As job titles and responsibilities evolve, many New Zealand companies draw on a mix of internal and external sources to set salaries for roles within their organisation, relying mainly on internal expertise and experience for new roles, independent research by recruiter Robert Half finds.
The company says that when setting pay for familiar roles, New Zealand employers primarily reference established market data but also validate those figures with internal structures. The top five tools cited by hiring managers are:
Courtesy of Robert Half
Robert Half says that when hiring for new or redefined roles, the process becomes less reliant on external materials. Without historical precedent, employers tend to adopt a more cautious and internally guided approach:
Courtesy of Robert Half
Megan Alexander, Managing Director at Robert Half, says in a statement that online salary guides “like Robert Half’s, remain the top driver of pay for familiar roles, indicating that many businesses continue to take a data-driven approach to salary decisions”.
“While internal expertise and experience are valuable for salary benchmarking, relying on them alone can leave businesses misaligned with the market for both existing and new roles. Companies that balance internal performance with up-to-date market data are better positioned to attract and retain in-demand professionals, especially in sectors where salary expectations move quickly.”
She says that with job structures evolving and skill demands changing, flexibility and adaptability are now critical to effective workforce planning.
“This is driving greater reliance on market-informed salary setting for new and emerging roles, signalling a wider shift towards data-driven decision making.”
The study was developed by Robert Half and conducted online in October 2025 by an independent research company of 250 finance, accounting, and IT and technology hiring managers.
Megan Alexander
