As its been well documented, New Zealand’s economic bounce back in recent times has overall been very strong. In the first quarter of 2021 the economy grew +3.6% and various economists recently revised their forecast for our full year position to 5% or higher. Unemployment never reached the heights that were expected after the pandemic arrived in this country, and while at 4.7%, the tension between businesses needing new employees with particular skills and the limited local pool of available talent, has created a core challenge most organisations across the country, largely irrespective of industry, are facing. Its worth noting, the talent shortage may only grow as the increasing influence from across the Tasman comes into play – increasingly Australian based employers are targeting New Zealand based workers with the lure of stronger packages & career opportunities. This has all resulted in somewhat of a war on talent. Multi offer situations are now common place. We have seen candidates go from no offers over 6 months of interviewing, to four attractive offers within 48 hours. We are also seeing more candidates depart from roles sooner than expected if the opportunity they accepted wasn’t what they expected – we must assume that all good candidates always have various other opportunities in front of them. The role of inductions & training, helping build good stakeholder relationships, and career mapping when new starters arrive, is vital to get them started on the right note.

If you are looking to attract and secure great employees, what can you do to engage the best talent?

• The Interview stage is critical. Ensure your interview process enables candidates to:

1. 1. See where their skill set & career with your business could go – clearly
   2. See where their salary could go as they progress (increasingly businesses are communicating the salary of the role candidates could be promoted to, to show future potential)
   3. Understand the training, development & general support available
   4. Give them a feel for the culture – walk them around the premise, let them meet a few potential colleagues and see any key parts of your facility
   5. Make it personal – get to know them; if you’re more of a formal interviewer, lower your guard a little and connect with them.
   6. Understand what’s important to them & make candidates feel understood. Ask them what matters to them in a role, manager, culture, package? Then consider how can you tailor your offer to stand out by showing you ‘get them’ and want the best for them? Often small things can be done with minimal cost, but some extra thought goes a long way.

• Move decisively. If you feel a candidate meets your needs, move forward. Often decision makers dwell on why someone is looking or hasn’t already got a number of offers. Often that extra week (or some times even only a couple of days) of internal consideration is the difference between a candidate accepting your role or them not (within an extra week they can sometimes have various additional offers to consider and compare).
• Ensure you offer a competitive package which will stack up if counter offers come in. Where relevant, an additional bonus at the 6 month mark can be put in place to bring milestones closer within their reach and build a more immediate connection to their new employer.

At a broader level, another solution we have supported has been a redeployment (again, where relevant and suitable) of some positions within organisational structures from middle management to graduate level, and or from full time to part time (or simply more flexible than previously). Parents returning to the workforce bring some significant skills and experiences, but they often need some flexibility to fit your work into their lives sustainably (at the early stage). This has led us to introduce a specialised Graduate program this year which we have been running across numerous departments, to create a strong talent pipeline of graduates to work their way up into team leadership roles. This has been a successful and rewarding way to generate a strong pipeline of future leaders who fit the teams culture and strategic direction. If your team are rethinking your long term talent pipeline or organisation map and would like to consider how you could generate a stronger flow of graduates with leadership ambitions (and fit!), feel free to reach out to me to discuss. You’ll also note we’ve included some outstanding Graduates in the Talent section who are currently searching for their next opportunity.

Its been a busy few months in our office since our last bulletin. In that time we’ve welcomed some new team members who I’m excited to share with you:

• Emma Bultitude (BSc) – joined us after completing her Bachelor of Science degree with First Class Honours, majoring in neuroscience. She brings her enthusiasm for science and technology, as well as her drive and energy, to Scitex to really understand candidates and to work alongside them to establish successful partnerships in their chosen fields. Read more about Emma here or go ahead and connect with her.
• Denis Simonov (PhD) – joined Scitex after a fruitful and diverse career in academic, commercial and industry-focused biomedical research. During this time, he worked in diverse fields ranging from veterinary microbiology and drug development to antibacterial coatings. Denis offers a unique understanding of the life-sciences and biotech-related industries and the people that make these industries tick. Read more about Denis here or go ahead and connect with him.
• We were also glad to welcome back Donna Watson in an supporting role, she is working closely across our consulting team to ensure we offer an effective & quick operation at all times.

