Airport battles to fill key position
Owen Roberts International Airport, Grand Cayman
(CNS): The airport is struggling to fill a vacancy in its HR department and has resorted to local recruitment agencies to fill the key position with a temporary ex-pat worker as it tries to find a suitably qualified local. But news that a Canadian had been recruited as a human resources officer at the government-owned airport in George Town stirred up angry sentiment on social media this week. Airport bosses said, however, that they have been through two rounds of open recruitment and approached five agencies to fill the job with a Caymanians with no luck.
“The Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) went through a lengthy recruitment process and offered the post of Human Resources Training Coordinator/Officer to two Caymanians, both of whom declined the offer after receiving counteroffers from their current employers,” officials told CNS Thursday. “The CIAA is now preparing to go through the recruitment process again, however in the meantime it was necessary for us to have a temp in place.”
The authority said it approached five recruitment agencies to find a temporary worker to step in for around three to six months until the job can be filled with a Caymanian, given that the job is for someone with training experience, which is proving hard to find in the local market. The temporary worker is an expat but she is not an employee of the CIAA.
“This temporary engagement was only necessary after the two previous efforts to recruit a suitably qualified Caymanians were unsuccessful,” the authority noted.
A spokesperson for one of the five agencies that were asked to find the temp said they had offered the airport CVs of four local HR officers but none of them had the training experience the authority needs for this role. As a result, the CIAA chose a temp from Canada who fits the job description and who is here as a dependent.
The consultant explained that getting a work permit for any HR post is very difficult because of the number of qualified and very experienced human resource staff on island, however the training aspect in this case proved a sticking point, so the substantive post remains open.
The CIAA said that it hopes that it can still find a local worker now it has some breathing space with a temp on board.
The issue of government and its statutory authorities and companies taking on overseas staff during the time of continuing, albeit falling, local unemployment has caused resentment in the community. Given the pressure that is being placed on the private sector to adapt jobs or train locals to fit the bill, there is strong public sentiment that government must lead the way.
Facebook posts about this particular vacancy, which remains open for applications, raised concerns on Wednesday that the permanent job had gone to the ex-pat while numerous local workers with HR experience and qualifications are looking for work. But the airport has made it clear the Canadian national is on a temporary permit and they are continuing to look for a full time permanent local candidate for the post, which has been vacant for over a year.
See details of job: CIAA vacant position – Training Co-ord & HR Officer
Category: Jobs, Local News
I think a lot of people make comments who are highly educated in their field , but thats not enough .
I believe one has to also understand the culture in which we live in also. We live in a west indian culture, one has to remember the history of the culture. For one part we are a humble people whether we are all white or mix or black.
But some have mixed with other island cultures where the blacks were slaves, they didn’t get any education they had no training except for returning brutal violence to the plantation owners who abused them . They never got any education even after going to school here except hustling. They are not as complacent or giving to the notion of “No You don’t Qualify For the Job”. So things continue to get more intense, stressful, attitudes getting more outspoken.
Right now we are 2800 people with no jobs, houses that are owned have no elect., water, no food. But still we keep pulling,” sorry we need the best person for the job”. What is wrong with 75%? Is production so important that it bypasses common sense? Do you not see what is coming? When time passes to the extent that 20% of the Caymanians can’t find a job that they qualify for will you have time to pack and withdraw your money and catch that plane. Be careful what you’re doing
I am a former CIAA employee and I can tell you from swimming in the mud that is the CIAA that we have real serious issues there. We have people who are grossly overpaid and others grossly underpaid. We have people who work like dogs and those who are only collecting paychecks and those latter ones are the overpaid ones.
We have a management team (not all of them) who turns a blind eye to their friends and their indiscretions which is in real terms corrupt practices. We have some good people there also but they will always be chained up by those with real power.
I was excited for the new expansion but scared all at the same time because my theory is if you can’t management something small properly you have no hope in hell of doing it when it is much larger and to me that only means corruption will be more rampant.
When I went there I heard the stories of how bad things were and I wanted to be a force for change but after I got there and saw what was happening I just wanted to leave at virtually any cost.
Please do not get me wrong. I love the Airport. I joined them because I remember many many years ago when I was a child literally living there. I have no ill feelings for it and in fact I would love to see it prosper but my fear is the old guard will protect their own and ensure their peeps stay around.
This is the problem we are face with today where foreign HR managers hire their very own nationals not even other nationalities how is that fair ? We see this everyday in this little place. We certainly could not do it in there countries. When is this foolishness going to stop?
It will stop when the chip falls off you shoulders. No one believes this crap anymore. Find a different excuse for your inability to keep up with the rest of the world.
