Whenever we kick off an international recruitment campaign with a new client, one of the questions we always ask is – Are you allowing candidates to bring dependants with them? Whether that be, spouse or children. 

  

Initial reactions from employers can vary but there can often be some scepticism – it feels like a big responsibility to relocate a full family and there can be concerns about the family being a distraction, or childcare being an issue. 

  

It is important to stress that if a candidate is bringing a young child with them, it is essential to ensure that if there is a childcare arrangements are fully planned and compatible with the main migrant’s intended work shifts. International candidates can often underestimate the extremely high costs of childcare in the UK, and without extended family around to assist, ensuring childcare arrangements are sustainable is essential. 

  

However, that being said, in our experience it can often be extremely beneficial to both the employer and the international candidate if dependants are permitted to join them in the UK. The main migrant often feels more settled, less homesick and  by bringing their family can feel like they are putting down “long-term roots” in a country. In many cases, the spouse often ends up working at the same organisation – perhaps as a healthcare assistant, customer service area or hospitality.  

  

Indeed for candidates who are already working overseas, perhaps in the Middle East, with their family already – they may not consider employment that does not support the relocation of their dependants to the UK with them. 

  

Despite this, it is often our recommendation where possible, for international candidates to bring their dependants after the initial settling in period – when they have been able to make strong bonds with their colleagues; passed the OSCE; saved some cash for a house deposit; and they can benefit from the employer-provided accommodation in the meantime (which is often only suitable for single-occupancy).  

  

International candidates sometimes underestimate the competitiveness of the UK rental market, and the amount of money required upfront to secure a rental property – along with the funds required to furnish it. Additionally, many landlords want to meet the tenants in person prior to agreeing a let and want to see a minimum of three months’ worth of payslips, which new international migrants often do not have. In our experience, to plan a dependants’ relocation approximately 3-6 months following the main migrants relocation is often the easiest and least stressful way to plan it, but if candidates’ are adamant about bringing families earlier and can afford to self-finance it, employers’ will usually allow it in the interests of the candidates’ wellbeing.  

  

In certain situations, enabling candidates to bring dependants can actually be a real advantage for an employer. More so in respect to Senior Carers rather than international nurses, we see employers deliberately offering roles to “couples” because it halves the cost of accommodation if their candidates are prepared to share a room. Indeed, this is becoming a popular trends in UK towns where due to the local cost of living, an ageing population and limited transport options, it is hard to recruit candidates to certain locations. Being able to attract couples to a role is attractive to candidates, enables employers to recruit to more of their vacancies and saves on the associated accommodation costs involved in the initial relocation package. Everyone’s a winner! 

 

My Healthcare Recruit supports UK healthcare employers in the public, private, and care sector to find international nurses who are a great fit for their organization, by using market-leading video interviewing tools to connect them to our database of qualified candidates. Our innovative approach makes international candidates easier to find and more cost-effective to source than ever before. Find out more at www.myhealthcarerecruit.com.