More than 70% of Australian business leaders plan to hire international talent on a permanent basis in 2022 to sustain their talent pipeline, according to research from Robert Half Australia.

At the same time, 61% plan to hire international talent on a contract basis. The increase in hiring plans for both permanent and contract is either because, or in anticipation, of an inability to find the skills locally, Robert Half states.

Hiring talent from other countries is most pronounced in the tech sector with 82% of Australian CIOs planning to hire permanent IT talent from overseas and 75% contract IT talent from overseas. This compares to 68% and 65% respectively for CFOs’ plans to look internationally to hire financial talent.

With recruiting from overseas now considered an essential part of the hiring strategy for many organisations, employers are seeking to offer and implement robust offshoring and relocation packages as a means of securing strong international talent.

Almost three in four, or 73%, of business leaders (and 84% of CIOs specifically), say they’re likely to hire international talent to relocate and work in Australia. At the same time, many employers are embracing the remote workforce with 68% of business leaders saying they are also likely to hire international talent to work remotely, rising to 77% among CIOs.  

Robert Half survey research asked CIOs and CTOs (Chief Technology Officers) in Australia what skills they rely on international talent for most because they can’t find the talent locally.

Robert Half also asked CFOs in Australia what skills they rely on international talent for most because they can’t find the talent locally.

Meanwhile, 40% of employers in Australia plan to increase the initially planned starting salary for new recruits from overseas. At the same time, 38% are prepared to entice international talent with more paid leave, while 37% will offer an upgrade to their job title. Additionally, 34% are willing to loosen job requirements to attract international talent while 31% will focus on offering professional development opportunities and career pathing.

David Jones, Senior Managing Director Robert Half Asia Pacific, said, “In order to compete on the global playing field, Australian companies need to match the industry standards of the markets they’re seeking to recruit from, or risk being eclipsed by local competition. While focusing on competitive salaries is important, companies also need to home in on the motivations behind why professionals choose to relocate and offer tailored incentives to support their move. Candidates are not only evaluating the job against their career path but also whether it is worth disrupting their life for, so a compelling employer brand proposition is a vital component of candidate decision making.”

“There is no doubt the current war for talent is placing pressure on Australian companies to focus on recruiting from overseas, but it is also evident that companies need to strengthen internal talent pipelines and be able to attract and retain local skills to develop a truly agile tech-first workforce. Organisations must be mindful of the fact that while international skilled migration will help mitigate skills shortages, we will also start to see talent leave Australia again as border restrictions ease around the world, particularly in the Asia Pacific region,” Jones said.