More good news for the NZ finance sector! In a survey recently conducted by Robert Half International, New Zealand’s finance industry emerged on top as the sector with the best score for employee satisfaction, with 76% of NZ respondents saying that their organization qualifies as a good employer.

More than three-fourths of the finance and accounting industries expressed the opinion that their companies are good employers. That’s 6% more than the satisfaction rate of Australian employees and 9% higher than the regional average. The 2010 Workplace Survey, which ran from February and March of this year polled 1,281 finance, accounting, human resources and executive-level managers from four countries in the region, and asked them about which qualities they consider would make a good employer.

As it turns out, pay is not the top reason cited by most of the participants. Instead, foremost among the qualities they figured were important was the availability of opportunities in training and career development. Salary only came in second, followed by good leadership and mentoring.

These results point to the idea that reinvesting in training and development of employees could be a crucial part of business, especially now that hopes are high for an expected economic recovery. It also focuses on the importance of intra-office communication as well as team building and conflict management.

This was evident among New Zealand finance companies that communicated the need to take necessary measures to keep their organizations alive at the height of the recession, and thus reaped the reward of employee approval and staff loyalty.

Which is probably why a lot of the NZ respondents said that they were happy where they are and are not looking for a new job. And I’m proud to say that this is by far, the highest in the region.

However, if you look at the numbers, you will actually see that only 49 per cent of the respondents said that their company is focused on their career development. Pretty low numbers considering that this is now the top priority among employees who are looking for job satisfaction – especially as this lags behind Australia, where 55% said this to be true and Hong Kong, where 54% said the same thing.

Perhaps now that it is clear that while salary is important, career development is vital as well, NZ employers would be happy to note that investing more in training and development will yield even higher employee satisfaction than the heights it has already achieved in the recent survey. Search our financial and accountancy jobs with Finance jobs !

In a bid to give international favorites Ireland and Luxembourg some serious competition, New Zealand Economic Development Minister Gerry Brownlee recently declared the country’s plans to develop itself into an appealing fund “domicile” and establish an international fund services industry.

This venture into turning New Zealand into the choice base of operations for big money management firms will be spearheaded by industry expert Craig Stobo, whose team of private sector advisors will be helping the government in its bid to set up the country as an international funds management hub.

The International Fund Services Development Group, which will be led by Stobo, includes big names from the private financial sector like Troy Bowker, Mark Fitzgerald, Hugh Stevens and Sam Stubbs, all chief executives from their companies namely Caniwi Capital Partners, Citigroup NZ, BNP Paribas NZ and Tower Investments, respectively.

Stobo, who is, himself, chairman of fund management business Appello Services, said that one of the most important changes that he will be advising the government to consider would be changes in the tax system. This will encourage fund managers to create their base of operations in New Zealand. An example would be to create a zero tax-rate for non-residents investing internationally through New Zealand domiciled funds.

The government is looking positively into this venture, saying that turning New Zealand into a financial hub will likely create more jobs for Kiwis. Prime Minister John Key estimates new jobs created to be between 3,000 and 5,000.

View some of the best Finance and accounting jobs online at Financejobs.co.nz

In a move designed to help the government find ways to “increase the performance of businesses and the public sector”, Finance Minister Bill English recently announced the formation of a four-member productivity commission.

Business Week reports that this productivity commission aims to help the government increase the country’s economic growth. They plan to do this by developing private-sector investment and imports instead of relying on government spending and borrowing, which has become unrealistic and unsustainable in the past decade. This has in fact, led to one of the worst recessions in 30 years.

The plan in the long run is to make sure that finance and market conditions are healthy enough for New Zealand families to get the jobs, career opportunities and higher income that they deserve.

The new commission will be modeled parallel to the Australian Productivity Commission and will be funded from the existing government budget, a price tag that is likely to read NZ$5 million by the year 2012. Its primary responsibilities will include looking into all areas of productivity, which includes skill levels, investment and taxation. Aside from this, the commission is also imbued with the power to review how effective government regulations and agencies are.

The formation of this new commission is welcome news to the finance sector, as anything that the government can extend in the way of a boost in economic growth will always be met with cooperation and enthusiasm. Hopefully, a recharged NZ economy will pump more life into businesses and finance, which will in turn help produce more jobs not just within the finance sector but also in the other industries that it helps fund.

I think we can all breathe a little easier now and relish the good news.

Finance Minister Bill English just announced the shut down of the government’s wholesale funding guarantee in response to the steady, healthy improvement of the NZ finance market.

The shut down, which takes effect at the end of April 2010, is a good sign. It shows that NZ banks now have the capability of raising funds overseas in wholesale markets without relying on government guarantees, thus prompting the government to withdraw the set up.

However, the minister relays the good news with a hint of caution, saying that although thinks are looking up for now, the ministry is ready to put the system of guarantees back into place should the economy, fickle as it is, slumps back into a recession.

