The Great Opportunity for Global Mobility and Immigration

Article By: Renee Dumble (HR Consultant)

Headlines such as the Great Resignation and the Great Poach are popular catchphrases used to reference the labour and skills shortage globally. Australian organisations are not immune, as we face the culmination of a volatile external environment, a low unemployment rate and a lack of local labour supply. There is no denying that this is a competitive market, however the current climate presents great opportunity for organisations to evolve their recruitment strategies and remain sustainable into the future.

In-house recruitment teams are feeling the pressure to fill high-volume vacancies, reduce the time to hire, all the while being cost efficient; a near impossible task in today’s market unless alternative talent channels are sourced to lessen the tactical workload and satisfy resourcing needs.

To attract the workforce of tomorrow, we need to re-think how we approach recruitment strategy. Question what talent channels are available globally, how to achieve a diverse workforce, and what platforms can be leveraged to attract quality candidates.

As international borders reopen, it’s time to consider a global mobility and immigration program to manage the current labour shortage and projected employment growth, by tapping into the immigration labour supply and employing or sponsoring international talent.

The pandemic triggered much self-evaluation and for some this has meant a career change, a new country and a new adventure. Organisations have the chance to benefit from this migration by filling short-to-long term, regional, or even skill-specific resource gaps. A talent pipeline exists for industries that still require employees to have a physical presence in Australia, and in the workplace.

Tapping into the immigration program offers organisations a level of agility to better manage recruitment according to seasonality, with the options of working holiday visas or utilising skilled work visas to source employees with skillsets for specific occupations, that cannot be easily filled by the Australian labour market. Leveraging this talent channel, means recruitment teams can focus on sourcing the right person, with the right skillsets, for the right role.

Organisations across all industries need to be competitive in their recruitment; the war for talent has no boundary. Broadening the notion of the talent pool is critical for an organisation to enhance their workplace capabilities and drive business growth. The benefit of engaging international talent goes beyond filling a resource gap. International talent brings a global perspective, different experiences and ideas. They help to enrich the company culture, by creating an innovative and creative workplace driven by a diversity of thinking.

The current landscape doesn’t need to be met with uncertainty. Let it be a motivator to regenerate your approach to recruitment and leverage untapped talent globally.