Hiring motivations shift from talent shortage to diversity
Hiring intentions towards global talent remained stable in Australia despite perceptions that its employment market is now more reliant on overseas talent, according to a new report.
Findings from a new Robert Half poll revealed that 65% of employers see the Australian market as being more reliant on overseas talent now than it was five years ago.
However, it found that only 72% of business leaders have hired a skilled applicant from another country in the past two years.
This is close to the 71% of business leaders in a 2022 survey that said they planned to hire international talent as they anticipated the challenge of hiring locally.
According to the new report, motivations for hiring globally are no longer strongly pushed by local talent shortages, but by the pursuit of diversity.
Nearly half of employers (45%) who hired a skilled migrant or are considering it said they sought a diverse perspective and wanted to boost innovation. Only 34% of employers cited a lack of local talent. Others said:
Nicole Gorton, Director at Robert Half, said considering international talent gives employers the opportunity to identify highly qualified candidates.
"Those from overseas who join the Australian workforce can offer a range of benefits to organisations, such as fresh perspectives and global experience," she added.
Meanwhile, the report found that five per cent of employers would not consider recruiting skilled migrants, while 26% said they would not do so again after trying it before.
Four in 10 business leaders cited as reasons language fluency (45%), cultural differences (44%), and the lack of local market knowledge (44%). Others said:
Gorton acknowledged that international hiring may not be the right fit for every business.
"Like any recruitment strategy, hiring applicants from another country demands a considered approach, it's not a case of 'one size fits all,'" she said.
"International hiring won't work for everyone, especially when considering real-world barriers like visa complexities and legal working rights. It's not a 'silver bullet,' but it can be advantageous for some organisations."
