The importance of having a robust HRM system for hiring skilled workers

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the hospitality industry faced a big blow. Besides the huge losses incurred due to month-long lockdowns, one big problem that many restaurant owners are grappling with right now is the shortage of skilled workers. As a result of which the UK government is encouraging to hire international skilled workers to breathe a new life into these businesses.

What is a HR system?

A Human Resources (HR) system, also known as a Human Resources Management System (HRMS), is a software solution designed to streamline and automate various HR processes and tasks within an organisation. It serves as a centralised database that stores and manages employee-related information and facilitates the efficient management of human resources.

Why does the Home Office require a robust HR system for organisations?

The reason why Home Office asks for a robust HR system is that they want to know if you’re able to manage the human resource files properly and if you’re able to carry out the sponsorship duties once you are awarded a Sponsor Licence. Most common sponsorship duties are as under:

1. Monitoring immigration status 
2. Maintaining migrant contact details 
3. Record keeping and recruitment practices
4. Migrant tracking and monitoring  

While it is true that the curry business in the UK is very dynamic and boasts an industry worth of around five billion GBP.  Nevertheless, a big number of these restaurants don't have a robust HR management system which is a prerequisite to hiring skilled migrant workers as described by Home Offices’ UKVI guidance for skilled worker routes previously known as Tier 1-5 guidance.

As the home office demonstrates, sponsorship is a privilege, not a right. The sponsor has to play his/her part with due diligence to ensure that in the process of hiring and employing a skilled worker no sort of abuse is being done or encouraged.  Each and every sponsor is entrusted with a set of duties, namely reporting duties, record keeping duties, duties to follow immigration laws and common UK laws and last but not least, not engaging in any behaviour or action that is against the wider good of the public. 

One of the key attributes of the HR management system is its end-to-end facility to record necessary data about recruits. Besides, qualified organisations can easily make sponsorship license applications with the correct set of documents even with a limited understanding of complex sponsorship license applications and management processes. 

The HR management system, if done with the help of software, should also enable the organization to manage all the jobs related to HR recruitment functions. These functions encompass:  Place a job advertisement in a related job portal, receive applications from the candidates using different digital mediums, shortlist candidates for interview with pre-defined criteria, conduct and record interview with outcomes, hire a qualified candidate, make a job offer, and finally use professionally crafted communications, tools templates, contract, policy, and guidance.

Organizations without a robust HR management system will fail to identify and comply with sponsorship duties as described by the UK home office. Migrant tracking and monitoring is an essential part for the sponsor. In this connection, examining the Right to Work of the concerned applicant and keeping record of the necessary documents are of utmost importance. For example, relevant passport copies and biometrics have to be retained as per the Right to Work check and without following that it’s impossible to present those required information before the home office as per their guidance. 

What would happen if I don't have a HR system for my organisation?

The UK home office have presented their guidelines for those who would want to hire a skilled migrant worker. Without a robust HR management system, it is impossible to submit all the required information and documents about the applicant in a systematic fashion. If the home office considers that a sponsor is failing to meet his or her duties in a serious way or stop operating in the UK, their sponsor licence will be revoked. In cases where mandatory revocation grounds don’t apply, UKVI can suspend the license and in that case, the sponsoring company will get the opportunity to respond. The UKVI may do further investigation to look into the matter. To avoid all these, companies willing to hire and employ skilled migrant workers should definitely avail the benefits of a HR management system. 

Related articles:

Who can apply for a license to hire migrant workers?

What are the advantages of having a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence?

What’s next after you submit your sponsor licence application?

What are the main duties once an organisation obtain a skilled worker sponsorship license?

Right to work checks for EEA/Swiss workers: Important Must-knows for Employers