​Boost for Christchurch tech scene as permanent IT jobs dominate market

Permanent positions are currently dominating Christchurch’s IT job market, with software development being a key area of recruitment.

According to local IT recruitment firm, Sourced, the trend of permanent job offers exceeding temporary contracts was first noticed in October last year, surging at the end of 2015 and now continuing throughout the first quarter of 2016.

Sourced Managing Director, Jason Bishop, says the shift to long-term over short-term employment is likely due to contract-based projects coming to fruition and employers using the opportunity to fulfil long-term IT needs.

“Our research suggests that Christchurch employers are committed to building their IT teams for the future,” he says.

“They understand their IT needs and, as well as recruiting ‘like for like’ as employees move on, they are also in search of specific skills.

“In particular, there’s been an increase in demand in the areas of software development and business intelligence – most noticeably at the mid to senior management level. The trend is great news for the Canterbury IT job market and suggests good stability for the year ahead.”

Currently, Bishop says there are over 100 IT-related permanent positions advertised on job search site, Seek, with the Sourced Quarterly Market Update highlighting that Cantabrian companies are continuing to recruit a high volume of candidates from overseas.

Sourced forecasts that the IT job market will continue to gain pace, for permanent and contract positions, during this second quarter of 2016 - particularly as companies settle into the new financial year and use the opportunity to start new projects.