FNQ Food Manufacturing Plant Learns: It Pays to Nurture Your Bilingual Star Employees
Anong came to Australia in 2022 and works on the factory line at a large food processing plant in Regional Queensland. Back home she managed a small call centre team, but like many new Australians, her career was hindered by her lack of English skills. She’s a hard worker, well liked by staff and she’s developed solid English language skills.
As a hiring manager, you’re at risk of losing a valuable employee.
Manufacturing is still experiencing a staffing crisis, in both the cities and regional areas. While 2022 saw a peak period for recruitment difficulty across the country, conditions have eased somewhat in cities, more than 52% of employers still report problems finding quality applicants for advertised roles. For “line workers” including those in manufacturing and agriculture the issue may be compounded by regional locations and perceived “poor quality” of jobs.
Regional employers understand that key to minimising recruitment costs and avoiding business disruption, is staff retention. Anong’s employer took the unusual step of providing her, and two of her workmates, with a fully funded online course and accommodated study time and resources. Each of the three staff were bilingual and had work experience and qualifications back home that are not recognised here in Australia. The outcome?
Anong studied a Certificate IV in Leadership and Management online. She qualified for recognition of prior learning for three subjects which reduced her course fees and study period. She completed her study in six months, took a leadership role and aided with direct recruitment from the local Thai community.
Phat studied a Diploma of Quality Auditing and moved into a supervisory quality assurance role. He assists with recruitment from the local Vietnamese community.
Fen undertook a Diploma of Project Management as part of the company’s plan to increase exports to the lucrative Chinese market. Fen undertook a new role, serving Chinese clients directly, using her knowledge of the production line to coordinate client orders from farm to delivery.
- In the period that followed, the manufacturer saw an increase in both order numbers and sizes directly from China, allowing them to apply for export grants and other incentives.
- Staff retention overall improved, with a 40% increase in line staff with “no intention of leaving” in the next 12 months.
- HR reported a 15% increase in applicants from the Vietnamese and Thai communities and has, to date, seen a marked improvement in employee retention among those language groups.
“All employers, especially those facing recruitment challenges, are urged to consider the benefits of nurturing their bilingual staff. We’ve always known that investing in staff is important to the company but by creating a more welcoming environment, we’ve seen many of the business’s key challenges ease” said a representative of the company.
