Workers able to pick and choose

Employees are getting pickier about where and when they work.

Parking, petrol prices and traffic woes are increasingly named as reasons people turn down jobs, says Kevin Chappell, principal of the recruitment company Executive Taskforce.

He describes the employment environment as an "employees market", which favours workers rather than employers, and says it is not uncommon for well-suited job- seekers to now have a choice of four jobs rather than being on a shortlist for one position, as they might have been in leaner times.

"It's more competitive for good people, and people are maximising their choice," says Chappell.

"There are people that previously would have driven from, say, St Heliers to the North Shore for a job or a contract. Now there's no way. And it's a combination of the price of travel and the inconvenience of travel.

"It's been difficult to find good people probably for the last five to 10 years, but it is exacerbated when the employment rates drop. Once it gets below about 5 or 6 per cent you're in trouble."

He says accounting, human resources and marketing are some of the areas where it is hardest to get good staff.

Chappell says, however, that not all job-seekers had an easy ride during the past three months.

Businesses were putting off making decisions about hiring and many workers were staying put.