Immigrant Employment: A Study of Recruitment Agencies' Responses to New Zealand and Chinese Candidates

Researchers: Colleen Ward and Anne-Marie Masgoret

Forty-three resumes of a New Zealand candidate and 42 resumes of a Chinese candidate were sent out. All employment details and personal details were identical, as were the content, format, and language (apart from the candidate’s name, citizenship, and location of educational institutes and initial employment).

Fifty-one responses were received to the initial inquiry: 29 for the New Zealand candidate and 22 for the Chinese candidate.

The New Zealand candidate was actively recruited with direct requests for contact and the provision of additional information significantly more frequently than the Chinese candidate. Conversely, the Chinese candidate was disengaged significantly more frequently than the New Zealand candidate, being told there were no job opportunities without being added to the agency database.

The research clearly revealed that Chinese migrants were disadvantaged compared with native New Zealand Europeans.

You can access the article, "Immigrant Employment: A Study of Recruitment Agencies' Responses to New Zealand and Chinese Candidates" here.