In the wake of Britain’s official departure from the European Union, much has changed, seemingly overnight. In the months ahead we will all grapple with what these changes mean for us and our businesses. One significant change to come from Brexit is of course the end of free movement. Citizens of member states of the European Union are able to live and work in any European Union country as though they were citizens, without need for Visas. A privilege that the UK will no longer extend to EU nationals. While EU citizens living and working in the UK before 31^st December 2020 are entitled to continue doing so, future EU professionals will require a visa.

Anyone who is not a citizen of the UK or Ireland will need a visa to work in the UK. The government have set out the points based visa system criteria which provides a route for anyone to live and work in the UK with employer sponsorship. Naturally, the question remains, is there a way for people to move to the UK without a job offer? In short, the answer is yes, but the UK government has put the focus for immigration squarely on professional contribution. For those hoping to work in the UK without sponsorship, there are a few options available, but in all cases the bar is set high.

One such route is the Global Talent visa, open to people working in academia or research, arts and culture or digital technology. Each industry has one or more appointed body able to endorse applicants before they apply to the visa. route for those who consider themselves to be “a leader or a potential leader”, according to gov.uk. This visa route takes the place of the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visa.

Tech Nation describes the Visa as enabling “the brightest and best tech talent from around the world to come and work in the UK’s digital technology sector”. The visa is open to founders and employees with technical or business backgrounds (this includes all sub-sectors of tech) and is valid for up to 5 years, with unlimited renewals and the possibility of visas for family members. While the bar of being an “exceptional talent” may feel high, applicants should be reassured by the fact there are no limits on the number of Global Talent visas available.

If you know a move to the UK is something you want for your technology career, now or in the future, it’s a great idea to get to know the criteria and begin pursuing the kinds of accolades they will be looking for. Broadly, you need evidence of your innovation and contribution to digital technology so published articles, research and awards will all help your application.

Below we’ve answered some of the key questions you may have about the Global Talent Tech Nation Visa. You can also read the full guide to the visa here, or get in touch to discuss your options for a tech career in the UK.

How many The Nation Global Talent Visas are available?

The visas are unlimited and are at the discretion of the endorsing body and the department of Visas.

Are there different kinds of Tech Nation Visa?

You can apply under two routes, either as a Leader (the exceptional talent path) or as an Emerging leader (exceptional promise) for those with less than 5 years’ experience.

What is the criteria for the Tech Nation Visa?

Applications are judged by an independent panel of experts against the eligibility criteria which includes:

Exceptional talent

Demonstrate that you’ve been recognised as a leading talent in digital tech.

AND

Provide evidence of 2 of the following:

• track record for innovation as a founder or senior exec of a product-led digital tech company or employee in a new digital field.
• Recognition for work beyond occupation which contributes to the field.
• Significant technical, commercial or entrepreneurial contributions to the field through your role in a product-led digital tech company.
• Academic contributions through published research or research endorsed by an expert.

Exceptional Promise

Demonstrate you’ve been recognised as having potential to be a leading talent

AND

Provide at least 2 of the following:

• 2 examples of innovation.
• 2 examples of academic contributions or research.
• proof of recognition of work beyond your occupation.
• evidence you’ve made significant contributions to the field.

How do I apply for the Tech Nation Global Talent Visa?

Apply for your Tech Nation endorsement via gov.uk and then complete a Tech Nation Visa application form. These should be submitted within 15 days of each other.

If your application is successful and you get endorsement you apply for your visa directly on the Gov.uk website within 3 months.

What documents do I need to apply?

Completed Tech Nation Visa application

100 word Personal Statement (included in the application)

CV with career and publication history (max 3 pages)

Three letters of recommendation from expert organisations in digital technology

Up to 10 pieces of evidence to support your eligibility criteria \9each 3 pages max)

How long will it take for my application to be processed?

Stage 1: Application for Endorsement – up to 8 weeks to be processed.

Stage 2: Application for Visa – up to 3 weeks out of country and 8 weeks in country.

