INSIGHT: How to drive overseas Kiwi talent back to NZ

“With the emergence of a number of skill shortages in New Zealand, returning Kiwis offer employers the opportunity to recruit local talent with highly valued international experience."

The lure of better wages and faster career paths may take New Zealanders overseas, but it's the promise of a better lifestyle and improved work-life balance that will bring them home.

That’s according to recruiting firm Hays, who quizzed 635 New Zealand nationals or residents who are either studying or working overseas, but thinking about coming back to New Zealand for their next career step.

“With the emergence of a number of skill shortages in New Zealand, returning Kiwis offer employers the opportunity to recruit local talent with highly valued international experience,” says Jason Walker, Managing Director, Hays in New Zealand.

“And the good news is they have realistic salary expectations. Of our respondents only 19 percent are looking for a higher salary in order to move back to New Zealand.

“Most have more modest expectations with 32 percent wanting a salary equivalent to their current earnings and 29 percent recognising their salary would be determined by local market conditions.

“The final 17 percent even indicated they would be prepared to earn less in a role back home in New Zealand.”

According to the findings:

Motivations:

77 percent of potential returners said they miss the culture and lifestyle of New Zealand. 66 percent are motivated to return in order to live closer to family.

Only 4 percent feel that New Zealand has more job opportunities for them, while just 7 percent think they can have a faster career path in New Zealand.

Type of organisation:

26 percent want to work for a multinational organisation if they return while 37 percent want to work for a private company.

Industry:

If they were to return, 20 percent want to work in New Zealand’s financial services industry, 15 percent want to work in professional services and 10 percent in IT/telecommunications. It's bad news for New Zealand's busy construction and property industries though with only 4 percent indicating they’d return to this sector.

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