Excuses are like a–holes, everyone has one and they usually stink. You should have simply come right out and written blame the expats but you would be ignoring the presence of an at least MBA holding and professionally experienced senior Caymanian human resources professional at the helm without considering what he is or is not doing for his internal clients.
Do you even know demographic breakdown of the civil service? Do you know the demographics of the CIAA?
XXXXX. CIAA needs to change but unfortunately, change will never be accepted by that crowd.
Good luck in fantasy land.
We are effectively at full employment here in The Cayman Islands, any Caymanian who is willing an able to work is working.
Someone needs to take a look at the ICTA’s head count too. It has doubled in the last two years and why?
Not sure where your comment is coming from. ICTA’s headcount has not at all doubled. Also, it is worth to mention that essentially 90%+ of their employees are Caymanian. Do you know how wide their remit is? So much so that they need more staff than what they already have- so I am not understanding the relevance of the comment here.
Man, oh Man, people around here, including expats, aren’t all that bright. In my previous post I blamed British, Canadian, and US expats for dumping refuse all over the place. I then suggested that government implement a 15% tax on expats in order to address the mess that these annoying expats caused. I also suggested that Mount Trashmore could be relocated 10 miles offshore into the ocean… Wouldn’t you know it, I got a whole bunch of thumbs downs and troll votes for my effort. Guess people forgot the art of sarcasm and/or reading between the lines. It was a complete joke what I wrote, yet so many fell for it hook, line and sinker. I suggest that all those who pushed the thumbs down and troll button for my prior comment are ideal candidates for this position – government appears to hire only the dumb and weak of mind. You will fit in perfectly!!!
There are some people 8.08pm, who are the only ones that find themselves funny. You know, the crazy one who you don’t want to sit next to you on the bus or in the cinema?
CNS can we have a “wanker” button please?
Hire the Canadian to train the Caymanian and then terminate the Canadian’s contract. We have to stop being so nonsensical! If the Caymanian needs training, train them, don’t just say they are none available..There will never be any available if they are not trained..
Not everyone is trainable. Not everyone can train. In the real world what works, works. What does not is left behind. Here is the third world if it doesn’t work then all effort is put toward making it look like it works.
CIAA is too political no one in their RIGHT mind would want this as it would be a 4 year job. don’t care if it was paying 100K I am a qualified so call Caymanian and I am happy working for a private company . Thank you very much
It should be “called”
I pity the private company where you work
The myth is exposed, once again…there are no Caymanians left who can do this or other roles, they do not have the right qualifications or gumption or will to do it…
To the contrary 5:33! I am a qualified Caymanian that meets, and exceed, the requirements for that post. The fact is, I’m not interested, like many others in sure, in working in such an environment. So please don’t make such ignorant statements.
Ok, I will stop when you stop bitching about furreners that “take” Caymanian jobs…jeez…make your minds up! Unbelievable hypocracy.
So you can’t do it because your not interested? Maybe that’s the main reason they can’t find a Caymanian to do it.
My question is, if they are so many Caymanians who have the HR qualifications but lack the training aspect of the job, and being as though the position is filled temporarily three – six months by a Canadian, then why isn’t an “HR Quailfied” Caymanian put into place to learn from the Canadian during the 6 month tenure?
This will give the Caymanian a foot in the door to learn key responsibilities of the job, fill the void at the end of the 6 month period and the opportunity to continue their studies to fit the training qualification requirement, all why positively contributing day to day.
Otherwise we will be sitting down for the next 6 months hoping a qualified Caymanian ‘pops up’ to fit the roll. Why not just train the caymanian hands on?
So CIAA should trade their desire as per the job spec for someone with 4 years of experience in training for someone who has 6 months experience, part of that at least spent learning the job?
So we should pay two salaries or do treat them as an unpaid intern
The answer is,Yes! Cayman Islands Government made the law. If it must be applied in the private sector then it needs to be applied to the Government as well. They need to lead by example..A lot of our money is wasted away on frivilous things..Invest some of that money in education and training. Until the government leads by example nothing will ever change..
Gov will do everything in their power to hire non caymanians. It does not matter how qualified the caymanian is, they will always have a bulls eye on their back.
And you know personally a qualified Caymanian that was passed over for this job? Or is this just more unsubstantiated rhetoric we are so used to?
Given that the Gov itself is overwhelmingly Caymanian, including a significant number who would really struggle to find a job in the private sector, I don’t for a second think you believe that.
