Is it true? Does recruitment agencies block South african applicants?

Despite the myth discrimination is mostly a history in Australia. Especially if you are talking about larger cities like Sydney where over 50% of population is not white. Quite often recruitment agencies will prefer people with local experience (regardless of their nationality) simply because they have more opportunities to check and make sure that the candidate is suitable, reliable and will bring them the money they are after. This makes a bit harder for some people to gain their first job, but at the end with persistence and good attitude I don’t see why any candidate wouldn’t succeed like hundred thousands of others who came to this amazing country.

Obviously like in every place on this planet in Australia you need to know job market and have skills which can get you a job.

Hey,

You are correct that there is a mentality of hiring local talent before migrants- however I have worked in  the UK, USA and now Australia and it’s the same everywhere you go.

However Australia is slowly accepting the fact that local talent is sparse and so we as recruiters are educating employers to look outside the “box “as there is so much talent in the world and they just need to take a risk.

Please feel free to ask any questions if need be.

Good Luck.

Kind Regards

Niki Keeley

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[Moderated: no free ad on the forum pls + register your company in the business directory  > Recruitment Agencies in Australia section]

I am a skilled migrant myself though not from South Africa, however as far as my experience is concerned I haven't found discrimination of any kind so far. I had applied for a few jobs earlier last year and I have received responses from both the agencies and the organizations. It varies from skill to skill in the Australian market. If your skill is demand and there is shortage of manpower then the employers will hire you even from outside Australia but if the manpower is available in local market with relevant local experience then they will of course prefer local candidate.

Probably doesn't count because I'm a Kiwi but when I worked in Aus (for quite a while!) everyone around me was from everywhere. Plenttttyyy of English, Irish, you name it. Good luck!

Being Kiwi, Irish, Pakistani, South African or from wherever will not be a reason for an agency to block applications. This is against the law here in Australia.
If you have the correct qualifications and paperwork in order then your application should be submitted on those grounds alone.

It is AGAINST THE LAW in Australia to discriminate against ANYONE based on any of the following criteria:  race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction, social origin, age, medical record, criminal record, marital status, impairment, disability, nationality, sexual preference, trade union activity.  Australia's anti-discrimination laws are very clear on this issue and any employer, organisation or individual that goes against this law will have the full force of the law brought against them in a courtroom.  Australian anti-discrimination laws are taken seriously here which is why Australia has one of the best, fairest and most egalitarian societies on earth.

If you suspect you are the victim of racism by an Australian organisation (even if you are NOT an Australian citizen), you should REPORT the offender immediately via the COMPLAINTS icon within the link provided below:

https://www.humanrights.gov.au/guide-au … ation-laws

""Australia is slowly accepting the fact that local talent is sparse and so we as recruiters are educating employers to look outside the box as there is so much talent in the world and they just need to take a risk""

I have to disagree with your statement here, Niki.  Australia has one of the highest standards of education in the world and has a workforce filled, to overflowing, of talented, well educated and multi-skilled people who are highly competitive.  I have worked throughout the world and travelled broadly over many years.  Australia's workforce are highly sought after overseas, eg Australian doctors, scientists, medical researchers, lawyers, nurses, teachers, actors, musicians, accountants and criminal analysts are actively head-hunted throughout the world and Australian efficiency and people skills are world renowned.  Australian skills in education, computer hardware and computer software, scientific and medical research are world recognised and, in fact, one of our biggest exports.

Your statement reveals that you are unaware of the high level of skill and fierce competitive nature of Australians here (especially in highly motivated areas like Sydney and Melbourne).  Australians get some of the highest salaries and work under the best working conditions in the world and this is why competition for top jobs in this country is incredibly intense.  Overseas applicants often do not have the level of skills required to compete in this environment.  I worked as a Recruitment Manager in a large professional recruitment agency for many years and can vouch for this ... we were ALWAYS being approached by companies in the USA and Europe for highly skilled Australians who have a reputation for working hard.  People coming into this country often believe that because we have a comparatively small population that they will find it easy to slip into a job HOWEVER this is NOT the case.  This is why, in many cases, people from overseas should undertake a BRIDGING COURSE to ensure that their skills are compatible with Australian standards which are extremely high.  Even if you have the academic standard required (as do many people coming into Australia from England and Ireland), some positions require you to undertake a bridging course to ensure that you have an understanding of the idiosyncratic rules that apply to this country (especially if the job relates to Australian laws and protocol).