Attraction and Retention of Skilled Workers in Regional Australia Part 2

The purpose of this research is too critically investigate the current attraction and retention strategies of skilled workers in regional Australia. For the purpose of this article I have removed the identity of the case study organisation and research data as I believe the findings are relevant across all industries, not the health sector alone.

This research was my final MBA project; therefore, it follows a strict academic structure and is heavily referenced. To access the full case study report, findings, and reference list or if you are interested in an in-person or virtual presentation please contact me direct.

You can read part 1 here.

1215 words. 10 Minute read time.

In part two I discuss the findings and implications from the research conducted. Next, I make four recommendations to help increase attraction and retention of skilled workers in regional Australia. Finally, I discuss further research opportunities.

This research challenges the current understanding of talent management in regional areas; it adds new insights to the role of community and how insufficient current attraction and retention strategies are (Hutchings, De Cieri and Shea 2011).  An integrated, holistic approach to attraction and retention is paramount; however, using the same strategies as urban centres is no longer acceptable in regional areas (Becker, Hyland and Soosay 2013).  In addition, there are opportunities to reinterpret existing literature and secondary data about communities and work life balance specific to talent management in regional centres (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill 2009).

Community is an integral part of the attraction and retention of skilled workers. The interconnectedness of the individual, the organisation, and the environment is an essential part of talent management in regional areas (McKenzie 2011). The research found an entire communities' responsibility to integrate and embed skilled workers into regional society, including; organisations, governments, educational bodies and community organisations all doing their part to secure talent together, creating a new human resource architecture (Collings & Mellahi 2009).  When workers personal and environmental attributes align, positive relationships occur. Furthermore, people seek out environments that match their characteristics (van Vianen 2018).  Person-environment fit theory emphasises that people have a fundamental need to belong; when workers are integrated into society effectively, a high degree of congruence occurs. In addition, effective person-organisation fit starts before recruitment; when the right talent is selected and nurtured, a more significant impact on person-organisation fit transpires (Farooqui & Nagendra 2014). Moreover, Attraction-Selection-Attrition theory reinforces that attraction and retention are not random situations; individuals seek out environments and communities that are familiar and have similar values to themselves (Farooqui & Nagendra 2014).

When recruiting talent, workers family needs must be considered, ensuring a family-friendly work culture with good social and work practices are upheld (Hutchings, De Cieri & Shea 2011). Disruption to personal and social lives for career opportunities may pose significant restrictions for jobs in regional areas. Attracting skilled career couples may be challenging if there are no equal professional opportunities within the same regional location for spouses (Becker, Hyland & Soosay 2013). Furthermore, the promotion of regional lifestyle for long-term retention is paramount; workers may be invested in school and housing opportunities. It is essential that there is adequate infrastructure in regional communities to sustain a growing family lifestyle (Miles et al. 2006).

 Governments, educational bodies, and local communities aligned with a regional centric solution understand the challenges regional areas have. Together, they are a driving force for change at all levels (Hutchings, De Cieri and Shea 2011).  For policymakers to put regional communities at the centre of the argument, managers, organisations, and key industry stakeholders must work together to drive a talent management strategy for a community-focused solution (van Vianen 2018).

Recommendations

1         To improve talent management strategies, human resource managers may implement a mentor system to help workers fit and adjust in the community, increasing positive retention outcomes (McKenzie 2011). One on one mentors may be appointed to new workers before arriving in the community to develop familiarity and establish a point of contact.  Mentors are responsible for supporting new workers, setting expectations and help develop an understanding of how to prepare for a regional living (McKenzie 2011). Mentors help workers integrate into the community, providing guidance on community services, housing, education, and formal and informal networks (McKenzie 2011).

 2          Offering scholarships to potential students who already live and are familiar with regional living may increase talent management success (Miles et al. 2006). Identifying residents and sponsoring them through school may create a pool of talented professionals who are already integrated and invested in the regional community (Farndale, Scullion & Sparrow 2010).  Skilled workers with ties to the local community may be more likely to accept positions that contribute to the overall good of the community, a clear strategy to retain high-potential, high-value workers (Hutchings, De Cieri and Shea 2011).

 3         To improve the success of attraction and retention to regional areas, industry may collaborate with educational bodies and the government to create an environment that supports regional areas (Becker, Hyland and Soosay 2013).  Higher education facilities located in regional areas allows students to integrate into regional living. During a three, four or five-year degree, students may become accustomed to rural life (McKenzie 2011). Placement in the final year of study may be held in regional locations at private or public organisations to enrich rural exposure and the regional experience of students and reduce talent shortages (McKenzie 2011).

 4         Collaboration with local recruitment specialist is recommended, a traditional online advertisement is no longer attracting quality applicants. Instead of spending money on readvertising due to limited response or the inability to retain a successful applicant, recruitment specialists can match the person to the position (Miles et al. 2006). The recruitment of skilled workers should be conducted in a more selective and targeted manner. A professional should be appointed because they suit the region and the organisation, not simply because they have the required qualifications or experience (Miles et al. 2006). It is also proposed that employer interview techniques are resulting in poor applicant selection. A recruitment specialist could help resolve this issue, either by coaching employers in best practice recruitment techniques or handling the recruitment process. Outsourcing to a locally based recruitment specialist may achieve higher results (Miles et al. 2006).

 Limitations

Secondary data collected for this report was previously used for a different purpose; therefore, it is noted as a context limitation of this research. Studies used in the thematic analysis are from different geographic locations and periods; this may impact the data's validity.  However, re-analysing the secondary data has led to new knowledge and insights into the role of communities and work life balance in talent management strategies (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill 2009). Further research may investigate the effectiveness of the recommended strategies to measure the effects of attraction and retention methods of skilled workers in regional areas. Moreover, the definition of what is regional, rural, and remote, these boundaries should be clear in research, as different talent management strategies may be needed in each part of Australia. In addition, further research investigating the disruption COVID19 has caused is recommended. An increase in remote work and population growth in regional areas may affect strategies.

 Conclusion

This report investigated the current attraction and retention strategies of skilled workers in regional Australia. Contemporary literature was reviewed to investigate talent management theories and the key factors influencing the decisions of skilled workers. Secondary data was collected from academic journal articles and researched. A thematic analysis of secondary qualitative data identified three overarching themes; individual, organisational and environment and six sub-themes; community, work life balance, talent management, career development, job satisfaction and workforce planning, in the data impacting the success of talent management strategies. The findings supported the interconnectedness of talent management strategies and the importance of collaboration of communities to overcome high worker turnover. Recommendations were made to improve the interconnectedness of talent management strategies in regional areas including mentoring, scholarships, higher education facilities and utilising recruitment specialists.

There is no doubt that the role of communities in regional attraction and retention strategies is significant, with emphasises that urban strategies are no longer relevant in regional areas.  Furthermore, the research highlighted the need for governments, educational bodies, industry, organisations, and regional communities to work together to overcome attraction and retention issues of skilled workers.