Recruitment firms in New Zealand say the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the business landscape and companies need to adapt if they want to retain staff, reports Radio New Zealand. Madison Recruitment said New Zealand's working environment has progressed 10 years over the past two years, as companies struggle to find staff. With the rising cost of living, it has led to some companies offering ‘sweeteners’ to bring staff back into the office, while others like New Zealand tech company Vista Group allow all employees to knock off at 1 pm on Fridays.

Seek New Zealand country manager Rob Clark said the script had been flipped on its head. "It's really competitive out there. Companies and organisations are having to think quite differently about how to attract talent,” Clark said. "Pre-pandemic it was probably a case of 'it's a privilege for you as a job seeker to come and work for me as an organisation' and that's now flipped on its head. Organisations are really having to work a lot harder to attract that talent because it's just more competitive." Clark said it comes down to simple supply and demand.