We at financejobs.co.nz are hoping this piece of great news will encourage further investment and spur the development of more job opportunities in the finance and banking industry. In the meantime, we’ve got all the reason in the world to be positive.

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island and with a population of around 370,000 it means that there are good opportunities for finding the right type of people for your company vacancy.

The current economic climate though, means that right now there are many more people looking for work where-as historically finding skilled and commercially experienced people has often been difficult or a salary bidding war to secure the best skilled employees.

If your company is now considering recruitment, have you considered advertising on the internet?

Many jobseekers use the net to search out local employment opportunities and this is a growing trend, until now it has often been expensive and then more additional advertising costs for options such as including a logo with your ad, or having pre-screening questions.

We are very pleased to tell you about www.christchurchjobs.co.nz one of our newest jobsites in the Job energy family.

While Financejobs.co.nz is a useful tool for recruiting in Christchurch and across New Zealand, you may also be interested to know that Job energy launched ChristchurchJobs.co.nz on January 11th 2010, since its first job ad going live; Christchurch Jobs is quickly becoming the website of choice for many local employers and recruitment agencies that need to find talent in chch.

ChristchurchJobs.co.nz also offers the same great value of job posting rates as Financejobs.co.nz – for just $69+gst you will receive
(Purchase ads via credit card or account)

30 day job advert
Company Logo
Company Profile page
Screening questions
Video in advert – Free option
Response to email or URL
Sub accounts – Free option
0800 support

Our Guarantee to you
If you don’t fill your vacancy on ChristchurchJobs.co.nz then we’ll happily relist your vacancy free of charge for you.

For more information about Christchurch Jobs and recruitment advertising in Christchurch visit us online at www.christchurchjobs.co.nz or use our contact page.

Mortgages… love them or hate them; you’re likely to have a mortgage at some stage of your life. If you haven’t had a mortgage yet though you’re proberly wondering what all the fuss is about. If you fall into that bracket of “mortgage noobie” this blog post is for you.

Getting the right mortgage means:
- more money in your pocket
- less stress and worry
- less fee’s or no fee’s on completion
- less fee’s or no fee’s for changing product

The problem is that there are so many mortgage products out there, that by the time you have found your house that you want to buy you can be so confused that you don’t know which option is the right one to opt for, or what package.

The most common mortgages you will come across are Fixed rate and Floating rate - Although many people say that to get the right mortgage you need a crystal ball!

Fixed rate mortgages : If you opt for a fixed rate mortgage you are effectively “locking” in a rate that you sign in for. This means that if you manage to get a low rate and mortgage rates rise then you still get to keep the low rate you took! However if mortgage rates drop, you would then be paying more than your neighbours for the same type of property.

Floating mortgages : Taking a floating rate mortgage can be a gamble, effectively you are betting that the rate will remain in your monthly budget or drop to a lower percentile. Currently floating mortgage rates are around 5.59 /5.69 depending on product, so if mortgage rates were to become lower in the future your payments would also become lower. As interest charges make up the largest proportion of most payments taking on a floating mortgage in a favourable climate can mean very low repayments.

You may be able to see now why having a crystal ball would be so helpful when choosing a mortgage! Getting locked into a repayment schedule that you didn’t predict or finding that rising mortgage rates squeeze you to the point of the brink of no return is of course not enjoyable.

As a Mortgage noobie you need to carefully work out what you can afford and leave yourself plenty of breathing space. If you go back to mortgage rates from 2008 they were around 8-10% which is a massive increase from the 5% rates we are on right now.

Before you go house hunting check first to see what you can afford, review the jobs on the internet to see if you are being paid the right amount for your skills, and get yourself a free appointment with a mortgage broker.

Debt Consolidation is basically a means of simplifying the payments of your debts. It’s a method wherein you pay all your debts using one single loan. However by consolidating your debts  you are likely to extend your term of the loan. It’s also means an increase on your finance charges.  

Sometimes refinancing or debt consolidation is the way forward, it can be of help if your personal finances have changed due to a new job, or loss of employment. Lets look at the advantages and the disadvantages of debt consolidation.

Pro
Plus points are that it requires only one monthly payment rather than numerous monthly payments and this simplifies bill payments and reduces the chances of late payments. Many companies rely on the fact that a certain percentage of their customers will not pay on time and this is where they will sting you with high interest charges for late payments.

Cons

I’ll call this the human factor, because when you know that you have money to spend by  reducing your monthly re-payments there are many of us that start to spend again. It’s tempting to know that you know have access to money again, even if it is by new borrowing.  

Planning

A well-chosen consolidation plan is vital if you are not going to get yourself deeper into debt. There are certain means to get money for debt consolidation. Here are some methods for reducing your personal debts.

