Media Release 22 November 2006
Challenge to Employers: Open Your Minds to Immigrants
One of Auckland’s senior recruitment consultants is challenging employers to put their money where their mouth is and
start opening their minds – and jobs – to immigrant applicants.
Kim Smith, Senior Consultant at Robert Half Finance & Accounting, says a recent international survey by parent company Robert Half International reflected very favourably on
New Zealand employers’ attitude to immigrants.
In the Robert Half Financial Directions Survey of more than 2500 finance professionals across 13 countries, 81% of New
Zealand respondents thought immigrants added cultural diversity to the workplace, 57% believed immigrants could help to
improve processes, 40% thought immigrants frequently had experience in more advanced procedures and 28% believed
immigrants often had qualifications and skills that could not be gained in New Zealand.
New Zealand finance professionals also thought it only fair that their companies should help immigrant workers learn the
ropes: 62% said companies should actively try to integrate migrant workers; 40% believed they should offer training; 40%
believed companies should offer mentoring to new migrants; and 28% believed they should provide language training for
migrants.
But the day-to-day reality simply didn’t match these lofty ideals, said Kim Smith. Even highly skilled migrant
applicants faced enormous hurdles finding employment in New Zealand.
“I constantly hear employers saying ‘But they won’t understand how we work’ or ‘They are not going to fit in with our
team,’” she said.
“It is astonishing that at a time when those same employers are complaining about a lack of skilled workers they are
out-of-hand rejecting highly qualified and capable applicants purely because they were raised in a different culture.
“These are people who have actually chosen to live in New Zealand – they are highly motivated to ‘fit in’ and learn the
work culture. They are also often very technically sound, very smart and a much underutilised resource in New Zealand.”
On the whole, employers were not reluctant to hire Australian, American or British immigrants, but hesitated over those
from non-Western countries, and frequently raised language as a hurdle.
Kim Smith said New Zealand employers should think carefully about the survey and start putting in practice the
sentiments expressed: actively trying to integrate migrant workers by offering them training, mentoring and, where
necessary, language training.
“Let’s stop putting up unnecessary hurdles and instead look at how these highly skilled migrants can help New Zealand
companies innovate and grow,” she said.
On a more positive note, Kim Smith agreed with the survey’s findings that New Zealand companies were open to working in
a global marketplace and were confident about holding their own against low-cost countries such as China and India.
Of the 13 countries surveyed, New Zealand topped the list for reporting their company was taking steps to be
internationally competitive (34%), that they had gained a better understanding of cultural differences (57%) and that
they were more aware of different regulatory requirements (49%).
New Zealand also scored very highly in the number who thought their companies would have to become more efficient and
work smarter to succeed in the global economy.
Nigel Barcham, Managing Director, Robert Half International ANZ, challenged the rest of the world to follow in New
Zealand’s footsteps.
“New Zealand firms have firmly grasped that they are now operating in a global marketplace and are actively taking steps
to ensure their competitiveness,” he said. “This is precisely the sort of attitude businesses all over the world are
going to need in such a fast-changing global environment.”
ENDS