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CHAPTER FOUR: WHO DOES RAS ATTRACT?

INTRODUCTION

4.1 This chapter provides a picture of the customers RAS attracts and their reasons for contacting RAS. In particular, it provides customer characteristics, reasons for contacting RAS, how customers found out about RAS and customer views on relocation.

Customer characteristics

4.2 In its first year, RAS had a total of 6,962 customers. Customer client group data is available for 5,964 customers. From this we can see that around three quarters of customers were people seeking employment and around one quarter were students ( Table 4.1) ¹⁴.

Table 4.1: Customers by client group Oct 2004-Sept 2005

Source:RAS Management Reports, adapted by DTZ Pieda Consulting

4.3 Most of the RAS's inquiries in its first year came from India, Poland, the USA and Nigeria (see Table 4.2).

4.4 Customer contact was directly related to promotional work RAS conducted in India. For example following press coverage in India in December 2004, RAS received 80% of its Indian customer enquiries. See table 4.2 for an analysis of customers by country group.

4.5 The average age for a RAS customer, in its first year, was 30 years. Almost three-quarters of RAS customers were aged between 16 and 34 (71%) and around 25% were between 35 and 54. A small number (1%) were older than 54. (source: customer survey).

4.6 Around two-thirds of RAS customers were male and a third were female.

Table 4.2 Clients by customer type and top ten nationalities

Source:RAS Management Reports, adapted by DTZ Pieda Consulting
Note 1: Only countries with more then one response have been separately identified.
Note 2: Unspecified cases excluded from the analysis.

Customer contact with RAS

4.7 Customers from each of the client sub groups are in contact with RAS a similar number of times, with each group averaging two to three interactions with RAS for each customer. This result suggests that the same core services (provision of information, direction to appropriate agencies, etc.) are delivered to all target groups. Ex-patriates and entrepreneurs have the highest level of service use, with an average of nearly three interactions per customer. (Figure 4.3).

Figure 4.3: Interactions between RAS and customer by client type

SOURCE:RAS Management Reports, adapted by DTZ Pieda Consulting

Method of contact

4.8 Email accounted for 86% of inbound customer contact. Just over half of all inbound customer contact was through direct email from customers (unstructured). Email generated through the website (structured) accounted for just over a third (Figure 4.4).

Figure 4.4. Mode of customer contact (inbound)

SOURCE: RAS Management Reports, adapted by DTZ Pieda Consulting

What are RAS customers contacting RAS about?

4.9 Customers contacted RAS for a variety of reasons and often for more than one reason. The most common types of queries were: about finding a job in Scotland, enquiring about visa or entry clearance, asking about training or career development, asking about the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme, asking whether qualifications would be recognized in Scotland, asking about accommodation in Scotland and enquiring about studying in Scotland ( Table 4.2)

Table 4.2 Reasons customers contacted RAS Oct 2004 - Sept 2005

(source: customer survey).

Reasons for contacting RAS varied by nationality.

• Customers from one of the EU Accession countries were more likely to contact RAS about finding a job in Scotland (92% of Accession country respondents said this compared to 66% average). The same customers were more likely to ask about accommodation (55% vs. 26% average). They were also more likely to ask if their qualifications would be recognised in Scotland (41% vs. 28%). Most customers from Accession countries were based in Poland and fluency in English was considerably lower for this group.
• Customers from other EU countries were less likely than average to ask about visas and entry requirements (18% vs. 44% average). Customers from North and South America were most likely to ask about visas and entry requirements (69% vs. 44% average).
• Those with an African nationality were more likely to ask about developing their career/training (61% vs. 39% average) and were more likely to ask about studying in Scotland (45% vs. 24% average) than average. (Source: customer survey).

4.10 There were marked differences in the type of customer enquiring about the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme.

• Customers who were nationals of EU Accession countries were less likely to ask about the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme (9% vs. 36% average) - this may be related to the fact that the scheme does not apply to them - and those living in Scotland or the United Kingdom, were more likely to (67% and 75% respectively, 36% average). In addition those enquiring about the scheme tended to be young, with a higher level of education, good English, and students. These figures reflect that most students contacting RAS are currently based in the UK and customers based in EU Accession countries were more likely than average to be workers. (Figures 4.5 to 4.8)

Figure 4.5 Proportion enquiring about Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme by age

Source: customer survey

Figure 4.6 Proportion enquiring about Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme by education status

Source: customer survey

Table 4.7 Proportion enquiring about Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme by self reported level of English

Source: customer survey

Table 4.8 Proportion enquiring about Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme by current status

Source: customer survey

How did customers hear about RAS?

4.11 Almost every customer had found the contact details for RAS through the website www.scotlandistheplace.com . However we asked customers where they had first heard about RAS. Over three quarters of customers found out about RAS through a news article or the internet. Many had found the RAS webpage via the Scottish Executive's own website ( www.scotland.gov.uk ). This was the case for around one fifth of customers. (see Table 4.3 below).

Table 4.3 How customers found out about the Relocation Advisory Service

How did students hear about RAS?

4.12 Students were most likely to find out about RAS through the internet. A quarter of students found out about RAS through the Scottish Executive website (compared to 19% of all RAS customers). Just under a quarter (24%) of students found it through another website or a website search. Another common way for students to hear about RAS is through someone at their institution, normally an international student advisor (21% of students heard about RAS this way). The survey also found that most customers who found out about RAS from a student advisor went on to contact RAS by phone (rather than by email). News items appear to be less effective for reaching students (only 11% of students heard about RAS this way compared to 31% average).

How did workers find out about RAS?

