Rachel Leinhardt from Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland is just one from several businesses looking for extra staff. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER
Rachel Leinhardt from Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland is just one from several businesses looking for extra staff. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER
Workers are being hired in droves as Rotorua businesses prepare for a bumper holiday season.
Jobs were being advertised for the Christmas-New Year school holiday period to cope with what local employers have described as the "busiest time of the year".
Trade Me jobs figures showed vacancies were on the rise with an 11 per cent increase over the months of November to January last year compared with the same time in 2013-2015.
The Bay of Plenty had a lift of 34 per cent last summer. Trade Me had 154 job listings yesterday for Rotorua while the Seek website had 103 vacancies.
Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland needed 10 extra people to work in retail, admissions, cafe, maintenance and guiding. Applications closed last week.
"We had in excess of 100 people apply, it's been phenomenal. We're really pleased with the calibre and they've mainly been from Rotorua with a lot of university students coming back," general manager Allison Lawton said.
"We've been really lucky at Waiotapu, our visitors have grown in line with the growth in Rotorua. But from my experience last year, it's a bumper season."
Marketing co-ordinator Rachel Leinhardt said temporary workers were vital for coping with the oncoming months.
We don't require experience, we just want staff who are motivated, reliable, diligent, on time," she said.
Alison Kirkland, Skyline Rotorua human resources and quality manager, said each summer they needed between 40 to 50 extra staff.
"However this year we're increasing that by another 15, bringing us to approximately 220 staff. We are busy recruiting for food and beverage attendants, luge operators, grounds and cleaning staff," she said.
"We are preparing for a busy summer and having extra staff will ensure we can deliver great service. It's important for us to ensure our customers have a fun and safe time. "
Ms Kirkland said about 17 per cent of their staff were high school and university students.
"The benefits for our fixed-term staff are getting a foot in the door and gaining work experience. If at the end of the season there are permanent vacancies then they can apply as we advertise all our positions internally. Summer staff also receive similar benefits to our permanent staff, discounts on food and activities and incentive rewards."
Agrodome and Rainbow Springs employed more than 100 staff year-round with about a dozen recruited around the summer season, Ngai Tahu Tourism marketing general manager Kirsty Phillips said.
"Agrodome staff numbers go from around 56 to around 61 in the high season and Rainbow Springs staff numbers go from around 40 to around 52 in the high season.
"The seasonal roles are typically customer service roles, food and beverage related roles, guides and translators. The animal handler, husbandry roles tend to be more specialised," she said.
But it was not just tourism operators hiring with The Warehouse Rotorua in the process of finding extra staff.
"We will have 40 new team members over Christmas. We have just finished hiring for our night fill and are now looking for shop floor and checkout staff," store manager Sally Rison said.
"[The holiday season] is crazy. It's obviously one of our peak, busiest seasons. We have advertised on The Warehouse careers site and we've had truckloads of applications. Quite a few locals applying and students coming back to Rotorua."
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Darrin Walsh said local retailers and businesses would be bracing themselves for a busy time ahead.
