From Local to Global: The World is Your Talent Pool – Why Recruit International Talent?

Recruiting international talent has always been a topic of conversation for businesses who want to expand and grow. Certainly, employing international employees by sponsoring them as skilled workers can bring a range of benefits to businesses. Here are just some of the reasons why hiring international talent may be beneficial for you.

Address skill shortages

International hiring allows businesses to fill skill gaps that may otherwise be difficult to address locally. International candidates might possess specialised skills or work experience that are otherwise scarce or non-existent locally.  Access to a global talent pool enables companies to recruit the best candidate for the job, regardless of geographical boundaries.

Wider customer reach

Sponsoring a skilled worker can help you understand the global market and what customers want. The invaluable knowledge of cultural nuances and consumer behaviour that international employees can provide assists businesses to grow successfully. If a business expands and has visions to grow on an international scale, multilingual employees can communicate with international clients in their native language, forging deeper business relationships. 

Achieving a diverse workforce

By hiring skilled workers, you will be promoting cultural diversity that may provide your business with a competitive advantage. A diverse workforce promotes inclusivity and cultural competence, making companies more attractive to top talent and improving employee satisfaction. Businesses who are known for diversity and inclusion often are more successful as they attract a broader consumer base. Diverse companies are found to be 36% more profitable according to Gartner Insights research.  

International employees can contribute with their own perspective to research and development, driving innovation in whatever field they are in. Even collaboration between them and local employees offers diverse perspectives and problem-solving solutions. This will not only support cultural diversity, but will foster creativity and innovation within the team. 

Is sponsorship right for our business?

Hiring international employees is not only about filling positions; it’s about enriching the workplace culturally, enhancing the global reach of your business and fostering innovation to provide a competitive edge in an interconnected world.

To hire international skilled workers, employers must firstly apply for a sponsor licence. This licence grants the legal ability to sponsor non-settled workers to work in the UK. 

What are the responsibilities of being a sponsor?

Sponsorship requires a pledge from the sponsor that it will adhere to all the compliance duties associated with sponsoring a migrant. These duties include the following:

Reporting: reporting certain changes to the sponsored worker’s role or to the business itself;

Record-keeping: maintaining certain records for all employees and specific records for sponsored workers;

Compliance: abiding by all applicable laws, such as employment, tax and planning laws;

Co-operation with UKVI: for example, during a compliance visit, the company must co-operate and supply the requested documents and information to UKVI; and

Genuine vacancies: ensuring all sponsored roles genuinely exist and that job descriptions are not exaggerated to meet the requirements of the specific role or sponsored work visa category.

Conclusion

If you are interested in sponsoring skilled workers, the Business Immigration team at AfterAthena will be more than happy to have an initial discussion about sponsorship and the associated process in applying for a sponsor licence.

Please email Angela Barnes at Angela.Barnes@afterathena.co.uk for any queries.