SEEK recently brought together recruitment and HR leaders in Auckland for a market briefing led by SEEK Economist Blair Chapman, alongside Customer Success and Support Manager Miriana Hawthorne. 

Among those attending was Kymberly Tupai, General Manager – Northern Region at Stellar Recruitment, who described the session as “a grounded view of a market that is not standing still, but not moving at pace either.” 

A clear shift is underway in candidate behaviour. While engagement with job opportunities remains high, conversion is slower, with candidates continuing to take a more cautious and considered approach. 

Often described as “job hugging,” this trend reflects a workforce that is weighing risk more carefully in a softer economic environment. “What we’re seeing is not a lack of movement, it is a change in how people move,” says Tupai. “Candidates are still active, but they’re far more deliberate. Security, timing and long-term fit are all being weighed more heavily.” 

This aligns with broader labour market data showing a cooling environment, where more people are participating in the workforce while unemployment has lifted to around 5.3% nationally. 

 
RNZ has reported highlights that this increase is being driven partly by more job seekers entering the market than jobs being created, reinforcing a more competitive and cautious landscape. 

Salary remains the primary trigger for candidate movement, but expectations have evolved. Insights from the session reinforced that salary alignment alone is no longer enough. Employers must think more broadly about what they offer. 

“Pay still opens the conversation,” Tupai explains. “But it doesn’t close it anymore. Candidates are looking at the full picture – flexibility, leave, progression and stability.” 

This reflects wider workforce trends across New Zealand, where flexibility and work-life balance play a significant role in job satisfaction and overall wellbeing. 

 
Flexible working arrangements are now a standard expectation for many employees, with Statistics NZ reporting that over half of our country’s workers already having access to some form of flexibility. 

“Time has become one of the most valuable levers,” Tupai adds. “If organisations can’t move on salary, they need to consider how they can give people more control over their time.” 

Another consistent theme is the lengthening of hiring cycles. Candidates are taking longer to secure roles, particularly at senior levels, placing pressure on employers to maintain engagement throughout increasingly extended processes. 

“The longer the process, the higher the drop-off risk,” says Tupai. “Clear and swift communication is critical to securing talent.” 

This shift reflects a broader rebalancing of the labour market. While signs of recovery are emerging, the pace remains gradual. In December, RNZ reported that job ad volumes began to lift after a prolonged slowdown, suggesting early recovery signals while conditions remain uneven even six months later. 

AI is now firmly embedded in candidate behaviour, from applications through to interview preparation. As a result, employers are seeing more polished candidates entering processes. 

However, rather than replacing human decision-making, the trend is increasing the value of it. 

“AI is lifting the baseline,” Tupai says. “But that means employers need to go deeper – structured interviews, better questioning, and stronger human assessment are what will differentiate talent and deliver greater certainty in hiring outcomes.” 

The takeaway is clear: while technology is shaping how candidates present themselves initially, human capability is becoming a stronger point of differentiation, not a weaker one. 

At a regional level, Auckland continues to reflect the sharpest impact of recent economic conditions. Latest data shows Auckland’s unemployment rate sitting above the national average, at around 6%+, making it one of the more affected regions in the country. 

“Auckland recently has been tending to feel global uncertainty first,” Tupai notes. “It is heavily weighted toward corporate and professional services, so it reacts quickly to external pressures.” 

However, there are early indicators the market is beginning to stabilise. “We’re starting to see the first signs of recovery,” she says. “It is not a surge; it is a gradual lift. But those early signals are important.” 

Pulling these insights together, the Auckland market is best described as resetting rather than declining. 

• Candidate engagement remains strong, but decision-making is slower 
• Salary alone is no longer enough to secure movement 
• Time, flexibility and stability are key differentiators 
• Hiring processes must be structured and communication-led 
• The labour market is soft but stabilising, with early recovery signals emerging 

“This is a more complex hiring environment than we’ve seen in recent years,” Tupai concludes. “But it is also an opportunity. The organisations that adapt that understand what candidates value and respond with clarity – will be the ones that come out ahead.”