July 17, 2025

Navigating the Tech Employment Market in 2025

5 min read

The Insights You Can’t Afford to Miss

From cautious budgets and mismatched candidate expectations, to the ongoing tug-of-war between remote and in-office work, the New Zealand tech employment market continues to shift rapidly. This can have a direct impact on businesses, employers, and the success of the sector overall. That’s why our annual IT Job Market Report is back and better than ever (if I do say so myself!).

This year’s edition is packed with insights to help tech employers understand how market trends can impact their business, along with practical data to support informed hiring and retention decisions.

As one of the most comprehensive reports specifically about New Zealand’s IT job market, it’s a must-read if you’re a hiring manager, team leader, or executive!

What to Expect From the 2025 IT Job Market Report

This year’s report combines data from 1,000+ tech professionals and employers across New Zealand. More than just stats, it delivers real-world insights from our consultants on the ground, making it a true pulse-check on the market. Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll find:

Hiring has shifted from reactive to strategic.
Tech employers are hiring more selectively, focusing on long-term fit and future potential over short-term fixes – which is especially important in today’s market!
85% of Tech Professionals say they’re happy in their roles, yet 61% are still considering a move.
Spoiler: flexibility isn’t the only thing that keeps tech staff loyal. Poor management, lack of development, and uninspiring culture are top drivers of turnover.
AI is no longer a future concept – it’s a current capability.
Adoption of AI among Tech Employers has jumped 43% since last year, and Tech Professionals are quickly adapting. Discover the impact AI is having on day-to-day work, and ideas for implementing AI if you’re at the start of your journey.
The pull of ‘greener pastures’ is strong.
28% of Tech Professionals are actively considering a move overseas – the report covers what’s driving them and what you can do about it. We’d also recommend checking out this blog about the ‘brain drain’ from our sibling recruitment company, Madison, along with this article reporting “the number of New Zealanders who left for Australia last year was the highest in more than a decade”.
Hiring is easier in volume, harder in quality.
Tech employers are seeing more applications, but finding the right fit is tougher than ever. Processes are taking longer, with more interview rounds needed to identify candidates who have both the technical skills and team fit. The volume of applicants is up, but so are skills mismatches. Our report covers common hiring challenges and what you can do about them.
Upskilling is still underused.
Only 14% of Tech Employers offer structured, ongoing training. In a market where development is a top reason to stay (or leave), this is a missed opportunity. And when the skills you need are hard to find, training and upskilling should be considered.

These are just a few of the takeaways. If you’re planning to hire, crafting your EVP, or exploring new ways to retain top talent, this report offers a data-backed foundation for your decision-making.

Download the 2025 IT Job Market Report here.

The 2025 IT Salary & Benefits Guide

When you download the IT Job Market Report, you’ll also get sent a copy of our 2025 IT Salary & Benefits Guide. It’s your go-to resource for benchmarking pay and benefits. Here’s what it covers:

Updated salary bands and hourly contractor rates
Covering roles across development, cloud, digital, testing, project services, sales, and leadership.
Salary expectations vs employer plans
There’s a growing gap between what Tech Professionals expect and what employers can offer. This guide shows you where you stand and where to adjust and what other benefits can be considered to attract and retain top tech talent.
The benefits that matter most to tech professionals
Hint: career development ranks higher than wellbeing perks or office snacks. A guide to check if what you offer matched what benefits Tech Professionals really value.
A reality check on flexibility
While 81% of Tech Employers say they offer flexible work, only 60% of Tech Professionals report receiving it. Plus, we dive into the top benefits and drawbacks employers are experiencing, with direct quotes included.
Tactical advice for employers
Each section includes actionable insights on how to close the gap between what you offer and what tech talent actually wants.

You can use it to validate your pay structures, shape your Employee Value Proposition, and stay competitive in a talent market that’s constantly evolving.

Why These Reports Matter Now More Than Ever

Together, these two reports offer a well-rounded view of the New Zealand tech employment landscape, from what tech professionals want, to what tech employers are offering, to how both can move forward more strategically in the next year.