As always, we include a range of candidates below who we recently engaged with. Please reach out if we can answer any questions.

We wish you all the best as you work through towards Spring and are keeping our Wellington base whanau currently in level two, top of mind – kai kaha!

Kind regards,

Gareth Robertson
Managing Director

Available Talent

Quality, Lab and R&D

EB103 Research Scientist with a fantastic background in biology, molecular science and botany. 20+ years experience running her own laboratory, as well as extensive experience with teaching, supervising students, and scientific editing. Looking for a role to keep her engaged, utilise her existing skills, and which also provides new learning experiences. $110 – 120K, Hamilton/South Akl.

EB104 Qualified Virologist currently working as a medical laboratory scientist. Broad range of experience in laboratories, specialising in molecular biology, as well as a range of experience in laboratory management and technical writing. Looking for a role with a combination of technical, laboratory science, and research . $100K, Auckland.

EB105 Pharmaceutical Scientist with 20+ years experience working within the pharmaceutical industry. Extensive experience in leading teams of laboratory staff and instrumentation technicians to result in effective laboratory operations. Has experience in implementing appropriate procedures to prepare laboratories for upcoming audits. Looking for a role which can use this wealth of experience but which will provide challenges and continuous improvement. $100K, Auckland.

DS104 Highly qualified and experienced Scientist with international and NZ experience in managing research, clinical, and manufacturing facilities. Has experience in implementing ISO 15189 and ISO 9001 and managing facilities that undertake routine and high throughput screening of Biological Safety 2 and Biological Safety 3 pathogenic organisms. Has training in radiation safety and manufacturing of radiopharmaceuticals. $100k, Auckland.

DS105 Quality Manager – extremely experienced across various sectors incl. pharma, food, cosmetics, medical devices & packaging. Strong exp with ISO9001, ISO13485, GMP, HACCP, FSSC22000, CTFA, MPI and Food Safety certifications. Expertise in developing and implementing quality management systems, auditing, H & S, SOP’s, equipment validations etc. Highly motivated, customer focused and passionate about quality with great communication skills. $120k, Auckland.

DS106 Recent graduate BSc (First -class Honours) seeks first role in the lab where he can utilise his knowledge and passion for Chemistry. Personable with excellent written & verbal communication skills. Energetic and eager to begin his career. $50k, Auckland.

DS107 Experienced Batcher / Blender Operator and Chemist. Advanced MS Office skills. Full licences in Classes 1,2,4 & 6 including DG. Numerous industry certs incl. First Aid, Chemical Handling, MPI Accredited Person + more. Enthusiastic and motivated person. $60k, Tauranga.

BM118 Experienced QA / QC temp with manufacturing experience ready to get back into work after 2 years off on maternity leave. Open to temp roles. Approx. $25 / hour, Auckland

BM117 Highly motivated and driven Quality Assurance Supervisor who has worked with and managed a variety of QMS standards. Auckland, $65K

BM116 Experienced Production Supervisor with an eye for increasing efficiencies and reducing costs in manufacturing. Suit a continuous improvement or supervisor position. Auckland, $80K.

Operations & Supply Chain

DS101 A Quality Assurance and validation specialist with 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. Outstanding skillset in manufacturing site compliance, risk assessment and management, corrective and preventative action. Experienced in managing high level containment facilities and leading major infrastructure upgrades. Ready for a new Quality Management Systems role with a private or government organisation in the Wellington region. $140K+

VP339 Warehousing & Inventory – Dip Supply Chain Management & Freight Forwarding – Enthusiastic and motivated young man with forklift licence, keen to kick start his career in logistics. Excellent organisational & computer skills. Available now. All NZ. $45K

VP336 Administration & System Operator. Masters in Computer Apps. New to NZ, good communicator, enjoys customer service and working to a high standard including within set timeframes. Well organised and professional. Central/South Auckland, $45-50K

VP335 Customer Service Administrator National Diploma in Business, Certificate in Commerce & Tourism. Smart, social & organized candidate with a broad range of skills is seeking an office/warehouse/sales role with customer interaction. Enjoys working in a busy team environment, very adaptable – a good all-rounder. Auckland, $45-50K.

