finding-employees-for-construction-jobs

Finding Employees For Construction Jobs

The Changing Landscape of Employee Behaviour

Employers in all industries have for decades now struggled with employee related issues, including the now very much under pressure construction industry.

New Zealand Employers have needed to manage drug and addictions becoming a hindrance to work attendance – employees running into self-generated risk factors that employers are required to navigate.

Things are changing – rapidly, as a new workforce becomes available and a new work ethic if born in New Zealand Industries.

It’s interesting to observe how different the attitude is of employees sourced from the Philippines is to that of some New Zealand born employees. Filipino workers (and other ethnicities) appear to have a far more appreciative attitude toward employment – simply because they are from a culture where paid work and social benefits are not prevalent.

New Zealand employees appear to have slipped in some industries into a state of complacency so marked that it appears work attendance is considered optional. Sick leave is treated as additional annual leave, extended bereavement leave is not able to be challenged - yet this almost abuse of trust is left for employers to handle, with virtually no artillery due to employee favouring employment regulations.

Employees prefer not to work full time and do not wish to travel any reasonable distance to their place of employment. This is a very difficult situation for any employer achieving scale. The outcome or end result has been slow moving projects, extended delays, cost blowouts in double wages to cover absences – all under forecasted, putting huge pressure on margins all the way through the project chain.

Projects started to suffer, and running a business in construction became more a game of workforce management than that of a project management focus.
Well, the tide has now turned, and a new workforce has become available – a workforce that shows up smiling, works hard and is happy to be employed. A workforce with high skill, who are keen to work and super-keen to remain employed in the future.

Projects are coming on track and our construction industries are making progress without undue delays.

The likely outcome is that New Zealand employers will become more productive, and hopefully, the positive attitude will rub off on some of the NZ Employees.

We receive daily enquiries from employers wishing to employ Filipinos in New Zealand – so much so that Immigration NZ has put in place an Employer Accreditation Process to enable employers faster processing for new working visa applications, plus the opportunity to offer some incoming employees a much coveted ‘work to residence’ visa.

Filipino skilled workers are preferring to seek employment with Accredited Employers as a result, and are working hard for them in return for the opportunity to work in New Zealand.

Interesting times indeed!

Contact us to find out how we can help your business.

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Tanya Gray is your strategic HR partner, passionate about driving clients’ productivity with innovative solutions and collaboration.

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