There is also a fast track which sees applications processed in 3 weeks. This is open only to current or future participants of one of the recognised UK accelerator programmes:

Zinc, Wayra Techstars London accelerator, start-up bootcamp, SETsquares scale-up programme, NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator, Microsoft for Startups, Ignite, Founders Factory, Founders academy, Entrepreneur First, Cylon, Creative Destruction Lab, Collider, Bethnal Green Ventures, Barclays Accelerator, and Antler.

Sentinel are recruitment people for IT with offices in the UK, Czech Republic and Switzerland. If you are considering your options to pursue your technology career internationally we are well placed to support you. Register with us to be kept up to date on international and remote vacancies across all areas of technology. Or get in touch to discuss your options today.

Whatever your views on ‘Brexit’ the loss of the right to free movement is a blow to business. Many had hoped against hope that some variation would be negotiated into the Brexit deal to permit easier access to jobs and talent in Europe. As international recruiters, with a strong footprint in Europe, we are proud to work across borders to find the candidates that are best qualified for each role, not just those who are nearest. Freedom of movement gave our candidates the opportunity to work in Italy one month and Spain the next, with no more hassle than if they were working down the road. That freedom created not just a wealth of opportunity, but it also contributed to some richly experienced specialists.

Under new rules in the UK all hires from abroad will be subject to a points-based visa scheme. It will narrow the scope of who is allowed to live and work in the UK, yes, but more worrying is the possible deterrent to employers and candidates. The points-based immigration system is not prohibitive. Any candidate that speaks a good level of English and is offered a job paying more than £25,600, for which they must be educated to A-level standard or above, will be eligible for the skilled migrant route.

Given that the average salary in the IT industry is around £47,000, with entry level positions and most roles requiring some form of further education, these thresholds are no barrier. The greater hurdle is for businesses already tackling data and trading implications of Brexit to add another item to their list. However, becoming a Visa sponsor is a straightforward application that in time will more than pay for itself.

Employers wanting to retain their ability to hire international talent, will need to become licensed Visa sponsors by applying to the Home Office department of UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). This worker license will allow your business to sponsor skilled workers and intra-company transfers. The cost of the license is £536 for small companies, and £1476 for large companies. Additionally, for each sponsored worker you hire you will need to issue a certificate of sponsorship (£199 per certificate). Workers from some European countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, or Turkey) can be issued certificates without charge.

The UK ‘s departure from the EU and the end of free movement has implications for remote working/hiring too. Businesses established in England, Scotland, and Wales without any legal entities in European countries will be unable to make permanent remote hires with the same ease. This limits access to niche skillsets, favourable rates of pay, and diversity. You can still hire contract resource in Europe.

If you are looking for a cost-effective near shore solution our office in the Czech Republic means we are licensed for labour leasing and can support clients to continue to find talent this way by employing contractors through Sentinel.

There are other routes for migrants to work in the UK such as the Global Talent visa via Tech Nation visa, the youth mobility scheme and the start-up and innovator pathway. These niche visas provide a route for professionals to live and work in the UK without sponsorship from an employer. These are all highly selective.

Youth mobility Scheme: Non-UK citizens aged 18-30 and “will enable around 20,000 young people to come to the UK to work and travel each year.”

Start-up and Innovator: Innovator is open to those setting up an innovative business with industry experience and at least £50k funding. For this route applications can be for individuals or teams.

Tech Nation, Global Talent visa: The visa is open to founders and employees with technical or business backgrounds (this includes all sub-sectors of tech) and is valid for up to 5 years.

Sentinel is on hand to support businesses keen to retain access to international talent. Get in touch with us today to set up a consultation.

We will also be exploring the new routes to accessing international talent in future blogs. For now, visit gov.uk for more information on visa routes.

We surveyed technology professionals to ask how the lockdown and the global pandemic had affected their careers. Some of the biggest takeaways are about how this year has changed candidates’ priorities when looking for a new role. In our survey, we sought to look at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic from a new perspective. With so many people out of work, almost every industry has become a candidate-driven market. Advice abounds about how candidates can make themselves stand out, but it’s an appropriate time to call upon the responses to gauge what worked, what didn’t and what candidates will be looking for in 2021 and beyond.

