Labour shortages have significantly contributed to the need to increase the mobility of workers around the globe. Organisations in some countries have had problems attracting and retaining good workers, but the workplace issues of an ageing population and widespread skills shortages have not been prevalent worldwide. While the population statistics for Australia and New Zealand are similar to those for other developed countries such as Northern America and much of Europe, many countries have older or younger populations. For example, Japan, Latvia, Slovenia, Italy and Estonia are expected to have the oldest populations midway through this century — with a median age of around 53 years. Much younger populations are anticipated in future years in Africa, Asia (broadly), Latin America and the Caribbean. As populations age and when labour markets become strained in Australia and New Zealand, it is predicted skilled people in ‘younger’ nations will be attracted to more rewarding job opportunities available to workers who are prepared to migrate elsewhere. This trend towards migrating for better work conditions and pay might result in a ‘brain drain’ from ‘younger’ countries, but it will also likely help meet rising organisational demands in associated nations.

In Australia, where labour shortages and an ageing population have caused considerable concern, the federal government has a Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) which explicitly states the occupations that will be favoured for immigration purposes. These range from the general to the specific, for example, construction project managers and project builders to dental technicians and dental therapists.

A number of options for employers to help cope with ‘importing’ workers is also available. For instance, a program assisting electricians with migrating to Australia from India, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, South Africa and the Philippines began in September 2007. The workers were given assistance in gaining provisional licences and getting work under supervision as well as help with gap training until full licences could be obtained. Immigration New Zealand also has lists for immediate skills shortages and long‐term shortages. In 2009, the global financial crisis led the Australian Government to temporarily cut back its immigration target by 14 per cent However, whenever China’s demand for Australian resources picks up, it leads to an increased need for foreigners to work in the Australian mining sector. For example, many temporary 457 visas were granted by the Western Australian Government during the resources boom of 2006–12. The top three countries from which workers came were the United Kingdom, the Philippines and South Africa. The Australian Government immigration targets have remained at 190 000 (128 550 skilled and 61 450 family stream migrants) since 2012.

The implications for focusing on motivating workers are significant. It is likely workforces will be more diverse in the future. In some organisations, a good percentage of the workforce may be from different cultural backgrounds. Our current approaches to understanding needs and the cognitive processes of motivation may need to broaden if we are to move beyond Western cultural biases. For example, individualistic Western cultures (such as Australia and the United States) may have different ways of perceiving what people need from their work than what Islamic cultures do. In Islamic cultures, work is valued for sustaining confidence and self‐reliance and it has moral, psychological and social (relational) dimensions. Such differences require more research and societal understanding.

Immigrant workers might have new needs that develop as their circumstances change. For example, the challenge of working in a new country without the security of family and community ties they had at ‘home’ may affect their motivational experience. Importing workforces can appear to be straightforward, but there are inherent problems. Managers of migrant workers need to be alert to cultural differences in motivation if they want to attract and retain these workers and also encourage productivity in the workplace.

QUESTION

What can you, as a potential manager and leader, do to help integrate migrant workers into the Australian or New Zealand workforce?