A recent survey shows that 40% of Australian organizations hire overseas workers due to a lack of qualified local candidates and better work ethic. Discover the key reasons behind this trend and its impact on the job market.

A recent survey revealed that 40% of organizations in Australia recruit overseas workers due to a lack of qualified local candidates, better work ethic of foreign workers, or cost-cutting strategies favoring cheaper labor.

The study, conducted among 607 senior business decision-makers, found that employing overseas nationals is more common in the public sector than in the private sector.

Key Findings:

– Primary Reasons for Hiring Foreign Workers:

Inadequate number of qualified local applicants.
Alignment with organizational values (41%).
Better work ethic (38%).
Commitment to the organization’s values (34%).
Foreign language skills (33%).
Cost-cutting (31%).

– Ease of Hiring:

Nearly one-quarter of organizations reported it has become easier to hire overseas workers compared to three years ago.
Factors contributing to this ease include Australia being seen as a more attractive country to live and work in (54%), increased mobility for overseas workers (43%), relaxed visa eligibility (39%), and a more understandable immigration system (35%).
The research highlights that the low unemployment rate in Australia has created significant skills gaps, making recruitment difficult for employers. Contrary to the perception that migrant labor is used primarily for low-skilled roles, employers are hiring overseas workers to fill skilled positions requiring specific qualifications and experience.

Efforts to Address Skills Gaps:

Over three-quarters of organizations are implementing measures to upskill their workforce through mentoring, work placements, internships, graduate programs, and apprenticeships.
Professional occupations have the highest density of skills gaps (39%), followed by managers (36%), clerical and administrative workers (33%), and sales workers (32%).

Employers are exploring all available options to fill these skills gaps, including partnerships with educational institutions to build robust talent pipelines.

Ongoing high employee turnover continues to pose a financial and productivity challenge, underlining the importance of investing in training and development to strengthen internal talent pipelines, especially in management and leadership training.