It has broadly been acknowledged that technology professionals have been integral in enabling businesses to adapt to the lockdowns, either through supporting remote working or digitising customer touchpoints. You may have even seen headlines stating that the technology industry is not slowing down. Certainly, in April and May, Zoom and Microsoft seemed to be some of the early winners among the chaos. How do those peaks measure up to the lived experience of those working in the technology industry?

How the pandemic affected careers:

• 43.9% of professionals surveyed had retained their job with no change
• 12.2% said their contract was not renewed in the first lockdown
• 14% lost their job

When asked about the impact Covid-19 and the lockdown had on their workload the response was varied. From those that felt there had been a positive effect, “In general, there is better online communication across the company, so lots of things get resolved faster”. To those that had experienced a “reduction in workload and a reduction in hours”.

How respondents felt about their employer’s handling of the pandemic:

• 51.2% felt their employer met or exceeded their expectations in their handling of the Covid-19 pandemic

When asked to provide more detail, respondents who had been disappointed with their employer’s response explained there was “total panic” “lack of clear communication” or were critical of the volume or speed of furloughs. Those who were happy with their employer’s approach praised the “human approach” the “transparency” and proactivity of employers moving to home working from early March 2020. 

The impact on candidates’ future expectations:

We asked respondents to describe how their expectations had changed in the short term. Answers formed three categories; unchanged, desire for a safe and socially distanced work environment/to continue working from home and those who were more concerned about job security.

Job security was a strong theme for how respondents long term expectations of employers have changed too. 41.5% of respondents said they would be more concerned with an employer’s financial stability. The vast majority, 85.4%, now expect remote working to be an option, but only 26.8% expect roles to be 100% remote. Only 2.5% of respondents said there had been no change in their expectations.

What’s the takeaway?

Firstly, remote working must be available. Remote working is praised for the benefit to work-life balance, and we at Sentinel recommend it for access to international talent. During the pandemic, home-working provided the flexibility that kept businesses afloat. While the technical capability has long been available, culture has historically been an obstacle for many organisations. Some practices benefit from working in close physical proximity, but that can no longer be a requisite for success. When looking at prospective hires capacity for independent working must now be a top priority.

Looking ahead to 2021 employers should be prepared for the obvious question in interviews “how did the company manage the pandemic?”. The answer will tell a story of company culture, of how effectively you communicate, how transparent your decision making is and what prospective candidates can expect from you, in times of crisis. More than that, offering information about how you’ve handled this time and anything the business has decided to carry forward, is an opportunity to introduce candidates to the corporate values. In the current candidate saturated market, this can be a great opportunity to establish a cultural fit, on both sides.

We have reviewed the leading forecasts for the tech industry in 2021 and, combined with our first-hand knowledge of the challenges and aspirations of 100s of UK and European businesses, we have put together our top trends to help you prepare for2021:

From enabler to differentiator.

Technology and IT teams have long been thought of as the enablers, so businesses can achieve their objectives. This year, with lockdowns and a shift in ways of working, technology was not only enabling businesses, it became the key factor in how they adapted and how they served their customers. Lareina Yee, McKinsey Senior Partner said “In this century—and certainly, post COVID-19—technology’s going to be very much in the front. It will be the competitive differentiator for how all businesses and ecosystems work.” Lareina asserts that based on the success of technology this year, there should be a drive for greater innovation in the years ahead.

Creating customer experiences.

User experience is a natural focus in design and development but in 2020 it’s taken on an entirely new form. Digital customer touchpoints have traditionally been designed as accessories to real world experiences. Chatbots as a complement to customer service lines for example. With so many people confined to their homes, brands have been forced to capture the essence of offline experiences, digitally. For retail brands this manifests as an increased focus on personalisation, aiding product discovery and we’ve also seen an increase in ‘try on’ features using AI and AR.

