May 14, 2026

Hiring, Retention, and Employee Value Propositions

5 min read

What NZ Tech Employers Need to Know in 2026

Job ad volumes are up, business confidence is slowly returning (albeit unevenly), and delayed projects are finally starting to move. Overall, the mood feels like it’s shifting towards cautious optimism. But if you ask most tech employers how hiring is going, you’ll get a similar answer: competition for the right people is still as tough as ever.

The Challenge for Employers

This aligns with the data from our latest IT Job Market & Salary Report, which shows that the top hiring challenge for tech employers in 2026 is general availability of talent in the NZ market (see page 20). It’s also reflected in what I’m seeing as a recruiter in the market. In fast-moving areas like cyber security, cloud, and AI, demand continues to outstrip local supply.

The issue isn’t a lack of candidates overall, it’s the gap between who’s available, and who you actually need. That’s why standing out as an employer matters more than ever – especially if you want to attract people who aren’t actively job hunting, but could be tempted by the right opportunity.

How Hiring and Retention Overlap

At the same time, this increased demand means that some of your best people might already be quietly weighing up their options. In fact, 61% of tech professionals we surveyed were considering moving workplaces this year, with 44% of those already looking – even though 84% consider their current workplace a good place to work (see pages 26 & 24).

This is where I see attraction and retention overlapping. To me, they shouldn’t be seen as separate challenges, but as two sides of the same coin. Both can be addressed by having a clear, credible employee value proposition (EVP).

What an EVP is and How it Can Help

We’ll be deep-diving into EVPs in an upcoming blog, but basically an EVP “captures the set of attributes that external talent and internal employees perceive as the value they gain by working in an organisation” – Gartner.

That includes salary and benefits, but also less tangible factors like culture, leadership, flexibility, and growth opportunities. An EVP shouldn’t be a static document that gathers dust – it needs to be revisited regularly and communicated consistently, both internally and externally.

We’ve said it before in a previous blog, but EVPs are still relatively uncommon (or at least good, clearly defined ones are), so it’s a great way to set your organisation apart. It helps top talent understand why they should choose you over other employers, and reinforces why existing employees should stay, even in a job market full of other good options. And the key to building a strong EVP? Knowing what people truly value.

Understanding What Tech Talent Want

A strong EVP can’t be built on assumptions. It needs to reflect what tech professionals genuinely value at different stages of their careers – what draws them in, and what makes them think twice about leaving.

The best EVPs are informed by feedback from your own people, but our IT Job Market & Salary Report is a strong external reference point. It’s based on insights from over 1,000 tech professionals across New Zealand, covering a wide range of roles and industries. It provides a clear picture of which benefits matter most, what impacts job satisfaction, and how employers are benchmarking salaries (including contractor rates).

Creating an EVP – What the Data Says

While our report offers more detail and specific numbers, there are a few themes I think are especially important when shaping your EVP:

Salary is still the number one reason tech professionals change jobs and accept new offers. If your salary bands sit below market, that’s the first issue to address. Once your salaries sit within a competitive range, they become a threshold, rather than a differentiator. That’s when other factors (like benefits or culture) start to influence decisions, and can be the deciding factor between you and a competitor.

Career development remains the most important non-financial factor for tech professionals considering a new role. This has been a consistent theme in the data for several years, yet it still doesn’t feature in the top three benefits offered by employers. In my experience, tech professionals want visibility – clear pathways, opportunities to build new skills, and assurance that their growth is a priority. Investing in internal progression reduces your reliance on external hiring, plus it sends a clear message that people’s futures matter.
Flexibility and hybrid working are now standard across most tech roles. Where I see employers continuing to stand out is not whether flexibility is offered, but how well it’s supported in practice. Flexibility can mean many things, from remote work and flexible hours to leave policies or workload autonomy. You can use our report to see how your policy compares to what other employers are offering.
Workplace culture and management are playing an increasingly important role in job satisfaction and decision‑making. Tech professionals don’t just want better titles or higher numbers on their payslip, they want positive day-to-day experiences – good managers, clear communication, and supportive team environments. This has a direct impact on engagement, performance, and long-term retention.
Upskilling is growing in importance, particularly as AI, automation, and data capabilities are starting to become baseline expectations, rather than specialist skills. Employers that invest in building these capabilities are addressing two challenges at once – closing skills gaps and giving employees a compelling reason to stay. Our research shows that structured training is far from universal, organisations that lean into this have a real opportunity to stand out.

Together, these elements form the backbone of a credible EVP. None of them are particularly new ideas, but I’ve seen firsthand that organisations that deliver on them consistently are far more likely to attract and keep the talent they need. As Gartner puts it, the best organisations focus about 80% of their effort on fulfilling EVP promises, and 20% on defining them (not the other way around).

Turning Insight Into Action

Our 2026 IT Job Market & Salary Report has the data behind everything I’ve covered here: salary benchmarks by role, benefits analysis, hiring trends, retention risk insights, and a snapshot of what tech professionals and employers across New Zealand are planning for the year ahead. You can download it here.

And if you’d like to talk about how these insights apply to your organisation, whether that’s refining your EVP, planning for hard‑to‑hire roles, or reducing retention risk, feel free to reach out. I’m more than happy to help!

Paul Kelly

Business Manager & Principal Consultant

As a Recruitment Consultant, Paul Kelly believes the right people are the most important asset in any business.

