Immigrants' experiences in job interviews in Australia

Abstract

The ethnic composition of the Australian population is predicted to change over the next fifty years, with the proportion of Asian immigrants expected to rise significantly. Despite an increased awareness of diversity issues in the workplace, many of these immigrants are faced with invisible barriers when seeking employment commensurate with their experience and qualifications. This paper discusses the qualitative findings of a study, which examined the experiences during employment interviews of twelve immigrants from Southeast Asia. In general, participants expressed positive experiences in interviews. However, intercultural differences were reported to affect success in job seeking. Recommendations are made for further investigation of all stages of recruitment and selection, with a particular focus on the impact of intercultural differences upon immigrants’ successes in job seeking in Australia.