The time to hire from interview in arrival in the UK can vary based on a number of factors, but at My Healthcare Recruit we usually say 8-12 weeks is a fair estimate of the average timeline. Given many domestic nurse contract periods require 3 months’ notice for termination, the timelines between domestic and international recruitment are not too dissimilar.
It is absolutely possible to deploy candidates within much shorter timescales – we have deployed candidates within 3 weeks of interview when they have been “ready to go” on the compliance side and we have processed them priority visa. However, usually employers like a little time to plan arrivals, and 8-12 weeks reflects a comfortable turnaround time for all parties – it also reflects the fact that some candidates have already passed their Computer Based Test (CBT) at the point of interview and some have not.
A common reason time to arrival can be delayed is if the candidate has a long notice period at their current employer, for example 12 months, as mostly they will not hand their notice in until they have been issued a Certificate of Sponsorship or given a confirmed start date. Therefore if there is a “drop dead” deployment date, it is important that this is communicated and agreed at the point of offer.
However, certain health conditions can complicate arrival times and it’s not always possible to foresee this at the point of interview. For example, if candidates requiring an IOM/TB test just prior to their UKVI visa appointment get an inconclusive sputum result, they may be asked to repeat the result 8 weeks later and cannot apply for a visa in this time.
What is usually helpful when optimising time to hire and managing the expectations of both the candidate and the employer is having confirmed arrival dates and numbers in advance so that the interview pipeline can be planned accordingly, with some “back up” candidates in reserve who can fill spots in the event the issues discussed above arise.
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.