As an engineering specialist with significant international experience, Dinusha was exploring career opportunities in Australia from the bustling commercial hub of Dubai. Drawn to the relaxed lifestyle, beautiful natural environment and family-friendly communities of regional Australia, he secured a role at Port Macquarie’s local council with the support of regional recruitment specialists Work + Stay.
This was Dinusha’s first role in Australia and Work + Stay’s relocation and settlement service, known as the STAY service, swung into action, providing wraparound support that helped Dinusha and his family make their international move and quickly find their footing in their new community.
Work + Stay knows that warm welcomes and quicker connection into community delivers stronger retention outcomes, which in turn saves regional employers untold time and effort by reducing unwanted turnover.
“Happy, settled families are the families who stay, and this is always our focus at Work + Stay,” said Executive Director Kate Sowden.
Work + Stay took care of everything outside the workplace (like help with sourcing accommodation, schooling, access to services, connection into community and anything else that was needed), leaving Dinusha and his family free to focus on settling into their new home.
Lifting the mental load
The endless decision-making and logistics of an international move can prove very draining. Work + Stay helped lift the mental load by providing high-touch support across every aspect of the family’s regional move. This included accommodation advocacy, international travel and logistics, connection to local services and support with furnishing the family’s new home.
Work + Stay also stayed in close contact with Dinusha and his family before, during and after the move to ensure that any emerging needs were quickly addressed.
A personal touch-point in the local community
Alongside helping with the logistics of a regional move, Work + Stay helps newcomers connect into their new communities. Each candidate is paired with a Welcome Ambassador, a member of the local community who provides a personal welcome and ongoing touchpoints to help with anything that the family needs.
Dinusha was connected with Neil, a Port Macquarie local who met Dinusha virtually before he made the move. Dinusha said knowing he would have local support really helped him feel at ease. Travelling ahead of his wife and five-year-old son, Dinusha was met by Neil when he arrived. Neil oriented him into the community and remained in close contact as he settled.
Neil continues to work with the family to ensure all their needs are met. This included helping find a place at preschool for Dinusha’s son when he arrived (childcare and preschool are often key pain points in regional communities), connecting Dinusha with the local cricket team and helping the family access items for their home.
A double benefit for Port Macquarie
Work + Stay’s support extends to the whole family, including the candidate’s partner and children. It includes supporting employment pathways for candidates’ partners, meaning that regional communities often benefit from not one, but two highly motivated new members of the local workforce.
Dinusha’s wife has an impressive background in sustainability and Work + Stay’s recruitment team worked with her to reshape her resume for the Australian market and assist her with applications.
She secured a role at Port Macquarie Hastings Council, meaning she now works in the same organisation as her husband.
Exceptional care and support for newcomers
Dinusha said he has been extremely impressed by the exceptional care and support Work + Stay have provided. He said Work + Stay’s Recruitment Specialist, who worked very closely with him throughout his move, has been like an angel to him.
The family love the region, especially the beach, parks and local wildlife. They often explore new places, and the setting is perfect for Dinusha’s love of photography. And that is the goal of Work + Stay’s retention model – taking care of all the potential headaches so that families can focus on enjoying everything their new community has to offer.
Help for regional employers experiencing workforce challenges
Work + Stay understands the challenges faced by regional employers. If you need help finding the right people to build out your workforce, or support in relocating new hires to your community, then please reach out to [email protected].
Call for candidates
If you’re a professional who is considering a regional move, then please register as a candidate at www.workandstay.com.au or send an email to [email protected]