Cue what Gartner describes as total experience, “Total experience combines traditionally siloed disciplines like multi experience (MX), customer experience (CX), employee experience (EX) and user experience (UX), and links them to create a better overall experience for all parties.” This new approach to engaging users allows for greater collaboration and a more streamlined user experience.

Still in the Cloud.

Cloud has been a feature on trend reports for some time now, and 2021 will be no different. Remote working and a cultural shift away from office-based work necessitated a focus on Cloud adoption in 2020. Infrastructure as a service is now the fastest growing area of cloud computing. This allows organisations to build and manage servers, networks, operating systems and data storage through cloud-based resources. In 2021 the focus will be on ‘Distributed Cloud’. According to Gartner “Distributed Cloud provides public cloud options to different physical locations. Essentially, the public cloud company maintains, operates and evolves the services, but physically executes at the point of need.” This can take many forms, from the popular, but immature on premise public cloud to Global edge cloud, which is designed to integrate with global network infrastructures.

People Matter.

IDC’s technology trends report rightly points out that none of the technological ambitions set out in their trend forecast can succeed without the right teams. The Forbes report summary by Peter High makes it clear “The acceleration to build business automation and productive workforce cannot succeed without the required investment in developing IT or DevOps teams and enabling them with the necessary skills and technologies”. While it is perhaps less of a trend that some of the other predictions we see in these kinds of reports, it is an important reminder that not only do organisations need the skills to satisfy these trends they must continually invest in their people and in staffing. The legacy of global lockdowns will come in the way organisations commission the skills they need, upskilling internal teams, crowd sourcing, and flexible talent.

To discuss your plans for your technology teams in 2021, if you’re ready to plan your talent needs for next year, or to talk technology industry trends in more detail, get in touch.  

For the rest of the year, we will be sharing a series of blog posts to the themes of diversity and representation.

We all know that representation matters. Time and time again, it has been shown to be one of the barriers to entry in fields that are found to be lacking in diversity. “You can’t be what you can’t see” is a quote attributed to Marian Wright Edelman, American civil rights activist and is often called upon in conversations about the importance of diverse representation. Whilst it’s true that there are many black and minority ethnic success stories who have defied this adage to become a ‘first’ themselves. It’s also true that in almost many cases, they were witness to someone in a related field who helped expand their idea of what was possible. For Gerald A Lawson, who invented video game cartridges in the 1970s, his aspirations were shaped by George Washington Carver becoming a respected inventor and educator in the 1930s-40s. Crucially though, that quote is a product of its time. A time where minority ethnic communities were proactively segregated (in the US), women were still largely absent from the workplace and too little consideration was given do neurodiverse or disabled professionals. In a time when (ostensibly at least) equality is assured, is representation still so important?

Arguably representation is more important today than ever before. Through social media and businesses pushing their digital presence, we all know much more about businesses we interact with, be it as consumers or employees. Fifty years ago, happening upon someone that looks like you, having achieved something you had never considered, would inevitably expand your horizons. Today, with so much information so widely accessible, the reverse is true. Realising that there are no board members that look like you or no CEOs with your social background might change your perspective for the worse. An anecdotal example I often draw for is the experience of telling a 12-year-old that Barack Obama was the first black President in the US. The reaction? Not awe or inspiration, but horror, “what so there has never been another black President? What about in the UK?”

Today’s world is smaller than ever before, corporations are more transparent, and information is everywhere, all of the time. In this world, representation isn’t just inspirational, it is fundamental.

The technology industry is known to struggle with diversity. A challenge that is often attributed to education, because we need more qualified candidates entering the tech industry to achieve anything resembling representation. Yet it would be dangerous to suggest this is the only issue, or that the lack of diverse tech graduates exists in a vacuum.

We would love to hear your thoughts about the challenges and opportunities around diversity and representation in technology. Join the conversation on LinkedIn.

Did you know?