1:05, do you really think your nasty and ignorant comments really refer to an authority headed by a 100% born Caymanian and whose Board is chaired by another 100% Caymanian? I never met such a whining group of malcontents and ingrates as we have in Cayman these days. When Jesus Christ comes again these ingrates and complainers are going to grumble because he’s not a generational Caymanian, merely the generational Son of God which of course wont be good enough..
When JC comes again he will be placed at the immigrant Detention Centre for landing illegally
Or he will be arrested from taking fish for event catering from environmental zones without authorisation.
Your soul could end up spending eternity in West Bay for blasphemous comments like that…
Why would they do that?
not in this ministry
So – they had a qualified expat in the role. The qualified expat got booted because a Caymanian complained but then didn’t take the role. Now they have no one. Sad, sad, sad.
Sad yes, but you gotta admit it’s kind of funny too.
Ask Ezzard Miller to send you all these qualified experienced “Caymanyuns” he keeps going on about who can’t get jobs because of the nasty old expats holding them back. Or, failing that, check Arden McLean since he should be able to recommend a bunch of them to you. If he can’t, you’ll still get a good laugh looking at all the strange facial expressions he makes when he tells you why he can’t.
Arden has a family member who knows how to fly a helicopter, I am sure this makes him a shoe-in for the job at the CIAA.
A toy helicopter. Right?!
But he wants to fly a helicopter. But only in Cayman. Of the type that he is qualified to fly, since learning to fly another type would require him to go overseas. And it should be a nice colour. With his name on the side.
Should we call the helicopter Arden McArdenface?
The agencies will destroy Cayman . When will immigration stop issuing permits to the agencies . NWDA and immigration should do an audit of the agencies and see for themselves what really goes on in Cayman job market
I agree with 12:07. I could not say it better.
Yup, its the agencies fault that only two qualified Caymanians applied, and they then withdrew. Actually the agencies have solved CIAA’s urgent need to find a qualified person when the Cayman labour pool proved unable to do so.
Agreed. Many many people are working full-time and long term for private sector employers under the guise of an agency.
Just hire any available Caymanian regardless of whether they are capable or not! It doesn’t matter right. It’s not the business that matters just make sure a Caymanian is employed! Jeez isn’t it that easy! Cayman should be sending all us expats home when there clearly are jobs and every available Caymanian is suitable to fill them.
Great point! Can’t agree more. I mean, if a 6 grade landscaper can lead the country, surely anyone can be an hr manager.
Alden as a leader has been a real disappointment, in that I would have thought that he would have looked at the knowledge and skill gap for those Caymanians who are unemployed in contrast with what jobs were available in the private sector and then provided the necessary training opportunities to enable them to fill those positions and at the same time, eliminating the loopholes employers are manipulating to seek work permits for persons whom they pay at ridiculously low wages. And yes, while there are educational opportunities available, they are not so easily accessible when you have previously been employed and have living expenses to meet, because you are not going to get a scholarship, or a sponsor, so you are up the creek. That said, replacing the PPM government with the UDP, or whatever they call themselves now, or those two from up East would be replacing a disappointment with a disaster, because they all had previous shots at running government and they too did nothing. And I know they will try to disclaim that, and they will beat up their gums, but these issues are nothing new, they have been around from forever. We need some fresh, new, educated politicians along with Moses and Wayne, the only two who seem to know what they are doing and where they are going, who have a clear vision and can set boundaries. Look at the Fire Dept. It had a long history of Caymanian leadership and under Alden’s watch, a Caymanian was replaced with an expat, claiming they had no one suitable, even after Alden said he would not support that. He and his chief officer should be sacked for failing to ensure there was a rolling succession plan and that a suitable Caymanian was available and that funding had been allotted to give him the necessary training and qualifications to hold the job! Why let a Caymanian go until you had another Caymanian to replace him? Alden will get his walking ticket come this election, not sure when his Chief Officer will get his.
You see the irony in saying that the failure here is to train a Caymanian for the role, when the problem is apparently finding a Caymanian with the training experience to train Caymanians?
You can always lead a horse to water. Doesn’t mean they are going to drink it.
From that Job description, it sounds like a lot of requirements, for a low Grade 3 salary if they are using the Government Grade system! Maybe thats why no one wanted the position……
No, an expat did want it and was booted out. Two Caymanians turned down offer! Now a business is left short because of being forced to hire local! This is not the first time I’ve heard this and won’t be the last. Anyone doing business here should re- evaluate if it’s worth doing business in Cayman at all if you are dictated to about your business and who you should hire. Whatever happened to just the best person for the job. But no, this is Cayman and once again short sighted entitlement culture takes over.
Anonymous
I would like to ask all the foreign nationals if Caymanians can go to there countries and get a job, house, car and oh yes a life.
