Absolute I.T.

Taking your career to the next level or trying something different brings an exciting challenge 🚀 Check out this week’s top across the country:

📍 Auckland – Senior Support Engineer – Hayley Sharp
📍 Hutt Valley – Practice Lead – Ben Dickson
📍 Christchurch – Master Data Manager – Lucy Graham
📍 Christchurch – Team Leader - Digital Architecture – Lucy Graham

Interested in any of these opportunities? Get in touch with our team or explore the roles here: https://buff.ly/nTAeSH2

There’s a whole “hidden job market” out there - and for grads, it’s a huge opportunity. So what is it? It's when roles aren't formally advertised, but instead filled through networks, referrals, and direct outreach.

Brian unpacked this (and more) with Wintec’s IT students this week, sharing a real-world view of how the NZ tech hiring market works, beyond what you see online.

His advice? Build visibility, start conversations, and make sure the right people know who you are and what you bring. You could be front of mind before the role even exists!

Interested in having Brian speak at your organisation or campus about navigating the tech job market? Feel free to reach out - https://buff.ly/uRJp7Iw

Building the right tech team has never been more complex. In this blog, our Senior Consultant, Hayley Sharp, explores the insights behind a critical question: what people challenges are getting in the way of delivering on digital strategy?

We break down how this differs by growth stage, sector, and location, so you can understand what’s impacting similar businesses and identify challenges you may need to address in your own.

Check it out 👉 https://buff.ly/UID6JS6

Want to know what really helps graduates stand out in today’s market? At the iSANZ CyberSecurity Job Fair in Wellington last week, one thing was clear: technical skills may open the door, but personality, drive, and strong soft skills are what get you noticed.

From picking up the phone (yes, really!) and calling a recruiter or hiring manager, to getting creative with a short video, it’s those extra steps that help you rise above the crowd and close the gap between talent and opportunity.

If you're starting out, go beyond the application. After some more tips and advice? You can check out these resources on our website - https://buff.ly/WbCmIOj

We're closed for King's Birthday today, but in the meantime you can still leave us a message or apply for jobs on our website: https://buff.ly/dOPCLNX
Enjoy the rest of your time off!

We never need an excuse to celebrate, especially when it’s celebrating the talent driving New Zealand’s tech industry forward 🎉

Rounding out Techweek26, we attended the NZ Hi-Tech Awards last Friday. From software and telecommunications to agritech and creative, it was a powerful showcase of an industry making a real impact across Aotearoa.

Proud to be part of a night recognising not just the award winners, but the people behind them and the many talented nominees shaping the future of the tech 👏

How do you stay ahead in a rapidly evolving tech landscape? 🤔 It was a question we heard time and again throughout Techweek26 last week.

Our team attended events across the country, having these conversations firsthand and gaining a front-row view of how the future of work is taking shape. Here are our main takeaways from two standout sessions held by Deloitte:

𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 – 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗭
💡 People building strong AI capability are gaining a clear edge in the market
💡 It’s not just about investing in tools – teams need time and space to learn, test and experiment

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁
💡 The real opportunity lies in personalisation - AI agents that support users and evolve over time
💡 When working with AI, create reusable prompt patterns to streamline workflow

Some great insights from these sessions. We're already counting down to Techweek27!

Techweek26 is officially underway and we're excited to get amongst it! Here are our top 3 event picks from around the country, spotlighting the ideas, skills, and conversations we think are shaping Aotearoa's workforce. Check them out 👇

📍 Wellington & Online – Wednesday 20th – 𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 - 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘴, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘐 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘕𝘡
Register here: https://buff.ly/moh5gFq

📍 Christchurch – Thursday 21st – 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴
Register here: https://buff.ly/hcYJznx

📍 Auckland & Online – Friday 22nd – 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦: 𝘈𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺
Register here: https://buff.ly/DJj9e8w

Our key takeaway from the latest Technology Investment Network member event? The organisations getting ahead are the ones thinking early, planning with intent, and aligning their hiring with where the business is heading.

The panel discussion, guided by our General Manager Kerrie Gregory, provided some really interesting insights from Victoria Hayward at Douglas Pharmaceuticals, Nicola Talbot at Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, and Rachel Stuart at Aroa Biosurgery. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

We’re proud to sponsor these events and can’t wait for the next one. If you’re not already a TIN member, it’s worth joining for the events alone. See you there!

Struggling to find (and keep) top tech talent? You’re not alone. Hiring might be picking up, but finding the right talent hasn’t got any easier.

In this blog our Business Manager, Paul Kelly, shares key insights from our 2026 IT Job Market Report to help you create an EVP that sets you apart and gives your best people a reason to stay.

Check it out 👉

Hiring, Retention, and Employee Value Propositions - Absolute IT What NZ tech employers need to know in 2026: hiring challenges, talent shortages, EVP strategies, and how to attract and retain top candidates.