Working In Papua New Guinea

Working In Papua New Guinea – why our skilled workers are considering employment at our northern neighbour

It’s no secret that during the past 12 months, Australia has experienced an economic hit, particularly in the mining, resources and construction industries, which has left many people unemployed and seeing work elsewhere – often at international locations.  As a result of this, Papua New Guinea is one such country that is seeing an influx of Australian expatriates flock to their shores, as the need for skilled workers from these industries is ever-increasing across the region.

One of the main reasons Papa New Guinea (PNG) currently needs skilled workers from Australia is largely because of the pressure on its resource sector from the Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) project that is currently being developed.  PNG’s Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill indicated towards the end of last year that he wants to see an increase of about 15,000 Australian citizens working in the country over the next two years.  Trade workers, project managers, construction managers and supervisors and estimators are examples of some of the skilled workers that are currently required in PNG.

Why are companies recruiting in Australia for PNG roles?

Companies all over PNG are looking to Australia to recruit skilled workers, as Australian expats often have a higher education along with significant experience and expertise in their respective fields.  Australian workers are also found to be more hands-on, especially in relation to their leadership and management skills, allowing them to effectively train and mentor PNG nationals in improving their skill-set.  It is also relatively easy for Australians to work in PNG as proof of a degree or trade qualification is the minimum standard for obtaining a work visa.

What’s the challenge of recruiting in PNG?

There are several challenges when recruiting skilled professionals to work in Papua New Guinea. For recruitment anywhere, one of the most common difficulties is finding the right candidates with the right skill-set that also have the right culture fit for the business.  From the candidate’s perspective, a common concern is the fact that PNG is a developing country faced with daily challenges around communication, technology, hot water supply and other services that are taken for granted in Australia.  Couple this with security issues in PNG, and it can often make for a very challenging recruitment process.  Other factors such as high cost of living and educational facilities for families wishing to relocate also contribute to finding the right skilled workers a tough process.

To overcome these challenges and fears, many companies offer fantastic benefits to entice skilled workers to relocate to PNG.  Typically, expats can expect to receive a housing subsidy or often supplied accommodation, relocation assistance, paid annual return airfares to point of hire, paid utilities plus a significantly high salary, which goes some way in putting many people’s fears to rest.  Workers are also supplied with security if necessary, so safety is rarely an issue.

And it’s working!

Employment Office has certainly seen their PNG client base increase significantly in recent times, and whilst recruiting for skilled workers doesn’t come without it’s challenges, as mentioned above, we have, over time, noticed a positive shift in attitudes surrounding working in Papua New Guinea and any stigmas associated with the country.

Certainly, Employment Office is seeing very positive results when assisting our clients with their recruitment campaigns.  Whilst hiring managers are given control and transparency of the recruitment process, EO offer a number of services including shortlisting, facilitating phone interviews and all client/candidate correspondence, and providing full briefings on potential candidates to the client.  These services go some way to ensure that our client’s recruitment campaigns are a much smoother and easier process than if they were to recruit directly from PNG.

What some of our key clients have to say…

“Employment Office have been supplying us with excellent candidates for the last 12 months. The recruitment team at Employment Office listens to our needs as a company and only presents candidates that match all of our criteria meeting our requirements. Employment Office are flexible, willing to help and offer expertise in employment. They have always provided me with professional services, handling my requests promptly and efficiently. The team at Employment Office don’t just talk the talk, but they also walk the walk resulting in providing the best service. The team are very approachable, professional and have helped achieve our company goal in providing excellent middle and senior level managers to our company”.

Shane Byrne
Human Resource Manager, PNG Forest Products

“I have found the access to all candidate documents online and in one place, exceptionally easy to use.  The shortlisting criteria that we set and the ability to listen to candidate interviews online, are incredibly powerful tools in trying to select the right candidate.

I would highly recommend the service that The Employment Office offers.”

Tim Madgwick
General Manager, TropicAir