VP333 Warehouse Operator / Inwards Goods / Dispatch Forklift & Reach Driver. Mature, experienced, reliable candidate with good warehousing skills requires permanent dayshift role (early starts ok). East/South Auckland $50K

LF356 Supply Chain & Inventory specialist with Team Leader and bottling experience. Positive attitude and energetic. $80k, Auckland.

LF359 High calibre Senior Operations Manager, MSc Engineering, experience across high end automated plants, aerospace and fabrication. $130k, Auckland.

LF358 Exceptional Senior Production Manager, experience in leading large teams in numerous sectors including cranes, mining and boiler making. $130k, Auckland.

BM119 Seasoned Supply Chain Manager with food manufacturing experience, excellent knowledge of logistics and driving efficiencies for best possible outcomes. $90K, Auckland.

BM115 Motivated Production Supervisor with an eye for increasing efficiencies and reducing costs in manufacturing. Suit a continuous improvement or supervisor position, Auckland, $65K

Engineering

EB102 Currently working in Production following a mechanical engineering background. Fantastic internship experience. Looking to utilise existing skills whilst growing within a company. Would love to work with materials and systems (stemming from their engineering degree), but open to other hands on, technical roles with the chance for progression. $60K, Auckland.

DS102 Electrical Engineer-Scientist of the international calibre with expertise in EV motors, magnetic propulsion, and superconducting transformers. Experience leading projects involving such industry partners as Airbus and Jaguar Land Rover. Currently based in Scotland and seeking opportunities in New Zealand. $120K+.

VP338 Electronics – Recent Grad – Bachelor Engineering/Electronics, motivated young man with some experience in assisting Electrical Engineers, electrical circuit assembly etc. Excellent IT skills. Available to work overtime. Auckland, $45-50K

Executive

DS103 A highly experienced science and technology Commercialization specialist with special focus on hi-value manufacturing. Has previously worked with many start-ups and medium size companies, supporting entrepreneurs & CEO with project and innovation management, technology transfer, scale-up, market analysis, and IP protection. Open to new opportunities either on a project-based manner or in a permanent role. $130K +

GR218 experienced Company Director, Sales & Marketing leader with demonstrated history of people management within the FMCG, Cosmetics, Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Industry. A proven track record in leading teams to deliver critical business objectives. $200k, Auckland based.

GR215 Commercial Director. 20 years of successfully introducing disruptive solutions into emerging and established markets across a range of sectors, globally. Experience spans healthcare, food, CPG, materials, biotech, geothermal, clean energy and many other sectors. $300k+, Auckland based.

Sales & Marketing

EB101 Recent graduate from a degree majoring in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Management. Great experience in administration and assistant marketing. Very competent and confident working within a team, and would love to be part of a thriving corporate business. Would be fantastic in a sales role, or in other people focussed, collaborative environments. $55K, Auckland.

VP440 Account Manager Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Sales. Highly motivated lady with 15 years experience in sales, searching for new opportunity in Auckland area. Strong relationship builder, client focused. Available to start August. $100K base + car, Auckland.

LF363 Automotive Sales expert. Lengthy history within the automotive industry in the UK & NZ. Managing warranties , logistics and latterly sales & business development. Impressive candidate. $95k, Auckland.

LF362 Seasoned construction & coatings sales person with extensive experience. History dealing with a diverse mix of architects supporting a comprehensive product range. $90k, Auckland.

LF361 Aeronautics qualification with extensive B2B experience in the FMCG sector. This candidate has proven they have transferable skills, is a quick learner with the ability to build highly credible relationships. $100k, Auckland.

LF360 Immensely effective Business Developer who is able to span across many sectors including industrial, commercial & innovation. Impressive history of outstanding sales achievements. $85k, Auckland.

Our team:

Emma Bultitude (Talent Resourcer) – emma@scitex.co.nz

Agustina Esmerado (Accounts & Insights Manager) agustina@scitex.co.nz

Linda Ford (Management, Sales & Marketing; Medical & Healthcare, Engineering, Operations) – linda@scitex.co.nz

Belinda McKenzie (Food, Manufacturing, Quality, Laboratory) – belinda@scitex.co.nz

Viv Philipsen (Temping Coordinator) – viv@scitex.co.nz

Denis Simonov (Research, Life Sciences, Biotech) – denis@scitex.co.nz

Gareth Robertson (Executive) –  gareth@scitex.co.nz