Jobs & Money Detail
Foreign IT workers miss out
The Government will undertake research to get to investigate whether New Zealand IT firms are more reluctant to employ foreigners, and, if so, why this is the case
Garth Biggs, executive director of the HiGrowth Project, a non-profit trust funded by the Economic Development Ministry, says there's always a lot of interest from potential migrants at IT trade shows that are held in the UK and other countries, but not enough actually arrive in New Zealand, mainly due to a lack of job offers from IT companies. Biggs claims the country needs more immigrants with IT skills in order for the sector to grow to account for 10 per cent of the New Zealand economy.
The project's research will concentrate on examining the barriers faced by potential immigrants who are living overseas, as well as hearing from those in the IT field who have already settled in New Zealand.
Ben Pearson, QID recruitment director, says strict employment laws in New Zealand mean most IT companies are reluctant to hire over the phone as it is difficult to get rid of employees who do not fit the bill after they have relocated to New Zealand and started their job.
This means in the IT sector, job-hunting is extremely difficult without actually being in New Zealand and meeting with potential employers.
Kiwi immigration legislation also favours IT professionals who are already in New Zealand, making the visa process much more simple. Salaries tend to be lower in the Kiwi technology sector than those in other countries, which mean that people looking to work in the country are generally interested in a lifestyle change as opposed to financial gain.
Kiwi-owned IT firms have been accused in the past of allegedly discriminating against skilled migrants, especially with regards to a bias against applicants with accents, although IT firms insist it is simply a matter of preferring to meet candidates before offering them a job. However, the growing skills shortage may start to see many companies to reassess their migrant recruitment policy.
The importance of a research trip before moving permanently has been highlighted by many recruitment companies and IT firms themselves, who say meeting applicants for a job 'face-to-face' often yields much more favourable results. The need for Information and Communication Technology professionals is even greater since the Government announced a package of measures to address New Zealand's existing broadband performance, which it conceded operates at a 'relatively poor' standard earlier this year. This package of measures was developed as part of a stocktake of the telecommunications sector commissioned by the Minister of Communications in December 2005, and led by the Ministry of Economic Development.
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