migration and shows the potential scope of impact that can be unlocked via the active participation of State and Federal Governments in Australia .
Looking across this rapid review of approaches , the results of Australian evaluations emphasise the need to move beyond Australia ’ s traditional reliance on marketing dominated approaches . The more comprehensive strategies in international examples provides a broader scope of effort and impact .
PRACTICAL LESSONS FOR STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT As well as the insights on the preferred scope of regionally led attraction and retention strategies , six lessons deduced from Australian and international workforce attraction and retention experience emerge :
1 . Communities , government and businesses must work together to attract and retain workers Employers seeking staff from other areas need to sell the location and the associated lifestyle as much as they need to sell the role and the organisation .
For communities , selling lifestyle opportunities without connections to specific local jobs will be ineffective . Coordinating the interests of competing businesses to formulate and operate strategies to address skilled labour shortages is also necessary .
A key driver for any strategy design should be understanding the capacity and priorities within each group and building an enduring partnership .
2 . Strategies need to balance financial and non-financial elements . A collaboration between business and community will succeed when it can deliver the right mix of financial incentives , strong employment offers , a good relocation experience and a welcoming community .
A shortage of housing is currently a key constraint for many Australian regions . Housing incentives have been shown to be crucial to success in the US and are increasingly a part of packages provided by regional employers operating in tight housing markets .
Similarly , regional relocation incentives offered by government or employers can assist in accelerating decision making , but only make an impact when these incentives align with other motivations and the non-financial elements of the offer .
Overall , the evidence shows that financial incentives alone will not achieve long term employee tenure and are often unsustainable . Overinvesting or relying on these strategies to drive relocation in isolation of other strategies will be ineffective and any schemes must require sufficient ‘ skin in the game ’ for new workers and employers .
However , it is also evident that a strategy driven by promotion and social incentives alone cannot drive decisions , particularly in a tight economic and employment market .
The aim should be to achieve a balance between financial and non-financial elements of the offer .
3 . Targeting the right mix of cohorts of workers is crucial . Potential workers must be a good fit for both the organisation and the region .
Individual or personal factors are consistently identified as playing significant roles firstly in the decision to accept a job in a region and secondly , whether to remain in the region . Family or partner integration and lifestyle expectations are the most identified personal factors .
Regions should be careful not to ignore workforces that are different to the current worker mix . Fully utilising non-traditional sources of labour such as migrants and designing jobs to fit workforce capabilities are other ways in which employers and communities can better adapt their approaches to tap into the most suitable potential group of workers .
4 . Settlement support matters . Providing support for workers to relocate and settle into a community influences retention and drives positive word of mouth .
With this support , newcomers are less likely to experience isolation and are more likely to connect with local people . They are also more likely to feel satisfied with their decision to move and to stay longer .
The key elements of settlement strategies are well understood and have been extensively tested in other policy areas . These lessons should inform local practice .
Figure 2 .
5 . Promotional investment should be specifically designed to support workforce attraction and retention . A strategy for promotion of opportunities to potential new workers is essential . However , many regions fall into the trap of relying on existing place and tourism promotion assets and broad promotional campaigns to increase workforce attraction .
Evidence shows that the resources and attractions for promoting tourism are not effective for encouraging an individual or a family to relocate to work and live in a community .
VOL 16 NO 1 2023 08 www . edaustralia . com . au