Shortages? Take off the attitude and see

By VICKI JAYNE

Skills shortages may be less a problem to business employers than their own blinkered approach to how those skills come packaged.

Judging by the big response to last week's story - on the fear that business growth may be stunted by lack of appropriately skilled people - a lot of talent is going begging.

It seems that if you are over 45 or have a name employers have difficulty pronouncing or spelling, you won't even make it to first base.

Typical is the case of a new arrival from India who speaks and writes good English and has a post-graduate diploma in marketing and sales, plus five years work experience.

She has been seeking work for more than five months.

Since receiving a letter of rejection from one employer for work she is well qualified to do, she has seen the same job re-advertised seven times.

There is a set of skills that is not being used and should be, says Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett.

And he is doing something about it.

"It is really sad when you see the number of people who have come here believing their skills were wanted and several months down the track have gone through some humiliating experiences with people who are just not culturally sensitive."

The country may have opened its doors to skilled immigrants, but it seems few efforts are being made to sit them at the table.

"They've come in under a system that welcomed them but hasn't participated in their integration into the business community," says Mr Barnett.

A 1999 study of Sri Lankan immigrants showed that 96 per cent had tertiary education, 92 per cent were fluent in English and 75 per cent had professional experience.

But on arrival, 32 per cent could not find work, 54 per cent took positions lower than they had previously held and half reported discrimination.

Not much has improved since.

At a time when skilled employees theoretically have more choice in determining their preferred work environment, new immigrants are still drawing the short straw.

Some 70 per cent of those in work believe they are in the wrong job because they took the first offer, says Crown Recruitment founder Kathy Fandam.

"That means they are not happy in the job, feel their skills are being under-utilised and that they are not able to give their best."

That was her own experience as a new arrival from South Africa several years ago, and one she has since seen echoed by many from similar backgrounds.

She believes cultural difference acts like a smokescreen to obscure the real work values on offer.

As well, employers' requirement for "Kiwi experience" functions as a filter that screens out everything from the lack of local networks to a funny accent.

It is frustrating to see qualified and experienced candidates unable to get past that filter, says Mrs Fandam.

"A lot of these people, whether they are South African, Zimbabwean, Iranian or Indian, are not selling themselves for what they can offer. Sure, they maybe lack a New Zealand network, but they have a lot of abilities, attitudes, experience - and these attributes are not being marketed strongly enough."

Michael Barnett believes part of the problem is a lack of understanding about the benefits cultural diversity can bring to a business.

Because of the number of Auckland businesses involved in export or import industries, a more global perspective could be in order.

"A whole lot of newcomers have networks back into Taiwan, Sri Lanka, India or China - these are all markets worth tapping into."

The increasingly apparent reluctance by local business to "take into their team someone who was different than those they already had" prompted him into action.

His solution is newkiwis.co.nz - a website sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and designed for new immigrants to register their skills.

Fourteen days after its launch, the site had attracted registrations from more than 200 people whose skills range from architecture/engineering and education, to information technology and bio-pharmaceuticals.

More than 90 per cent had tertiary qualifications.

Mr Barnett says about 20 businesses are registering vacancies on the site, and some large organisations are expressing interest in using it.

"The next stage is to start communicating with our members and the business community to persuade them that next time they have a vacancy, they don't have to limit their thinking to someone who has Kiwi experience.

"They can think outside the square a bit more and look at the resource we have here."

Computer software company Renaissance is one employer that has found gains in cultural diversity.

It aims to get the best people for the positions offered, and they are not always locals, says national sales manager Jayne Gregory.

"We've found that the skill sets candidates from overseas bring, combined with those of our home-grown candidates, provide a winning formula in the marketplace."

Kathy Fandam says most new immigrants are "passionate about New Zealand" and desperately want to make a contribution.

Auckland employers cannot really afford to let intolerant attitudes get in the way of that, suggests Mr Barnett.

"I've seen some behaviours that I don't think are tolerant and these are going to have to change.

"Because, if our economy is going to grow, then it is going to grow with these people as contributors."

* vjayne@iconz.co.nz