Navigating NZ’s Cyber Security Talent Gap

5 min read

The Growing Importance of Cyber Resilience

During Cyber Smart Week earlier this month, the National Cyber Security Centre highlighted that over 4.3 million New Zealand account details have been exposed online, and NZ’s reported direct losses from cyber crime climbed from $6.8m to $7.8m in the first quarter of this year (you can read more here).

Given that backdrop, it feels like the right time to shine a spotlight on New Zealand’s cybersecurity talent landscape. Having spent time in the Telco industry before moving into recruitment, I’ve seen firsthand how critical strong, well-supported technology teams are to business success. As cyber threats grow in scale and complexity, the strength of your organisation’s security increasingly depends on having prepared, capable teams in place.

So, let’s explore where the cyber security skills gaps exist, what this means for employers, where the opportunities are for tech professionals, and what practical steps can help close the gap.

From Awareness to Action

Last year, we wrote about the importance of businesses ‘future-proofing’ their cybersecurity teams. Since then, the challenges have evolved, but so have the opportunities.

While the core issue remains the same – demand for cybersecurity talent in New Zealand continues to outstrip supply – the drivers have shifted. There are signs that burnout and attrition are shrinking the available talent pool and markets like Australia are actively recruiting Kiwi cyber talent.

So, what’s the good news? These challenges bring opportunities. Forward-thinking organisations can use this as a catalyst to rethink how they attract, develop, and retain their cyber talent, focusing on long-term capability, resilience, and sustainable growth.

Understanding the Impact Across Sectors

The impact of cyber threats extends far beyond the immediate financial cost of an attack. A single breach can cause operational disruption, halting critical services; reputational damage, eroding hard-earned customer trust; and regulatory consequences, including penalties for failing to safeguard sensitive data. Together, these risks underscore why cybersecurity resilience is a priority across nearly every sector.

The cybersecurity skills gap touches multiple industries, with some facing more pressure than others:

1. Financial Services: Banks and insurers are high-value targets for fraud and ransomware, and the stakes are heightened by compliance obligations and customer trust. These organisations require robust defences, with focus on roles that proactively identify threats and ongoing investment in incident response expertise.

2. Healthcare: Hospitals and public health providers rely on interconnected digital systems that can be vulnerable to ransomware attacks. Because they often operate on tight budgets, they may be using outdated software and hardware that lacks modern security features and systems that are difficult to patch or upgrade due to compatibility with medical devices or regulatory constraints. Budgetary constraints also mean it can be hard to compete for skilled talent.

3. Government and Public Sector: Central and local government agencies manage sensitive data, but recruiting skilled cyber staff into public roles can be challenging when competing against private sector offers.

4. Telco and Infrastructure: As someone who’s worked in Telco, I know how vital secure networks are in our interconnected world. A cyber-attack on core infrastructure can have a massive impact on business as well as everyday life.

Across all sectors, the focus needs to shift from reacting to incidents to building sustainable systems, processes, and people.

Opportunities for Tech Professionals

While the skills shortage presents challenges for employers, it also creates exciting opportunities for job seekers and professionals considering a move. Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing career paths in tech, and here at Absolute IT, we’re seeing demand increase for roles such as SOC Analysts, Penetration Testers, Cloud Security Architects, and Governance Specialists.

Cybersecurity offers excellent career mobility, the salaries and progression opportunities tend to be at the higher end of the scale, and you get the chance to make a tangible impact – protecting organisations, communities, and the digital infrastructure that keeps countries running.

Building a More Resilient Workforce

While conversations in 2024 were about preparing, conversations in 2025 are about taking action. Cybersecurity is now a top tech priority across New Zealand, and it’s not just an IT concern – it’s a shared responsibility that connects leadership, strategy, and culture. Organisations that invest in their people today will see long-term rewards in resilience and capability.

Here are some practical steps to consider:

1. Workforce Planning – Identify critical roles, define urgent requirements vs. those that can wait, and align hiring strategies to your long-term goals.

2. Retention – Talk to your cyber team to understand what recognition and rewards they value most, then design your retention strategy around those insights to reduce burnout and attrition.

3. Training and Development – Invest in graduate programmes and apprenticeships, and create clear learning and career development pathways for current employees.

4. Flexible Resourcing – Use trusted contractors and outsourced partners to meet immediate needs and cover any gaps while you focus on building internal capacity.

These steps can help balance short-term protection with long-term sustainability.

Looking Ahead

The cybersecurity landscape will continue to change, with predictions that there will be an increase in AI-driven attacks, including deepfake-enabled scams, automated malware, and large-scale phishing campaigns that outpace traditional defences.

Along with this will come a need for tighter regulation. The growing global emphasis on privacy, cyber standards and supply-chain security will shape New Zealand’s landscape too. Of course, with increased need, we’re expecting more competition for talent too.

Cybersecurity is ultimately about people – those defending, innovating, and responding every day. New Zealand organisations that act now by investing in people, partnerships, and proactive planning can turn today’s skills gap into tomorrow’s competitive advantage.

If you’re an employer looking to plan or strengthen your cybersecurity workforce, or a tech professional wanting to explore your next career move in this space, feel free to reach out – I’d be more than happy to help!

Simon Meehan

Consultant

Having worked in various roles within the New Zealand Telco industry, Simon decided a change was needed and joined the Absolute IT team as a Consultant in 2021.