Skilled migrants want career opportunities as well as the Kiwi lifestyle

Skilled workers in the construction industry are keen for the Kiwi lifestyle. Photo / Greg Bowker

Skilled workers considering moving to New Zealand are motivated as much by support from prospective employers and a career pathway as they are by the famous Kiwi lifestyle.

New Zealand recruitment agency HainesAttract has been running a series of international webinars to help attract skilled workers to the country and to provide information on work opportunities, immigration procedure, different cities and lifestyle for those wanting to know more about the country.

Two webinars that HainesAttract held this week, targeting the construction and technology industries, attracted nearly 400 attendants from the United States, Europe and Asia with another 600 requesting the presentation.

The company asked the attendees their main motivation for wanting to move to New Zealand. The main driver, at 53 per cent, was still lifestyle. But head of international solutions, Ben Tinker, who held the webinars, said he was surprised that figure wasn't higher.

Another 44 per cent were looking for career opportunities rather than lifestyle as their main reason for considering a move, suggesting skilled workers were taking a long-term view.

International recruiter Ben Tinker, of HainesAttract, says skilled immigrant workers are interested in career paths as well as lifestyle when considering a move to New Zealand. Photo / Supplied

"They want good employers and clear [career] pathways. And they want help with moving here."

Making those pathways clear to prospective migrants would be a challenge as the world looked to attract the same talent. When asked about the most important aspect when choosing an employer, 54 per cent said the amount of support offered to move to New Zealand was paramount, 32 per cent said it was the opportunity for career development and 14 per cent said it was salary.

It was important for employers to consider the level of support they could offer, Tinker said. He moved to New Zealand from the UK a year ago and found the immigration process complex because of the amount of detail involved. Support and help from employers was an aspect businesses should consider.

"We can't keep talent warm forever. They have options. If employers are willing
to offer some form of contribution and relocation support, this will help and motivate these skilled workers to transition to New Zealand."