| Managers comment Dec 09 |
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December 2009 This year has flown by and Christmas is just around the corner! It has been an interesting year for our offices, our nannies, and our families, with lots of uncertainty in the market and lots of competition for jobs. We are pleased to say after a nervous summer the last few months have really picked up and October and November have been two of our best months ever. Thanks so much to all of our clients and candidates who have helped us ensure another successful year during very tough times for everyone. What's happening in the market at the moment? Well it seems that nannies are still having to work just as hard to secure the top roles, but the job numbers are creeping up again and nannies do have a few more options. We have seen a jump in the number of live in positions on offer, and as per usual have a shortage of candidates, so anyone who is flexible to consider daily or part time do let us know so we have more options for you! Office life has been busy at KiwiOz with a move upstairs in our building, our NZ office welcoming Kelly to help on a part time basis, and Elly finishing up in the London office to head back to Australia. In Feb 2010 we will also be saying a sad farewell to Amber who will be heading home to NZ to get married! Luckily we have two fantastic new recruits starting with us in Feb, both lovely, experienced Kiwi's so you can expect the same high standards of service as ever! As always we are looking forward to a busy January so do make sure to register your position or job search with us ASAP so you don't miss out- we have already placed a lot of jobs with January start dates. Until we do hear from you again we hope you have a lovely Christmas! Rachel Ogg March 2009 Like everyone else, the credit crunch has everyone in the nanny market nervous. There seems to be a lot to consider- one the one side many valued clients are losing their jobs and nannies are being made redundant. On the other hand, more parents are returning to the workforce to help with costs, and nannies are becoming more flexible to parents requirements. At KiwiOz we are really pleased to report that one of the results of the tightening market has been an increase in the quality of our candidates. Those Australasian candidates who are still overseas are hesitating to book flights if they don’t have enough experience, for fear of not getting a job on arrival. Those candidates with good experience are contacting us well in advance and are well prepared and happy to complete preliminary interviews over the phone or via skype. These factors, combined with the increase in candidates available long term thanks to the new 2 year Youth Mobility Visa, have contributed to a positive mood. Another trend in the last twelve months has been an increase in nanny shares and part time jobs. As usual we have a lot of employers requesting live in nannies and our hope is that availability will increase in this area as demand for full time daily nannies declines. If you are trying to cut costs and the idea of a live in nanny is not appealing, a nanny share or part time nanny can be a great solution and we normally have more candidates available. Remember we can look for more than one solution at a time, and remaining flexible to all options if you can sometimes brings surprising results! Overall while slightly nervous about the economy we are still feeling positive about the year ahead here at KiwiOz. Thanks so much to all of our loyal clients and nannies who continue to give feedback, recommend us and keep us informed on local trends- your custom is invaluable to us. Best wishes to all for the year ahead! Rachel Ogg |