously considering moving to Australia but it was a difficult proposition because she owned her home and had an ageing parent to worry about. But she had reached the end of her interest-only home loan period and also had to pay body corporate fees.<\/p>\n