For tech employers, these reports are:

A practical tool for workforce planning
A reality check for your EVP and benefits
A conversation starter for hiring managers and people leaders
A competitive advantage when it comes to talent retention

As one tech employer put it in this year’s survey:

“We’re shifting away from reactive hiring and starting to align talent acquisition with our long-term goals.”

That’s the type of thinking these reports are here to support.

Ready to read more? Download the 2025 IT Job Market Report now and you’ll receive a copy of the IT Salary & Benefits Guide too!

Want us to present the key findings (along with exclusive data and insights not found in the reports) to you or your team? Contact us, and one of our consultants will be in touch.

Kerrie Gregory

General Manager

My role combines leadership, strategy, innovation, and operations strengths to deliver exceptional outcomes for clients and candidates while growing a high-performing team.

The Impact of AI on the Workplace: Tips for Tech Professionals

7 min read

AI is evolving fast, and it’s reshaping how we work just as quickly. So how do tech professionals stay ahead of the curve?

In my last blog, I explored how AI is affecting tech recruitment from an employer’s perspective. This follow-up blog takes a look at the other side: how AI is impacting tech professionals in the workplace today.

From evolving roles to AI literacy and soft skills, I’ve pulled together five practical takeaways to help you stay relevant, resilient, and ready for what’s next. (Spoiler: you don’t need to become a machine learning engineer – but you do need to stay curious.)

1. AI Literacy is the New Baseline

I’ll start with my biggest takeaway: understanding the possibilities of what AI can (and can’t) do is super important for anyone working in the tech space. Employers are beginning to hire beyond just the technical skills required for the job itself. We’re starting to see more emphasis on AI literacy; the ability to understand and work with AI tools effectively. It’s a big topic and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but committing some time each week to understanding key developments is a good start. Here are some things to think about:

Spot AI in your current role: How is AI showing up already in your current role or specialty? What new tools are emerging? Are there features in your current tech stack powered by AI? Keep an eye on local trends as well as international developments to stay ahead.
Experiment with mainstream tools: If you haven’t already, have a play with tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot to get a feel for their potential. Try using them for everyday tasks, like refining emails or summarising information, to build familiarity and confidence.
Explore industry-specific AI: Go a step further by exploring tools designed for your niche. For example, if you’re in software development, try out Tabnine, GitHub Copilot, or other AI coding assistants. If you’re in data, look for AI-enhanced BI tools. There’s likely something tailored to your space.
Identify where AI adds value – and where it doesn’t: Reflect on where AI could save you time, provide insight, or improve accuracy in your day-to-day so that you can get the most out of it. But it’s just as important to recognise where human judgement is still essential. The future of work is human + machine – not one or the other.

2. Your Role Isn’t Standing Still, and Neither Should You

In a fast-evolving tech environment, traditional job descriptions are starting to lose their rigidity. Roles are becoming more fluid, capability-focused, and increasingly shaped by emerging technologies like AI.

This doesn’t mean sweeping changes overnight – most organisations are still figuring things out, and existing roles won’t vanish anytime soon. But the work itself is shifting, and with it, the value placed on certain skills. Think of manual software testing roles that are now partially automated, or business analysts using AI tools for requirements gathering. Staying adaptable will help you stay relevant.

Here are some ways to future-proof your role and stay career-resilient:

Talk about AI at work: Have proactive conversations with your team, coworkers and manager, about how AI is showing up in your sector, and discuss how your role(s) might evolve over time. Staying informed – and showing initiative – is a key way to remain visible and involved in change.
Revisit your PD: Pull out your current position description and take a critical look. Which parts of your role are routine or repetitive? These are the areas most likely to be automated first. Identifying them early gives you the chance to upskill, shift focus to higher-value work, and stay ahead of change.
Build ‘T-Shaped’ skills: The aim here is to develop deep expertise and broad skills. Look for opportunities to pilot new tools or processes, even informally, so you’re gaining hands-on experience with emerging tech, which will be valuable in the long run.
Track your growth: Build your own personal ‘skills tracker’. Keep a personal log of new skills, tools, certifications, and even soft skills you’re building. This makes performance reviews easier and gives you a head start when applying for your next opportunity.