• Only 15% of the tech workforce are from BAME backgrounds in the UK
• Gender diversity is currently at 19% (compared to 49% in the UK workforce)
• Research from the National Autistic Society found that just 16% of autistic adults are in full-time work and of those who weren’t, 77% wanted to be.
• 19% of working age adults are disabled and disabled people are more than two times as likely to be unemployed as people without a disability.
• Tech is contributing around £200 billion economy
• £4 billion is spent each year on staff turnover, unfair treatment is the highest cause of this
• Employment in the digital tech economy increased by 40% between 2017 and 2019, to 2.93m people

Businesses working entirely remotely have been met with a new threat to the mental wellbeing of their staff. With IT teams being so heavily relied upon to facilitate home working they are facing additional pressures. Last year, BIMA published an insights report that revealed tech professionals were experiencing greater Mental Health strain than the nation’s average, for precisely these kinds of reasons. Stress, pressure, and tight deadlines were all thought to contribute to the revelation that tech workers were at least 5 times more depressed than the UK average.

There has been little new data published on the topic this year, as many outlets are focussing their data collection on the Coronavirus. Yet it is hard to imagine that the Coronavirus and lockdown have done much to help the Mental Health of tech professionals.

Of the 3000 tech professionals surveyed by BIMA, 66% reported feeling stressed, with 13% saying the felt this way continually. 52% described experiencing anxiety or depression at some point, with incidences appearing much higher in the neurodivergent (84%) compared to the neurotypical (49%) and more likely to affect women (21%) than men (16%). This problem is not exclusive to the UK either, a 2018 US report by Blind (a workplace app) showed that the employees of Silicon Valley’s tech companies were experiencing a far higher than usual rate of burnout. As many as 73% of employees felt they had experienced burnout at some point.

Nadya Powell, chair of the BIMA Diversity and Inclusion council, said: "The findings of the BIMA Tech Inclusion & Diversity Report compel us to action - it provides a clear sign-post on what to do next. Within the tech sector we have a mental health crisis and discrimination is rife; we must act before more lives are affected.” The BIMA report highlights mental wellbeing as a possible barrier to true diversity in the tech industry, as the neurodivergent, women and BAME people all experienced higher levels of mental health challenges.

The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week this year is kindness. A natural choice perhaps for a world fighting in pandemic, but it is not a theme that can resolve the industry specific challenges we know to exist. Interestingly, during lockdown technology has been hailed as a saviour for wellbeing, from video calls to keep us connected and wellbeing or mindfulness apps to help us cut through the noise.

There has even been a rise in start ups aimed at the problem with global investment in mental health start-ups surging to £500m earlier this year. A new report from Octopus Ventures, one of Europe’s largest venture capital funds, found that over the last six years global funding in this area has rapidly increased from £120m in 2014 to £580m in 2019. The bulk of this investment has been in the US, with Europe’s wellbeing start-up market being slower off the mark, but it is thought to be catching up with new businesses like UnWind, the workplace mental health platform and Flow, the depression headset & app developers.

There is no doubt a natural marriage between these two worlds; new tech solutions to the wellbeing issues in start-up culture, particularly now when we need solutions that can be enacted remotely.

There are also some simple strategies to be mindful of when leading tech teams, that can help to alleviate the common stressors such teams face.

How do I promote mental wellbeing in my tech team?

Stay connected

Many tech teams are accustomed to flexible working and even working remotely so it can be tempting to just leave your team to their devices. Remember that these are unusual times and so more face time may well be of value, if not for increased productivity then for support and wellbeing.

Set priorities

Everything can feel urgent in a crisis, and inhouse IT teams in particular may be pulled in a number of different directions by internal customers with competing priorities. Your role as leadership is to establish what is actually a priority and communicate that to the rest of the business too.

Switch off

With so many people working from home full time and not being able to go out for social activities, home has become not just the centre, but the extent of our world. Encourage your team members to draw a hard line between personal time and work time. It might be useful to have access to them at all hours, but it will only lead to burnout.

Be kind

Going back to the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness week, kindness goes a long way. Kindness from leadership is all the more impactful. Whether it is an impromptu ‘how are you?’ call or encouraging them to take time off when they need it, if your employees feel they can come to you when things are hard, your team will be stronger for it.

