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Job seekers want to come home

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:01

Renewed positive feelings about SA and its seeming financial and political stability in the wake of the latest democratic elections, has increased the number of enquiries from South Africans living abroad about the availability of top jobs on home ground.

So says a top SA headhunter, Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, MD of Jack Hammer Executive Headhunters, who says the good news about SA coupled with the ongoing global financial crisis is making the “green grass of home” seem “greener”.

But, would-be returnees looking for jobs should be cautious, she warns.

“South Africa continues to need specific high level skills especially in professional and specialised areas. Those returning nationals fitting these criteria will get jobs, but this cannot be seen as a trend among all market sectors.”

She says many of the shortages in certain industries resulted from skilled people leaving top positions in SA to live and work abroad.

“Although there is still a skills shortage in this country, the global downturn has impacted business in SA, resulting in hiring freezes, or only very selective recruitment in some organisations.

"Whereas in the past returning South Africans could expect the pick of top career opportunities and several competing job offers within a short space of time, this is unlikely to be the case now."

“We are not experiencing the waves of retrenchments that are happening elsewhere in the world, but the market is still generally slow and the competition for senior management jobs is very stiff. Expats considering a return home might have to seek alternative career paths or be willing to take substantial pay cuts.

She says the global slowdown has also resulted in a shift in the way in which some countries are handling foreign workers. Some countries have institutionalized systems such as residency visas being revoked once the employee is retrenched while others have proactive repatriation.

Both scenarios could also be factors in driving South Africans abroad to come ‘home’ and re-enter the local job market.

“Japan, for instance, recently instituted a repatriation aid system where foreign nationals are given money by the government to help in their repatriation to their homeland.

“This may seem like a good thing on the surface, but it is being done on condition that the recipient signs an agreement stating that they will not return to Japan seeking work.”

Goodman-Bhyat says those looking to repatriate home to South Africa should do extensive research and all their homework beforehand.

“A simple check of job openings in one’s field can easily show what the demand is in the South African market.”