NAA Member News: Brabners – Driving Global Talent: How Automotive Businesses Can Navigate International Hiring
With skilled workers in increasingly short supply, Ikram Malik, Partner at Brabners, highlights how business immigration can help the North West’s automotive sector to develop a healthy talent pipeline, and the key legal considerations for businesses looking to do so.
The skills gap facing the UK’s manufacturing industry continues to represent one of the most pressing economic challenges of our time.
Be it through engagement with local schools and universities to help build interest in careers in STEM or outreach into under-represented communities, the good news is that major automotive organisations across the North West are using a range of tools to develop a strong pipeline of regional talent.
Investing in future generations isn’t an instant fix though, as the return on investment can take years to materialise and resolve the current gaps. And with new technologies such as AI becoming more prevalent, the need for experienced, skilled workers able to utilise these tools means that tackling the skills gap remains very much as an issue here and now. With this weighing heavy, it’s clear that many employers are looking to balance their long-term talent strategy with their immediate recruitment needs – with business immigration seeming like a potential solution for many.
Benefits of the international talent pool
Despite this, it’s important that management teams remain alive to the benefits that business immigration – especially through the Skilled Worker Visa route – can bring.
Being an approved sponsor licence holder with the Home Office grants businesses access to a much broader talent pool, comprising qualified, experienced candidates from across the globe. This is particularly beneficial for those operating in advanced manufacturing sub-sectors, like the automotive industry, who often require applicants with specialised skillsets that can be costly to develop through training.
Staff retention is another key benefit of recruiting sponsored talent, with Skilled Workers required to complete five years employment before they are eligible to apply for settlement, and workers often remaining at the same business throughout the whole period. In an industry such as manufacturing where competition for talent is high, more assurance around retention can be integral in allowing businesses to develop and implement their growth strategies with more certainty.
In a similar vein, this route allows businesses to tap into the UK’s extensive pool of international graduates actively seeking employment following the completion of their course. This brings additional financial benefits, with candidates that have made the switch from the Student Visa to the Skilled Worker Visa not subject to pay the Immigration Skills Charge. Working in tandem with academic institutions to identify and nurture fresh talent can allow businesses to benefit from this wealth of knowledge at an early stage and plan for the years ahead.
Navigating the road ahead
Despite the clear benefits, a common theme we see among businesses looking to capitalise on business immigration is that they are doing so on a reactive basis. Many businesses will only apply for sponsorship once they’ve identified a gap within their workforce that cannot be plugged through trying to recruit domestic talent.
The businesses that are prospering are taking a proactive approach by having business immigration embedded into their talent strategy, creating an alternative recruitment lane they can tap into whenever it’s appropriate.
Another reason why employers may be reluctant to engage with the sponsorship route is due to the compliance requirements. Employers will need to familiarise themselves with sponsor duties and report change of circumstances for the organisation or the sponsored worker in a timely manner. Immigration policy is politically contentious and subject to frequent change, so it’s important for businesses to assess compliance both consistently and thoroughly.
Indeed, with changes in Home Office policy allowing employers to appoint authorised third-party representatives to ensure compliance of their sponsor duties, engaging with a qualified advisor can often help make the difference, allowing management teams to focus on maximising the potential of their workforce.
Our specialist immigration team at Brabners work with our clients to advise on all aspects of economic migration to ensure their organisation is compliant with immigration and employment law requirements.
As the skills gap continues to persist, successfully navigating the UK’s immigration regime is becoming increasingly business-critical for many organisations. By taking a proactive approach and identifying the benefits it can bring early, it could be a catalyst for the sector’s continued evolution.
For more information on how business immigration can benefit your business, contactIkram.Malik@Brabners.com.