4.13 News articles were the main way for customers living in India and Poland to find out about RAS (48% and 56% respectively) - this is much higher than customers based anywhere else in the world and to a certain extent reflects the heavy promotional work undertaken in these countries. Those who found out about RAS through news items were more likely than average to be considering a move to countries other than Scotland. (38% of those looking to move to countries other than Scotland found out about RAS through the news, compared to 22% of those who are only interested in Scotland).

Customer views on relocation

4.14 Qualitative in-depth interviews were carried out with respondents representing the three main customer groups: students, those seeking employment and employers. The interviews covered topics including why customers may be interested in Scotland as a relocation destination, why they contacted RAS and overall perceptions of life in Scotland.

Students

4.15 We conducted in-depth interviews with five students who were already studying in Scotland. All were at a similar stage in their life: they were all relatively young, unmarried and had no dependents, although some were in long-term relationships.

4.16 The main reason for students selecting Scotland was the good reputation of higher education in the UK and in particular the reputation of specific universities or academic courses. One or two students asserted that the education they would receive in Scotland would be better than in their native countries.

4.17 The students were interested in the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme. The scheme was seen as a way by which they could start their careers in a country where there are good job prospects, without the need for a work permit. However, some students did not have a clear commitment to Scotland alone, but mentioned that there were other countries where they could further their career. These included Canada, the rest of the UK, Hong Kong and Japan. Wherever a good work opportunity arose, these students would be prepared to consider relocating. This flexible outlook was illustrated by a postgraduate student, who explained that:

"At the moment I'm just building up my career, so I'm open to anything in the long term or the short term. My life's very much focused on finding a (work) place".

By contrast, students who had established relationships with partners who lived in Scotland, or came from Scotland, aspired to relocate permanently. For example, one student who was in a long-term relationship with a Scottish man and had made many Scottish friends, wished to remain in Scotland long term. She felt that her life was "now in Scotland".

Those seeking employment

4.18 We conducted in-depth interviews with twelve RAS customers who were seeking employment. The sample included a mixture of skilled and less skilled workers from a variety of countries. Those seeking employment in Scotland had various reasons for wanting to relocate. However, those interviewed generally fell into one of two categories. Some wanted to move countries primarily to further their career prospects. Others wished to relocate primarily to gain a better quality of life. Generally, those who came from English-speaking countries subscribed to the latter category whilst those from EU accession countries were career driven. For example, one man from Poland described how the high rate of unemployment was reducing wages and chances for job promotion in his country. This caused him to consider relocating to Scotland. Additionally, he imagined that the quality of life would be better: Scotland could offer " a better life, a better country, better chances".

4.19 Often, those seeking employment were very keen to relocate to Scotland in particular. However, some were also considering other options. Other countries that they were considering including English-speaking ones, such as Australia, USA, Canada and other parts of the UK. A few respondents were also thinking about relocating to non-English speaking countries such as Hong Kong or Japan. For many seeking employment, it seemed that relocation was viewed as either long term or permanent.

4.20 Generally, those seeking employment were professionals who wanted to continue in their profession after relocating. They felt that this would offer them the best chance of finding a good job in Scotland. However, some said that they would be open to other kinds of work if this allowed them to relocate to Scotland.

4.21 Those seeking employment chose to contact RAS because they were looking for information that was not provided on the RAS website. Some had very specific questions relating to their own personal circumstances but most asked general questions. These covered a variety of topics, including how to find accommodation, information about work permits, general information about relocation, skills shortages in Scotland, how to search for jobs and the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme. For example, an electronic technician asked for

"…more about 'what's involved in relocation: what are the restrictions? Is there age restrictions? What can one expect in trying to relocate?' I was just asking general questions about getting work".

Employers

4.22 We spoke to five employers in the qualitative interviews. Their issues centered around finding out how to recruit workers from abroad, including advice on work permits, extension of visas and the best ways to recruit from the new European accession countries. Some employers had identified specific skills shortages, which they could not fill with local workers. One employer had difficulty recruiting skilled chefs. Another was trying to recruit engineers. Both felt that, increasingly, young people in Scotland were looking to work in service sector businesses rather more traditional industries. Therefore they needed to look elsewhere than Scotland to fill their skills shortages. One employer said:

" For years there was no apprentices coming through… Younger people still looked on [it] as a dirty trade… so a lot of them went into IT. …We just, at that time, couldn't attract sufficient skilled staff to fulfil our needs".

4.23 All the employers interviewed found RAS via web searches.

SUMMARY

4.24 The main findings from this chapter are:

• Structured and unstructured email is the most common type of inbound customer contact. It is chosen by more than four-fifths of customers.
• Enquiries to RAS have been dominated by clients of Indian nationality. Indian nationals account for the largest share of all client groups except expatriates. This may be at least partly due to some of Fresh Talent's promotional activity in India.
• Those from EU Accession countries are also a major customer group. They tend to be most interested in finding out about work in Scotland. They are also interested in accommodation and whether their qualifications will be recognised.
• RAS is attracting young people. The average age of a customer is 30.
• RAS is attracting more males than females (two-thirds to one-third ratio).
• Workers were the largest client group, followed by students. Although the numbers of entrepreneurs, employers and expatriates were smaller, the potential pool of clients was also smaller.
• The different types of RAS customers have very different support needs, i.e. the types of queries and level of detail sought after in responses are very different for students, workers and employers.
• Most people contacted RAS to find out about working in Scotland.
• Students were more likely to hear about RAS through internet research or a member of staff at their University. News articles seem to have the most effect with workers based overseas.

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