Workforce planning - 2022

No doubt many businesses are thinking and planning for what staffing needs they may have in 2022. On the immigration front there are a number of items to add to your list to consider.

Some of our thoughts to help you get started.

• Migrant workers who qualify for the 2021 Resident Visa (it is expected around 110,000 people on work visas will apply) may start looking for new opportunities once they become residents. Have you got a retention plan in place?
• If you aim to become an accredited employer under the new system that goes live in May 2022 is your business ready? Having a commitment to train and employ New Zealand citizens is key if you still want the ability to hire migrant workers. Being a profitable business with a good track record of compliance with immigration and employment laws are also key considerations.
• Is your business engaging with tertiary providers to attract new talent once they qualify? This is a good place to go looking for new people.
• Expect it to be very difficult next year to fill “low skilled” jobs with new migrant workers. The government has been clear these roles need to go to kiwis. How can you attract young people to take up these roles? Engaging with local schools and community groups can be a great way to source talent.
• If you need talent from offshore now is the time to put in place a programme of attraction and set out the key milestones to meet (including border approvals) to have staff on the ground in time.

If international recruitment is on your agenda our key piece of advice is don’t leave sorting out visas until the last minute. The days (for now) are long gone of offering a job to someone offshore who turns up for work a week later. You can talk to our team about whether the skills you are hunting from offshore will qualify for border exemptions.

Our offices close on 24 December 2021 and reopen on 10 January 2022. Let’s talk now before the holidays to help you get ready for another challenging year.