The recruitment process is focused on speed, using metrics such as ‘time to hire’, timed technical tests and job descriptions littered with phrases including fast-paced, fast-moving, urgent requirement and deadline for applications.
A strong growth in market interest in medical technology (MedTech) and biotechnology (Biotech) companies, driven by an ageing population, a global pandemic and increased healthcare spending, has seen the UK leading the way in the development of: medical devices; diagnostics and monitoring software; digital health tech; pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and genomics.
As the push to diversify the IT sector picks up speed, so too has awareness of unconscious bias. Can technology-enabled ‘blind’ recruitment do a better job of identifying talent? In these more enlightened times, companies have strategies to beat a kneejerk reaction to an unfamiliar name, the “wrong” gender, or the suspect “gut feeling”.
Freedom of Movement ended on 31 December 2020. EU, EEA (Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein) and Swiss citizens living in the UK before this date need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to retain the right to live and work here.
The deadline for applying is 30th June 2021. Only those who have been granted indefinite leave to remain or have Irish Citizenship are exempt.
Applicants will either be given Pre-Settled or Settled status depending on how long they’ve been living in the UK.
During the past year, interest in UK jobs from candidates based outside the EU has increased by 20%, according to a new survey by Indeed.
For the first time in seven years, UK based jobs advertised on Indeed.com are attracting a greater number of clicks from outside the EU than from EU countries.
Interest from the EU has seen only a slight increase of 1.3% since 2019. Overall, there has been a steady decline in EU interest since the 2016 Brexit referendum as EU citizens will face visa restrictions for the first time with the end of freedom of movement on December 31st.
Richard Wheeler Associates is celebrating 33 years in business! By my maths that’s nudging a third of a century. RWA’s success has always come from identifying standout people for standout tech clients - through extreme quality and forging long term partnerships.
Top flight, ambitious, individuals and businesses within Cyber Security, MedTech, CleanTech & Renewables, AI & Data Analytics, IoT, technology startups. Along the way we’ve helped build tech businesses from the ground up and are still doing so today.
What is it that motivates the top talent to choose a tech startup over a myriad of alternatives?
These are the most common reasons tech candidates give to RWA:
It’s clear that with freedom of movement ending in a handful of weeks, tech firms in the UK fear an immediate shortage of talent and lack of access to talent pools and technical expertise as a result. For many years the sector has benefited from accessing talent by tapping into the flexible EEA labour market and importing talent from further afield when needed.
Hiring people from the EU will not be as easy as before Brexit. There will be additional financial and administrative costs from 1st January 2021 when freedom of movement ends.
Businesses will need to sponsor EU nationals to work in the UK by applying for a sponsor licence under the government’s points-based system.
Companies are being urged to check now that they are prepared for the new immigration rules using the government’s transition tool.
One of the top recruitment firms in the UK. YES! Richard Wheeler Associates is listed in the Entrepreneur Handbook as one of the top 15 recruitment agencies in the UK & London 2020.