Bridging the talent gap in remote areas is never an easy feat. Especially when you consider that only 3% of Australians live in the country’s remote regions. Attracting and retaining talented professionals in these locations requires an innovative approach. It’s also critical to understand and assess the alignment between the particular environmental conditions and the candidate to ensure a solid person-region fit.
This issue is a shared global problem and companies all over the world are finding themselves struggling to bring and keep the best talent outside of major cities. One winning strategy is to partner with a flexible workforce solutions provider like Easy Skill who understands the challenges of growing a business in every location. Finding specialized expertise in a competitive marketplace can make all the difference for a company in achieving successful outcomes.
While many workforce partners solve talent challenges in metropolitan areas, Easy Skill also specializes in bringing professional expertise to remote regions. Our vision is to help companies deliver their technical projects and thrive regardless of location. A recent example in the industrial industry is our work with Thomas Foods International (TFI) who is on an inspiring mission to feed families globally.
Like many companies, TFI needed a specialized team member and found themselves looking for the right candidate for 18 months. TFI had found it difficult to attract a skilled electrical professional to this location due to intense competition from the mining industry. At the end of 2019, they partnered with us here at Easy Skill to help find the ideal Electrical Supervisor located in Tamworth, NSW.
After a thorough needs discovery process, we gained a comprehensive understanding of TFI’s requirements, role, culture and expectations. We were quick to advise on a different strategy of attracting the right talent from outside of Australia largely due to the skills shortage and intense competition. Easy Skill refined the job description and began the search with haste. Although many qualified applications were received, one of the shortlisted candidates stood out from the rest: Charles Marshall from New Zealand.
In order to ensure the region would be a fit for Charles and his family, we organized a trip to Tamworth and on-site. This was the perfect plan for the Marshalls to ensure this opportunity was suitable for them and for TFI to finalize the agreement. Charles enjoyed the region and signed his paperwork within a few weeks planning on an April start. Thanks to COVID-19 plans were delayed.
With the importance of this role to TFI, we collaborated together with the support of our migration agent, the TFI leadership team, the government of NSW and the federal government. Finally we achieved success and received a citizenship waiver approval for Charles and his family. The family departed in early August with a 2-week quarantine period in Sydney in accordance with Australian mandates followed by a second quarantine period upon arrival in Tamworth.
Needless to say, it’s been quite a journey.
“We went through an incredible journey! From the first time we spoke to Easy Skill to arriving here now, we’ve been through an emotional rollercoaster. The process has been incredibly complex and thanks to Easy Skill’s personal touch and support, we finally made it! And we are incredibly excited to be here. I am ready to take on this new adventure with TFI,” shared Charles candidly.
And it’s not just the Marshalls that are delighted. TFI is too! Morna Young, Group HR Manager expressed, “Easy Skill has been tremendously helpful. They’ve worked hard to streamline the process to maximum levels always ensuring to provide the best solution for TFI. I highly recommend Easy Skill’s services to any company looking for innovative solutions to attract highly skilled talent easily.”