Retail giant to also offshore IT and finance positions
Human resources roles at Woolworths Australia are being offshored as part of the retail giant's move to remove complexity and increase productivity, according to reports.
The Australian Financial Review reported that finance and IT roles will also be offshored, with most of the affected roles to come from the IT division.
A formal consultation process on the retail giant's plan started on Wednesday, according to the report. It has about 180,000 employees in Australia, including almost 10,000 corporate staff.
A spokesperson from the retail giant told the AFR that the changes in the company's workforce are part of its efforts to "remain competitive."
"Our customers are telling us they need more help managing their budgets as growing inflationary pressures impact the cost of living," the spokesperson told the news outlet.
"To continue our commitment to deliver the dependable low prices and better shopping experiences our customers expect, and to remain competitive with the rapid expansion of international players in the market, we are continuing to transform our business. This includes removing complexity, increasing productivity and efficiency."
The move adds Woolworths to the growing list of Australian firms that are transferring positions overseas. Other companies include the National Australia Bank, KPMG Australia, and PwC Australia.
Australian firms have been "increasingly leveraging" offshoring support to various functions as of late, according to KDCI Outsourcing, an outsourcing firm in the Philippines.
It shows the country's growing reliance on overseas talent. Deel's recent report also revealed that software developers were the leading cross-border hire for Australian firms.
"Persistent skills gaps and poor job matching can weigh on productivity economy-wide. Access to global talent helps reduce that drag," Lauren Thomas, economist at Deel, previously said.
