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In a previous post on this blog, we shared some tips on how to find suitable staff for your company.
Now, we’re going to look at some tips for recruiting overseas when local recruiting has failed and or not delivered the calibre or skill set of candidate you need.
FIRST, PRACTICE GOOD DUE DILIGENCE
This means that even before you start recruiting abroad, you’re going to need to put a few systems and processes in place from a legal perspective. You’re more than likely going to need to apply for something called a “sponsor licence”. This is permission given to you from the Home Office to recruit for labour from outside the UK. It has been put in place to ensure that companies are who they say they are and guard against immigration fraud.
Depending on the level of recruitment you intend to embark on, there may be additional regulatory licences and permissions required before you begin your candidate search. To that point, there are likely to be additional documentation requirements that your candidates are going to have to supply to be registered with certain UK bodies. Doctors (and other medical staff), lawyers, accountants, architects and scientists would likely fall into these categories. You can find out more here.
CHECK YOUR FINANCES
You might have already guessed it, but recruiting overseas isn’t going to be the cheapest option, and you are going to be responsible for paying for the candidates’ work permit requirements here in Britain.
So make sure that you’ve consulted with a reputable immigration firm that can help guide you through this process. There are many potential pitfalls to be aware of, and if you don’t have the right experience in dealing with this process, it could cost you more than you think or would want.
CHECK-IN WITH YOUR CURRENT STAFF
Checking in with your existing staff could get you some good leads for recruitment.
Not only might they know of someone from their home country who could be a perfect fit, but they may be dealing with their immigration problems. They may just require immigration lawyers with compassion and understanding of the varying circumstances that face a foreign workforce.
PARTNER WITH FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES AND GRADUATE SCHOOLS
This should be a no-brainer, but many businesses have not considered this option because there was an entire continent of skilled labour just across the channel. Business schools from Cape Town to Canberra produce top-quality graduates every year, and the NHS recruits thousands of medical staff from the Commonwealth, so you’ll want to be able to get in as early as possible before the big hirers do.
CONDUCT A SKILLS AUDIT
Conducting an internal skills audit across existing employees’ job functions may yield some interesting results. This is a practice that UK businesses have not yet learned to make a regular occurrence. However, employees have pasts, and conducting an annual or bi-annual skills audit as and when your recruitment needs evolve could produce some exciting results. Moreover, it may mitigate your need to recruit overseas at all.
Our business landscape has changed, and whether we wanted it or not, it’s here, and more and more employers are starting to feel the pressure. Partnering with a good legal team and recruitment specialist will help ease that Post-Brexit hangover substantially.
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