3. Soft Skills Are Like Superpowers

Speaking of soft skills – AI can analyse data, write reports, and even troubleshoot, but it can’t empathise, persuade, or think outside the box. This is where soft skills, or ‘power skills’ as they’re sometimes called, are invaluable. Employers are increasingly looking for:

Critical thinking: Can you spot patterns and ask the right questions?
Learning agility: Do you adapt when things change?
Communication: Can you explain ideas clearly and collaborate with others?

Make sure these strengths are front and centre in your CV, LinkedIn profile, and during interviews. And if you’re not sure how to describe them, try storytelling; use the STAR method to share a time when you had to learn fast, problem-solve, or work through ambiguity.

4. You’re Not Behind…Yet

A recent BCG report found that only 26% of organisations feel ready to unlock real value from AI. That means most businesses – and most professionals – are still figuring it out. The good news? There’s still time to get ahead. Here are a few practical (and low-cost) ways to boost your AI confidence and career resilience:

Upskill: Take a free online course tailored to your area, whether that’s data, dev, testing or BA work. Platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and Udemy offer practical, role-specific AI learning you can do at your own pace.
Stay informed: Make it a habit to read one AI-related blog or newsletter a week. Follow industry leaders on LinkedIn, subscribe to podcasts like Hard Fork or Practical AI, and mark your calendar for local events like Techweek NZ.
Volunteer: If your workplace is testing AI tools, put your hand up to get involved. No pilots yet? Suggest one! Even a small internal experiment gives you hands-on experience and positions you as someone who embraces innovation.

5. Be Someone Who Leans In

Let’s face it – conversations about AI can easily spiral into fear and uncertainty. The old “AI will replace us all” narrative might grab headlines, but it oversimplifies a much bigger story. The truth is, AI is a tool, and like any tool, the value it delivers depends on how we use it.

Across the globe, AI is already doing meaningful work: helping forecast floods, manage emergency responses, reduce waste in supply chains, and improve healthcare diagnostics. The potential is enormous, and that includes opportunities in your day-to-day role too.

You don’t need to become an AI expert overnight. But you do need the right mindset: open, curious, and proactive. The people who will thrive in the next stage of tech evolution aren’t necessarily the ones with the most technical skills, they’re the ones willing to learn, experiment, and adapt.

Here are a few thought-starters to help you lean in:

How can I use AI to do improve quality, not just speed? Look beyond shortcuts. Can AI help you test more accurately? Personalise a product feature? Improve user experience? Elevating your impact is just as important as increasing your efficiency.
What’s one thing I can learn this month? Choose something small and easy to achieve: a podcast episode, an intro course, or a case study about AI in your industry. Learning doesn’t have to be formal to be valuable.
Who can I collaborate with at work to try something new?
Innovation is a team sport. Is there someone in your team (or another department) who’s also curious about AI? Even a shared experiment or knowledge session can spark something bigger.

AI isn’t a threat – it’s a shift. And those who lean in now will be best placed to lead, shape, and thrive in the tech landscape of the future.

Progress, Not Perfection

We think the smart thing to do is stay in motion, to keep learning, experimenting and talking about what’s changing. Really, this isn’t vastly different from what has always served anyone working in the tech space. It’s always been important to be open and ready for new developments, and AI is no different in this regard.

If you’re curious about where AI might take your career next, or want help positioning yourself in a job market, please feel free to reach out. We’re making it our mission to keep discussing and sharing the shifts in the job market, and what AI means for organisations, and job seekers.

You could also check out our latest Job Market Report, which has some really valuable insights and data about how business and individuals are using AI, as well as a broader view of the New Zealand employment landscape. Check it out here.

Lucy Graham

Senior Consultant

I enjoy the buzz of the ever-changing technology world and creating a trusted connection with my candidates and clients.