While we have years of experience preparing candidates for video interviews over Skype, Zoom and even mobile video call (not recommended), we know that many are having to quickly adapt to this new way of working and interviewing. Many of your tried and tested in person interview tactics will still work, but there are also some new facets you should consider.

First impressions

With teams all working remotely under lockdown employers are looking for people that are not only capable but can be self-starters, those who will get the job done just as effectively from home as they would the office. Demostrate this by taking the video interview every bit as seriously as you would an in-person one. Dress smartly and make the same effort to ensure your environment is well presented too. Use the right equipment such as a desktop or laptop computer with a good camera, set to a good height. 

Body language

Sit at a desk in a well-lit room, with a high back chair. This will help you to sit upright and have open body language, as you would in an in-person interview. Body language is crucial in video interviews. Try to remain conscious of how you carry yourself, be mindful about your facial expressions and gestures.

Location, location

If your cat jumps onto your lap mid-interview it’s likely the interviewer will remember that, more than you. It might sound obvious, but in this time of entire households working from home it can be a challenge to find a quiet corner and to go uninterrupted for an hour. Let your spouse/family/flat mates know the time of your interview so they can avoid interrupting you. If possible sit facing the door so that you can resolve any interruptions without disrupting your interview.

Prepare

Of course, you’ll want to ensure you research the organisation and have questions prepared to ask at the end. Video interview also gives you to the opportunity to keep more of your notes on hand and even print a copy of your key examples to refer to. Don’t look down at your keyboard the whole time, but a quick glance at some well-placed prompts could help you to give the best possible account of yourself in the interview.

In the case of video interviewing being adequately prepared also means having tried and tested the technology involved. Whether it's video or in-person being late because you could make your way to the desgnated meeting will not go down well.

Going the extra mile

We regularly help candidates to prepare for video interviews and can give you more advice based on your specific role. Book a call for a more in-depth preparation session with one of our consultants.

You can also download our detailed interview advice document here.

If you’re actively looking for roles view our live jobs here.

It is a deeply uncertain time in the UK and across the world as concerns about Covid 19 are changing the way we work and for many, putting their livelihoods at risk.

We at Sentinel are following the government’s guidelines around social distancing and hygiene in order to keep our teams healthy and our recruitment processes in motion for our candidates and clients. We know our customers rely on us to keep their careers on track, and their teams at full capability, even in such uncertain times.

Clients get in touch to discuss any changes to your hiring and see how we can support. 

While the health and wellbeing of all people is our priority, we still believe in and are committed to, our mission to positively change the world through technology and opportunity.

For IT contractors especially we want to assure you that we are working with clients to pursue video and telephone interviews and looking at making roles 100% remote where possible.

View our current vacancies here.

We are also implementing remote working for at risk groups in our own teams and for those with family members showing symptoms. We are monitoring official guidance closely and will continue to adapt as this evolves.

Whilst this is a health crisis, it is fast becoming an economic one too and many of us will be affected. That said, we are confident in the stability of our business and in this spirit we want to reach out to any recruitment consultants who may find themselves in need of a new agency home during this time.

Please visit our join us pages to explore opportunities for you at Sentinel.

The underrepresentation of women in the technology industry is well documented. With the number of women employed in the digital workforce estimated to be just 17% [i]of Europe’s IT workforce estimated to be female as of 20XX.

Increasingly, it is acknowledged that the issue is twofold (at least). First, there are not enough women currently working or qualified in IT professions for any tech team to achieve the coveted 50:50 gender balance. Secondly, having been a male dominated industry for decades, technology is not always the most welcoming environment.

The former is rooted largely in the “technology is for boys” attitudes that were still pervasive when the youngest of the working population were making choices about what to study. With only around 8% female STEM graduates in 2018 according to education campaign WISE. In fact, the same sentiments are still evident in toy stores: see the boys’ video games, robots etc and the girls’ aisle filled with pink dolls and kitchen sets).

