KEY POINTS:
New Zealand employers are desperate to attract and keep business and IT graduates like Angus Norton.
The AUT commerce graduate is in his fifth year of employment with Microsoft Corporation in the US following five years working for Microsoft in New Zealand as a product manager.
Norton, now 35, manages 40 people in the US and holds a senior position that encompasses global research and development of new technology platforms as well as "IT evangelism."
"We spend a lot of time trying to make people understand how dynamic and how relevant information technology is to business. Some tertiary institutions [in New Zealand and the US] are teaching slightly behind the capacity of current technologies, which doesn't help," says Norton.
Norton says he loves his job, which presents him with ongoing challenges and career opportunities and allows him a high level of personal flexibility as well as a position where he feels he can make a difference.
This is close to a 'textbook perfect' example of what today's graduates are looking for according to international HR research - however not every organisation can emulate what Microsoft may have to offer.
The 2007 version of MIS Top 100, which profiles the concerns of senior IT managers in New Zealand's largest organisations, reveals difficulty in finding and keeping skilled IT staff in New Zealand has most senior managers worried.
"The shortage of skilled IT people we're experiencing is similar to the dot com boom and Y2K days of seven years ago. This has been heightened by the volume of work required to implement critical projects," says Mark Ratcliffe, chief operating officer technology for Telecom.
James Dring, chief information officer for IAG says: "Recruiting and retaining skilled IT staff remains the number one challenge for the IT team at IAG NZ. There is a real lack of available talent."
So how can New Zealand employers attract the IT talent they want without going through an expensive and potentially complicated overseas recruitment programme? Nadine Newport, recruitment manager for IT solutions provider Intergen, says while most university job fairs are attended by third year students, "very focussed" first and second year students also turn up. Acquiring the best graduates therefore requires imagination, innovation, creativity - and patience.
"It's a cut-throat; competitive market and the good grads tend to go first. Employers [need to] pitch their desirability as a career destination to students who have not yet even graduated," says Newport.
She says Intergen is prepared to "do anything" towards this, including wearing battle fatigues in Intergen's corporate colour of yellow to university fairs in 2007, along with T-shirts featuring an Uncle Sam-style pointing finger declaring, "We want you!" Intergen also promotes its culture and work environment, including social clubs, sports teams, sponsorships and outside work activities.
"We're not just looking for the best academic students, but also those who fit our culture with the right personality, passion for technology and attitude. We may be an IT company, but we don't live up to the stereotype of not having any fun," says Newport.
Sarah Brown, talent manager for IBM New Zealand and Australia, agrees graduate hiring is a serious business and IT companies need to be authentic about what's on offer. She says IBM's strategy is to treat graduates as adults able to make clear decisions and that IBM tries hard to "stick to what we need to do, rather than get into a flap trying to recruit against competitors".
IBM has also had experienced graduate recruitment success through providing short term and holiday work opportunities for under-graduates.
"That gives us access to the current pipeline of talent and gives students an idea of who they are working for and what to expect - you don't want to attract people only for them to leave in six months," says Brown.
She says many IT graduates are under the impression a global career will happen in the short term and New Zealand employers may need to communicate a 'reality check' on that up front.
That said, IBM offers 12 months leave of absence for travel after two years employment and is working on piloting a work exchange programme with IBM UK for restless young Kiwis - 12 months in each country will help IBM to hold onto its younger employees, says Brown.
She says graduates are also keen to 'hit the ground running' and accelerated integration into the organisation is another proven retention strategy for IBM.
Diane Christensen, HR manager for global solutions provider EDS New Zealand, says EDS likes to let its brand "do the talking" when approaching graduates. In addition to attending university jobs fairs, EDS is in the process of broadening its current IT graduate development programme beyond application development.
Christensen says graduates first want an opportunity to get across the threshold, but then quickly expect employers to invest in them via ongoing development and training.
Like Brown, she says it can help to assign graduates to a particular area of operation as soon as possible, and to develop individual training plans and provide mentoring.
EDS also encourages new graduates to keep a diary of their employment progress along with issues they would like to raise.
