07 January 2008

Australian immigration for SME staffing

Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in Australia are expecting the skills shortage to continue to be a serious concern in 2008, creating opportunities for Australian immigration. In fact over 50 per cent of senior managers rate the skilled labour shortage as the biggest risk for their business, according to the latest survey.

Australian employers are increasingly offering flexible working conditions to attract and retain skilled employees, Liana Gorman, the Australian Institute of Management (AIM) survey part time online director, noted.

Many SMEs in Australia offer part-time, job sharing and flexible employment options, which is attractive to people looking to start a new life through Australian immigration. They are also focusing on offering better employer/staff relationships.

Martin Brook, co-founder of a gourmet food manufacturing company, explained: "Our goal [is] to create an environment where people really wanted to come and work. We really want that feedback from people who are at the coalface doing the job every day. And the other thing is really valuing the people who come to work with us."

Anyone applying for an Australian visa should begin by completing the Australian Visa Bureau's online Australian visa application to see if they meet the Australian visa requirements.