Kia ora and welcome to Aotearoa (land of the long white cloud - and no that’s not smog!)
Whether you have just arrived in New Zealand, or are considering a move out of your current location, here are some essential things to know about the technology market here in Aotearoa. This information is by no means exhaustive. If you have a specific question that is not answered here, just contact info@potentia.co.nz.
NZ’s Technology outlook
Fleet-footed Kiwi businesses can match it with the best technology entrepreneurs in the world. Our innovative nature is borne of necessity. The country’s geographical location and pioneering history have made invention, adaptability and courage to innovate key elements of our society.
Today, the hi-tech industry is an integral part of New Zealand's economy and a key driver of economic growth. It is comprised of more than 8,800 New Zealand companies across the electronics, software, telecommunications, creative technology and biotechnology sectors.
It is estimated that the hi-tech industry contributes in excess of $3 billion per annum in export sales, with the Information and Communication Technology sector alone contributing $1.5 billion.
The industry employs more than 43,000 people and the sector is growing at twice the rate of the economy as a whole. An increasing number of companies are listing on the stock exchange both locally and internationally. New Zealand businesses account for 50 of the 500 fastest growing tech businesses in Asia Pacific (Deloitte Technology Fast 500)
Why contact Potentia when coming to NZ?
Potentia is an ICT specialist agency with offices in Auckland and Wellington. We number 8 consultants in Auckland, 2 in Wellington plus management (who continue to consult and recruit) and two coaches. Since establishment in 2004 we have enjoyed continued success and growth - including during the 2008-2009 recessionary period when the team almost doubled in size. Potentia has been awarded some external accolades; A Deloitte Fast50 winner in 2007 (10th) and 2008 (20th); being voted as New Zealand's favourite IT Recruiter (Seek Awards) in 2008, 2009 and 2010; and we also won the Excellence in IT Recruitment award at the 2011 CIO Awards. We share these wins not with the intention of bragging but rather to demonstrate our capability and commitment to our stakeholders. We believe we are NZ's most exciting and progressive recruitment organisation and intend to stay this way by continually improving what we do.
We've delivered to literally every conceivable (at this stage) role across the entire technology spectrum, including obscure roles such as Moderator, Diagnostic Guru and Optical Design Engineer. That said, our main specialty tends to be around the SDLC; from analysis, to design and development, implementation, management and support. This spectrum forms around 60% of our introductions, with the remainder across infrastructure, leadership and sales. Organisationally we have previously had a focus on delivery to vendor organisations, however, in the last two years this has balanced out to include a good number of corporate/government enterprise end-users of technology.
Our Commitment to relocating candidates
Through an awareness and acknowledgement that the NZ market is approaching a new period in local candidate shortage we have taken several steps to ensure that we are capturing those that are keen to move here, and enticing those that have some interest in moving from their current location. The most noteworthy of these steps is the creation of a new role, focused on international candidate movements - that of the Global Associate. The purpose of this role is to establish and maximise Potentia’s global candidate sourcing channels with a view to enticing ex-pat kiwis, and introducing overseas talent to the New Zealand job market.
What do NZ companies want to know about candidates moving to New Zealand?
- Can you afford to move to NZ?
- Have you been to NZ before?
- Do you have a house to sell before you move?
- How far along the immigration path are you?
- Do you have a family? Husband/Wife/Children/Pets?
- What has motivated you to seek work in NZ?
- What date will you be able to start working in NZ?
- What are your salary expectations?
Additional sources of information
When considering relocation to NZ, it is crucial that you know what steps are involved in moving here. You have probably heard a hundred stories about NZ, you’ve probably worked with a Kiwi at some stage in your career, and heard plenty about New Zealand’s clean, green image in the press, but what does all that mean for you and your family? We’ve added some links here below to help you do some deeper research into life in NZ:
Immigration New Zealand - Loaded with advice on moving to NZ
Department of Labour - Contains information on current labour market analysis, wage growth indicators, income surveys and much more
Business New Zealand - Key economic indicators and info on doing business in NZ
Tourism New Zealand - All about our tourism industry – what to do and where to go
Working In - Visa's, costs
OMEGA
Settlement Support New Zealand
New Zealand Information and Communication Technology Group
Auckland Regional Migrant Services
Computerworld
NBR
CIO
Unlimited
NZ Herald
Stuff