“Talent Crisis” is probably too strong an expression.

“War for Talent” is the phrase coined by McKinsey almost 30 years ago and has been overused and is often slightly misunderstood.

“A shortfall between the supply of talent compared to the demand” is a less dramatic description -but it best describes the situation that many employers have faced across the North and the Midlands in recent years.

In our first article, Kathleen O’Donnell – Director at Fragomen in Sheffield, shares advice on assessing the viability of international recruitment in larger SMEs, and the major differences between the Shortage Occupation List and the Immigration Salary List – read the full article here.

As discussed previously, there has been an increased level of interest and activity from employers to consider overseas talent. Kathleen O’Donnell – Director at Fragomen, a legal firm specialising in immigration, continues to outline the current market, demystify the subject of international recruitment and present their advice....

Many people are second guessing what changes the Labour government will bring in many areas including immigration. What is your view on what lies ahead?

In addition to reducing net migration, the government have said that they will conduct a review of the salary thresholds as well as the link between visa usage and obligation to train resident workers, including training plans for sectors. They will also establish a framework for collaboration with skills bodies and possibly conduct a review of the Resident Labour Market Test.

That all sounds very sensible in theory. Good news for employers who have already invested in their learning & development strategies.

One of our observations across the SME sector in recent years is how boards have been forced to spend more time on short-term planning than long. Are there any short-term pathways to success that you would recommend?

Yes, there are also short-term options like the visitor route which enables individuals to carry out general business activities like attending meetings, consulting, troubleshooting, repairing or advising on machinery, equipment or software. Business visitors can’t undertake productive work however, such as working on a project for a UK company or filling a role for them Additionally, companies and individuals may use a business visitor visa which is valid for six months, but because frequent travel in and out of the UK on this visa may present challenges, applicants should consider a work visa or other options to ensure compliance with the law.

Additionally, the Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) route allows for businesses to sponsor individuals  fora temporary period for the purpose of an internship or work experience. The role must meet the skill level, not be used to fill a permanent position, and is usually limited to a 12-month stay.

As we run our searches for management and senior management level recruits, Pratap Partnership has seen a noticeable increase in the number of professional accountants and engineers from West Africa, the Subcontinent and Australasia.

This is no surprise to hear. We have seen local employers from the manufacturing, engineering, energy, gaming and tech sectors recruiting overseas talent.

programmers and software development professionals tend to be among the most common roles businesses in the gaming and tech sectors recruit for overseas. These salaries have also increased as a result of the April changes, from £23,000 to £30,960, however, as these roles still appear on the Immigration Salary List (formerly called the Shortage Occupation List)enables employers to utilize the Skilled Worker Visa as the minimum salary is 80% of the route’s usual minimum rate.

Pratap Partnership deal with many employers facing the challenge of a skills shortage. Our service has adapted so much further than just sending CVs. We consult to improve EVPs, we have a state-of-the-art benchmarking process, we have invested in tools to reach further into the candidate pool and we are always looking to prioritise matching competencies where skills only fit to a certain level. This can all have a successful impact on people planning. Even with all of these actions engaged, some employers are struggling to recruit domestically.

Businesses should prepare to engage with the MAC during their review and provide evidence regarding what roles should appear on the Immigration Salary List and how the salary raises are affecting their respective sectors.

They should also review their current workforce who hold visas and review all the available options as they consider their talent pipeline in light of these changes.  

Read the first part of the Article here