• Borrow money from yourself

-          Money from your savings accounts, stocks, bonds, or retirement could be of use or consolidating debts. There is a risk as you may need these savings for unseen events but at least you end the spiral of interest payments.

• Borrow from family and friends =  no or low interest charges.

-          It sounds easy to borrow from this group of people but not paying the said amount properly or just being a late payee could ruin the relationship.

• Pawnshops – quick and easy but reduced return

-It can give money instantly but normally only 30-50% of the real price of an item.

• Life Insurance, Loan Account or Home-Equity Loan

-          Are also means of money for debt consolidation but they also have disadvantages.

Just bear in mind, a consolidation loan is good if you have

-          Have a high amount of debt;

-          Have a very high interest rate on that debt; or

-          Are considering borrowing more money at a high interest rate.

The best advice is to always take professional financial advice, these kind of statements are on the bottom of most loan forms, but it’s amazing that many people don’t even know their full options before they take on a loan or a new loan. If you need some financial advice go to our finance directory for local companies.

If you have thought about advertising your companies vacancies online but had wanted more proof that Jobsites do work and that they are effective; then the 2009 Sources of Talent report gives some interesting insights into the differences of the oceania jobboards compared to how the US recruits.

It seems that online recruitment is far more popular on this side of the world that you actually imagined.

You can obtain the full report from www.talentsource.com.au/download.php but included is an interesting snippet from thier report  that talks about the breakdown of how candidates are sourced.

“The Australian SOT-09 lists the results for 18 sources. The top 6 (which account for 3 out of every 4 hires ) are as follows: - Job Boards- 29.6%, Internal Recruiters- 16.8%, Corporate Website- 10.6%, Referrals- 7.6%, Recruiting Firms- 6.8% and Internal Promotion- 6.3%. “

With over 29% of candidates coming from jobsites, it makes for interesting reading that jobseekers have fully embraced online job advertising and that  Job boards are considered a source for Australian hires nearly 4 times as often as in the USA.

Is your company taking advantage of  jobsites and the jobseekers that are looking for work online?

How to make sure you dont fall victim to identity fraud,NZ’s newest and biggest growth in crime.

Online job seekers should be careful when using social media like facebook, twitter and other non traditional jobboards because there is little security, your online details are stored in your profile and can be accessed easily via social groups through friend request. We’ve drawn up some advice to help you become more secure, follow a few simple online and off line tips to be safe!

Identity theft is New Zealand’s quickest growing crime. According to Javelin Method and Research, a firm dedicated to researching financial service subjects, in 2007 virtually 8.4 million folk were the victims of identity burglary, totaling $49.3 bn. in fake charges in the USA. NZ like other countries is also seeing arise in internet crime, The study also cited the average victim spends at least twenty five hours making an attempt to resolve the issue. An identity burglary happens when anyone obtains your private info and uses your identity to rob your finances, your clean background record, or your medical history. By getting your IRD number and perhaps a driver’s license number, burglars can open mastercards, bank loans and checking accounts using your info. They can get jobs and health care insurance by trying your background info. As a victim of identity burglary, you pay the price by having loans and job opportunities denied, getting arrested for a crime you didn’t commit, and losing your good name. It is an intense and maddening experience that will take weeks, months and even years to clear. Luckily, you can take steps to lower your odds of being an identity theft victim. The following guidelines will help : one. Lighten your wallet : Reduce the quantity of cards you carry on a regular basis. For most of the people, having one card in their wallet is acceptable for daily activity. If you’re traveling or making a large purchase, you can take other mastercards, as required. Also, never carry your birth certificate, passport, or social security card with you unless you want it for travel or other reasons. Once your need is over, soon take away the item from your purse or wallet and store the document in a secure place.

If you are searching for a job online, keep in mind that legitimte employers will not ask you to send your bank, IRD or other information across the internet, you are entitled to a contract of employment and it is wise to meet the person that you are going to work for before giving your financial details via email.

Tips to increase your security

Ultimately, keep a record of all your ATM/cashcard card numbers and telephone number should you must report a cyber burglary. Two. Shred unneeded documents and mail : Buy a quality shredder that does cross-shredding, as this could give you the most protection. After you get your mail for the day, be certain to open each envelope, even if you suspect it’s spam mail. Pick which items you are going to save and file and which you are going to drop. Before throwing anything away, check it for private or financial info.
Be certain to shred any rubbish mail that includes account numbers or private info. Also do not forget to shred new checks or deposit forms, as well as store and invoices. Three. Guard your private info : Never give out any private info over the telephone, through the mail, or on the web unless you’ve got an established relationship with the company. If you get a telephone call, letter, or e-mail from a company you know - use caution.

