Despite the evident skills shortage permeating through the Hospitality industry, the choice by businesses to take the plunge and look outside Australia for kitchen staff is a difficult one.
Most companies see it only as a prolonged and painstaking journey that will eat away time and money they just cannot spare. Employers are convinced that despite the obvious benefits of 457 sponsorship, navigating through what appears to be a minefield of government red tape, legal jargon and paper work is simply too difficult.
After all, employing staff locally is so much easier. Advertise. Interview. Reference check. Negotiate. Hire.
What could be simpler?
While the reluctance of businesses to search overseas is understandable, we are never surprised when weeks, months and in some cases years later, we invariably receive a call to say that numerous attempts at filling critical staffing vacancies have netted nothing other than pain, stress, money loss and in severe cases the imminent closure of a business. Sadly, some businesses leave it far too late.
Unfortunately this is common. That is not to say that competent and experienced staff that understand work ethic cannot be found locally – of course they can – but the amount of time wasted whilst conducting a seemingly endless search can cost a fortune and in the worst case scenario, the business itself.
One particular client of ours knows only too well the reality of having skeleton staff. Based regionally, they fight the staffing battle all year round and regardless of their prominence, is one issue that simply never ending.
The constant stream of resumes they receive from all over the world does little to nullify the ongoing problem they face. The sheer volume of candidate profiles unfortunately does not necessarily increase the chances of finding a diamond in the rough. In fact in reality it does nothing more than increase your workload while delivering the exact same outcome.
After several years of discussions, countless meetings and phone calls accompanied by dozens of failed internal recruitment campaigns, the penny finally dropped. Something wasn’t working so unless they changed their methods the outcome was always going to remain the same. It was time to change their approach and seek a real long-term solution.
For many employers this is a watershed moment that more often than not marks a significant, positive and historical change in the way they conduct their business. For this particular company, this was one such moment.
Since the day looking overseas became the new way forward, the entire business and its culture has seen a shift. Don’t get me wrong this was an extremely successful and prominent establishment but the issues behind the scenes were at risk of turning one of the industries most influential players into just another venue.
Through TSS they have successfully recruited two experienced chefs from offshore, both of whom have made an immediate and significant impact in the kitchen.
With fine dining experience from venues around the world, they have made the transition into a renowned business with ease. One of them already has his own creation added to the menu of this beautiful hatted restaurant.
It is an incredibly daunting experience for young chefs to relocate alone to the other side of the world and into an environment that in every aspect is as foreign to them as they are to their new employer. Yet with the help of TSS Recruitment and employers such as this, the process is seamless and straight forward. They are welcomed with open arms and provided with all the assistance they could possibly need or hope for.
Both have found their place not only in a beautiful regional hotel but also in a local community that has gone out of their way to embrace them.
For this employer, the days of endless and fruitless searching are now over. The chefs do not just provide an extra body. They are not gap fillers until the next resignation nor are they there to bring short-term peace until the next crisis.
These are chefs with a wealth of experience garnered around the globe along with a work ethic most employers can only dream of and they are there for the long haul.
Recruiting staff on an employer sponsored visa is not a decision that comes easily to most and not one to be taken lightly. It is not a short term fix or a band-aid solution.
Thousands of our clients around the country have taken this path and the benefits they enjoy are there for all to see. Next time you find yourself writing yet another expensive job board ad, why not look outside the square.
It might be just the change your business needs.
