Google techs switch on to Wellington jobs

Senior employees from technology giants Facebook, Google and Amazon are hoping to nab a free trip to Wellington to scope out future employment opportunities.

The potential candidates have signed up to a new global talent search initiative, LookSee Wellington, which has ratepayer backing and aims to address the capital city’s IT skills shortage.

The online platform went live last week, and has received more than 5000 registrations of interest from professionals worldwide.

According to the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA), a ‘‘significant number of them’’ were from the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore, including some who currently hold senior roles at major tech brands including Facebook, Google and Amazon.

About 100 IT professionals from a number of countries will descend on the capital in May.

The candidates, who have their flights and accommodation paid for, will attend a series of prearranged job interviews with employers who have roles that match their skills.

If an employer goes on to hire one of the 100 candidates – or hires an unsuccessful candidate who applied through the LookSee Wellington website – they must pay upwards of $9000.

The cost to bring each candidate to New Zealand for a week would be about $2750, which equates to about $275,000 for 100 candidates.

WREDA general manager David Jones said interest in the initiative was expected to escalate over the coming days.

The agency needed to be creative in attracting attention, given the fierce competition globally for talented tech professionals, Jones said.

‘‘We know that once people have been here and seen what’s on offer, they are blown away.’’

More than 25 employers had signed up to participate in LookSee Wellington, including Xero, Trade Me and Weta Digital.

Xero alone has more than 30 current vacancies, reflecting the skills shortage in Wellington, Jones said.

The agency is investing $300,000 in the campaign.

WREDA, which combines the economic development activities of Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council, is funded by Wellington ratepayers.