Most businesses that use the telephone for marketing will not ask you for private info when they initiate the communication. If it is a telephone call, respectfully tell the person you can call the shopper service dep. back at the number you have on file and will debate the problem with them at that point. Don’t call back on the alternate number the person on the line gives you. Likewise, if you get a letter from a company and they ask you to fill out some private info and then mail it back in the enclosed envelope, do not do it. Call the company at the number you have on file and ask if the mailing is legit. Ultimately , never click links you get in a mail from a company. Go to the particular website by typing the corporation’s address into your Internet address bar, or better yet, call the company about the e-mail. Few businesses will ever ask for your private info thru e-mail, Four. Defend your PC and e-mail : Install firewalls and pathogen protection on all of your PCs, and keep any protection program current by doing the commended updates. These products will forestall hackers from getting into your drive and taking your info. They’ll also stop worms and viruses from causing your personal computer to broadcast non-public info to others.

Five.Remove your name from selling catalogues of credit reporting agencies : if you are uninterested in all of the pre-approved credit offers you get in the post, be assured that you can reduce or perhaps dump the numbers of mailings you get. Notice that burglars open mailboxes and grab these pre-approved offers. They then use them to open credit lines in your name.

Six. Check your credit history every year : You can get a free credit score annually from every one of the 2 main credit reporting agencies. Visit Annualcreditreport .com  for info on the simple way to do so. As you review your credit history, look for any credit investigations you didn’t make, any accounts you didn’t open and any unexplained debt you didn’t initiate. Remember to do that for every one of the agencies, as you will have different info on each. Each agency has its own reporting suggestions.

Seven. Track all your Visa card, bank and billing statements : As you open your statements every month, completely read them to make certain all of the charges and transactions are legitimized. Identity burglars count on the proven fact that many of us are either too busy or too lazy to read their statements, and that is how many I. D. theft cases go on for a very long time before the activity is spotted. Keep all of your invoices and at month’s end, match the charges to your receipts. When done, you can shred the invoices. When ID theft hits, hit back : If you all of a sudden start receiving new visa cards in the post that you didn’t request, get denied credit for no clear reason, or receive calls about purchases you probably did not make, you could be an ID theft victim and need to act fast.

Right away call each one of the credit reporting agencies and have them place a “fraud alert” on your file. This action will stop the burglar from getting more cards and loans in you name.

Generally, if you call one agency, they can automatically inform the other agencies. However, if you want to play it conservatively, call thw two major credit agencies : Equifax / Experian  Contact the suitable agency to inform them of fake charges.

Additionally, check all affected accounts and tell the safety department of each company where you account has been fiddled. Tell your bank to stop payment on any unapproved checks, and tell the check corroboration service where the bank does business of the ID theft. Ultimately , file a police report of the event. This can provide evidence that I. D. theft did basically happen. Identity burglary is a significant crime that has ruined many lives. Do not let your credit and your good name be next. Treat your financial and private info with care, and be vigilant about checking your statements and accounts. The more active you are about safeguarding yourself, the lower your odds of being the following I. D. theft victim.

There are many differing kinds or styles of job interview that you may come across. It is crucial that to recollect that no two job interviews are the same and you can always enhance your interview style and preparation. Are you ready for tough interview questions?

The standard job interview - sample questions Job interviews may follow a more normal format. The following is an inventory of everyday job interview questions that may arise in one form or another. It’s a sensible idea to reflect on the type of answer you may give before a job interview but it is foolish to learn answers as you risk coming across as outlandish and not real. It’s a sensible idea to back your answers up with examples taken from your own work experience.

Why are you wanting this job? What qualities do you suspect this job requires?
Why do you need to work for this organisation?
What have you’ve got to contribute?
What are we able to offer you that your prior organisation can’t offer?
How long have you been looking out for a new job?
What did you know about this organisation?
What interests you about this organisation?
What are you searching for in a new job?
What sorts of roles are you considering at the moment?
What did you do on a daily basis?
What do you not like about the job?
How did you are making a difference to your last organisation?
What was your best success and how did you achieve it?
What’s been your largest failure?
How did you progress in your last job?
How does one handle criticism?
How does one work with others?
Are you accepted into a team quickly?
What inspires you?
Are you competitive?
What are you like under pressure?
What are your career goals?
How did you get on with your last executive / colleagues?
The team job interview to attempt to get a well-rounded point of view on applicants, many corporations ask numerous folk to take part in the selection process. it’s common for smaller firms to want their existing staff to be part of the interview process, after all, working in a smaller environment will mean that any new recruit would impact the current status quo.

Hints, what to do.- you’ll need to be certain to connect to each person. Make eye contact with the person asking the questions and peek at the other team members while responding to be certain that you are connecting with each individual. Be delicate to the dynamics in the team.

If they appear to need to control the interview, relax and flow with it, on the other hand be certain to offer info and raise questions.

We’ll continue the interview processes in the next coming blogs, but what’s the most difficult interview question that you’ve come across?