We’re already half way through the month of May and today we’re considering the third in a four part series of hurdles that successful firms will need to overcome in order to survive and thrive despite the hiring crisis.
We’ve already considered how unconscious bias in our recruitment practices may be hindering our workforce strategy and looked at how best we can make the most of skills we already have in our workplace. But in this blog we’re looking at what might be considered the best way we can open the floodgates of talent and potentially choose from a huge pool of accountants, and that’s by shaking up our approach to hiring professionals from outside of the UK.
Release your recruitment potential by looking beyond our shores.
For firms who are truly feeling the impact of the hiring crisis, we recommend that you leave no stone unturned. And if you find yourself at the point where you need to consider turning over stones outside of the UK, here’s a top level summary of all you need to know to tap into overseas accountancy potential.
Sponsoring a foreign national accountant to work legally in the UK.
As a matter of course, all hiring managers should be checking that applicants for their roles have a right to work in the UK.
Sometimes, you’ll encounter accountants who have gained relevant qualifications (often with UK institutions) but do not have the required documentation to work in the UK. If those candidates are really talented, then sponsoring them to work for your firm in the UK is an option.
The process of applying for a sponsorship license, should in theory, be relatively simple and you’ll find all the information that you need to apply at this link.
Reasons why you might be ineligible for a sponsorship license are as follows:
- unspent criminal convictions for immigration offences or certain other crimes, such as fraud or money laundering
- an unpaid or a recent civil penalty for employing illegal workers or certain other offences
- had a sponsor license revoked in the last 12 months
The fee for your sponsorship license will vary on factors such as your turnover, number of employees and how quickly you want your license approved.
Once your firm becomes a license holder, you then apply for a certificate of sponsorship document for each individual employee (and any dependents they may bring). There are plenty of other checks, applications and provisos that you’ll want to pay consideration to, as will the employee and this is by no means an easy process. But, if your firm needs talented professionals as a matter of urgency, the short term pain may well be worth the long term gain.
‘The benefits of employing skilled overseas accountants are certainly worth looking into. But, if you’re going to do it, do it right! The penalties for unlawful employment are harsh and it’s not just your firm’s reputation that could be turned upside down if you make a mistake, the livelihoods of foreign workers are important to take extremely seriously too. So, if you choose to explore a sponsorship license, we’d recommend investing in expert legal help which you can also call on when and if you have specific employees you’re looking to sponsor further down the line. And don’t forget to take the time to double and triple check employee qualifications to ensure that they are transferable to UK practice.’
Garry Howling, Managing Director
Sponsoring accountants from overseas is just one way to overcome the recruitment hurdles many firms face as a result of the hiring crisis. To place your firm top of the list of preferred employers in practice, we recommend that you work with the recruitment partner that is trusted by talented accountants all over the UK.
Public Practice Recruitment Ltd are the experts in the niche area of hiring accountants in UK practice and our core values mean that you can trust us to support you to find the best talent for your workforce.
Don’t forget to read all of our hiring crisis articles this May. When you have an overview of potential avenues you’d like to explore, contact us for bespoke, off the record advice without any obligation.
