Comment from Clarity CEO Andrew Preston after Government’s recent announcement
Andrew Preston, CEO of Clarity Outsourcing Group in the UK, EMEA & APAC, comments on the recent announcement from Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiling a ‘tighter’ immigration policy:
“As much as the recruitment industry and greater ‘world of work’ community will do their utmost to welcome these changes surrounding net migration, undoubtedly there will be a significant impact on businesses. Starmer’s announcement this morning on proposed changes – which include tightening English tests and cutting the recruitment of overseas care workers – has raised numerous questions surrounding what work needs to be done and the timescales in doing so.
“As ever, the devil is in the details – and we will await the release of Government’s whitepaper with much anticipation. Certainly, ONS’ figure that from 2019 to 2023 net migration has “quadrupled” is a stark one. However, Starmer’s promise that this White Paper will make immigration “controlled, selective and fair” is hinged on Government setting out clear and practical objectives and their expectations on businesses – otherwise the viability of the revised net migration policy will come into question. Clear and defined intentions as to how this new plan surrounding reducing net migration can be achieved will be critical to ensuring the success of its implementation – especially due to the fact such significant changes have been proposed.
“More than ever, organisations will need greater control and visibility of their workforce, access to a diverse, multi-skilled talent pool of workers around the clock, the ability to standardise costs and total assurance of compliance. Of course, we fully agree with Starmer’s sentiment that Britain must “compete for the best talent in the world”, however it should be noted that businesses have always been focused on this – and will need support in continuing to do so.
“As an established, independent ‘neutral vendor’ recruitment specialist, Clarity Outsourcing Group is acutely aware of the myriad of challenges organisations face when it comes to the management and engagement of their non-permanent workforces. For a long time, in collaboration with our like-minded panel of recruitment agency partners, we have been working with our client organisations to provide future-proof solutions and build talent pools of exceptional, multi-skilled staff – accurately assign relevant work, then rate their performance through peer review. This is all done from one system – our marketing-leading VMS – giving employers an unparalleled window into their temporary workforces. Many organisations are now using new technology, systems and smarter processes to gain greater visibility over their use of contingent workers, enabling them to instantly retrieve everything from detailed candidate information to the number of hours each worker has undertaken.
“This talent pool of workers gives organisations flexibility and access to a ready-made pool of quality, compliant and appropriately qualified staff who can be called up at any time. In turn, this enables organisations to spot spikes in demand, identify surplus areas and seamlessly shrink/swell capacity in sync with demand. With these net migration policy changes on the horizon – set to significantly impact businesses and individuals across all sectors – we believe the key is to transform temporary workers from being perceived, at times, as a short-term stop-gap into a long-term asset.
“In summary, we are in support of the government proposing this new net migration policy. However, it is crucial that a careful and considered approach is taken so that businesses can be properly consulted with and supported as to their recruitment needs going forward.
“As the saying goes, “a business is nothing without its people” and this could prove to be literal if we create barriers to attracting talent – whether it be ‘homegrown’ or international. Companies of all shapes and sizes across the UK are reliant on their workers to keep services running; the Clarity Outsourcing Group solution ensures a continual stream of 24/7 quality talent at the right price. By partnering with Clarity Outsourcing Group, our clients are taking a proactive approach to the management and engagement of their workforces – strengthening their resilience, avoiding gaps in their workforces and ultimately focusing on future-proof solutions and continuous improvement.”
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