Actually yes if they have been invited there by employers for their skills.
You see, he a a great chance for a Caymanian to do something good for their fellow countrymen (not that I agree that they should)
They can take a job in HR hiring local people….. But no. They back out for more money. Why? What makes this world go ’round? Love? Hmmm MONEYMONEYMONEY!
It is interesting to note that the position was offered to two locals who turned it down after receiving counter-offers from their current employers. This is common and is caused by the desperation of employers to hang on to quality Caymanians. Otherwise they end up having to either employ people who can’t make the grade or going through the nightmare of work permit applications. It results in this pushing up of salaries across the board which results in businesses charging more for their services and an increase in the cost of living. We still live in a country where being Caymanian is the ultimate ‘qualification’ but it has a negative affect on all of us in the long run, Caymanian or not.
When will this nunb headed country learn that you need the very best people for a job, not the second best because of nationality. This dumbass way of looking at the world is undoubtedly leading to a shortfall in quality leaders and in general, experienced professionals, in the local workforce.
Whilst in a utopian world full local employment, supplied from a highly educated, motivated and experienced workforce is a worthy aim, it isn’t realistic nor is it ever likely to be considering the small demographic and even smaller qualifying pool.
Government should not keep being dictated to petty minded loudmouths who are intent on dragging this place down to their own pathetic vision of the world. We need quality Caymanian employees, not placements through nationality, if not we need the best in open and comparative competition.
The fact is people, you can’t teach experience, especially from scratch.
Succession training is the way forward, but only for qualified and suitable candidates. And not at the expense of those training them, otherwise sub standard training is understandable and inevitable.
It’s quite simple really. Educate your kids to international standards, instil a solid work ethic, promote further education and compulsory training, identify potential leaders and push for excellence.
Nationality should never be the key to the door unless you are the very best that can be found in open competition. To continue on this road will end in failure as inappropriate candidates cause catastrophic failures through inexperience and nationalistic hubris.
If you think I’m wrong, just take a look at the crowd of uneducated, inexperienced and generally hopeless individuals you call MLA’s. They consistently make I’ll judged decisions, embarrassing their people with actions and behaviours that one would normally witness in a school yard.
No people, you can do better than that, but in the meantime get the people you need, not the ones you are told to have by little islanders whose only aim is to race to the bottom.
How on earth is that position not filled? I mean there are just so many qualified unemployed people on island right? Case after case. SO many qualified people. There must be one who could take the job. I guess it must be prejudice against Caymanians then. There could be no other explanation.
(fyi- for those who don’t get it.. I’m being sarcastic).
This statutory authority is clearly following the example set by the civil service.
No more hires based on political correctness or friendship.
Our Deputy Governor has set the standard and we must all follow. How else will these agencies improve?
If gambling was legal here, I’d bet that the position will be filled by a status holder, Jamaican. ANY position held by ‘white’ person from outside Caribbean will be removed and by public outcry and this trend was started by people who thinks Cayman is the official employer of the West Indies.
Alright enough with the DG koolaid references. The operations of CIAA are overseen by its Board and Managing Director. The DG has absolutely no say in the operations of the statutory authority. So please refrain from spreading nonsense
I agree with you but should this “nationality should never be the key to the door” not be implemented all the way around? Since I have been on Island for the past 15 years, I have seen plenty nationalities who are very keen to help their own along the way, whether they have the right qualifications and experience or not. Yes, we must embrace those who are qualified, but at the same time we must be able to see through a pile of smokes and mirrors when receiving resumes from onshore and stop the thinking that someone who comes from elsewhere is automatically better suited and has more experience. Background checks and references must be mandatory all the way around.
Who is the we? Did you get a transfusion?
The other thing with that is when they hire their friend from overseas who does not have the experience, they are trained and then become the expert. Generally trained by a Caymanian who is instructed to train them. Then what happens? That expat becomes the Caymanian’s boss.
4:23, I have heard this bullshit in Cayman for nearly 40 years now. It was then and remains now…..bullshit. So stop it.
Thou doth talk shite
There is some sense in that remark people. Take the example of a UK lawyer newly arrived. He has wide legal knowledge of UK laws, principles and precedent and probably decent experience, but will still need his secretary or paralegal to educate him about say, how the companies registry and law courts actually work here, and pick up on some of the idiosyncrasies of Cayman laws, before he settles in and gets fully up to speed. And yes he will be those Caymanian’s boss going forward, because his little bit of local training was a very modest addition to his overall abilities and they shouldn’t claim otherwise.
Are you really trying to say that Generally Caymanians train the expat bosses? Your parents have not been kind to you.