Sometimes, when we are lucky, out of marginalisation comes a sense of community among the marginalised. International Women’s day brings forth countless opportunities for the few women in technology to commune. These events range from panel discussions on navigating the boys club and breaking through people’s expectations to networking events with other like-minded female professionals or, most refreshingly, spaces to look ahead to the future of what really unites you; technology.

Women in London Talk Tech: Data - the New Oil?

When: March 25 2020

Where: London, United Kingdom

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/women-in-london-talk-tech-data-the-new-oil-tickets-93817796555

Returners/Re-trainers

When: March 26 2020

Where: Manchester

Industrial Masters for Artificial Intelligence (IMAI) Roundtable

When: 31 March 2020

Where: Belfast, Ormeau Baths

If your diary is already at capacity for March, fear not, some events are year round series. Women In Technology are also hosting their annual conference in June of this year.

The Women of Silicon Roundabout

When: 16-17 June 2020

Where: ExCeL London

WISE Conference 2020

When: 22 September

Where: York

Charlotte Gray has recently celebrated her 20 year anniversary with Sentinel, marking a 23 year career in the IT industry. Charlotte has been one of the most influential specialist data consultants for years and last year stepped further into leadership as she became Managing Director of our Tunbridge Wells office and UK Division. 

With so much experience in the industry Charlotte's knowledge about the way the tech industry has evolved is boundless. We felt she was the perfect person to help us take a look at the gender imbalance not only in the IT industry, but in the IT recruitment market.

Watch our video to see what role Gender has played in Charlotte's career, what she thinks of the so called 'boys club' and how we can lead the way on gender parity by encouraging more women into IT recruitment. 

To find out more about careers in IT recruitment with Sentinel, whether you are just starting out or are experienced in recruitment, visit our careers pages.

1. Work out the size of the challenge. Audit your contractor population to find out how many personal service company (PSC) contractors you will have running past April 6^th, 2020. Remember that PSC contractors supplied under staff augmentation engagements with consulting suppliers could also be in scope.
2. Carefully consider your approach to PSC contractors. Some organisations have embraced the new paradigm and have started making IR35 status determinations for individual contractors, others are prohibiting the use of PSCs. Before banning PSCs outright, consider the cost impact of rate increase demands now and in the future. Have a plan in place to identify key contractors and respond to rate increase demands. If you plan to ban PSCs, you don’t need to read any further. You may want to think about your hiring strategy and how you’ll attract the necessary niche skill sets to newly defined permanent or umbrella company roles. Book a consultation and let us help you navigate this change.
3. Go it alone or get some help? So, you’ve decided to make status determinations. Now you need to decide whether you will do this in-house, or whether you would like external help. You can find support from consulting and technology solution providers, and insurers. Either way training is essential.

Sentinel are offering free IR35 training sessions to help you deepen your understanding so you can make status determinations with confidence. Book a meeting today.

4. Pick a tool. The key in handling the changes to off payroll working is to show reasonable care in making status determinations for contractors who will be engaged past April. One way to do this is to use HMRC’s CEST Tool or a third-party tool to help you evaluate whether a role falls inside or outside of IR35. Consider using an assessment tool provider who offers insurance to cover the tax liability where HMRC successfully challenges your status determination.
5. Communicate your status determinations to contractors and suppliers. Stay close to them, especially key contractors whose status will change.   

From the earlier planning stage, you will have prepared contingency plans for loss of talent through change in status. Expect to lose some of your existing contractor work force or to increase rates, managing these changes will be crucial to continuity for your teams.

6. Define a process for disagreements. Contractors have the right to challenge your status determinations, and you need to respond within 45-days, or you’ll retain the tax liability. Again, this is where reasonable care plays a part, as you’ll be able to show how and why you made the determinations you did. Expect there to be some challenges to status determinations, whether they have merit or not, having a process for managing them defined ahead of April 6^th is key.
7. Review your contracts. Have a different version for inside-IR35 and outside-IR35 contractors. The clauses will need to reflect the working practices that led you to the status determination for the role.
8. Review your suppliers for financial stability. As the changes transfer responsibility for status determinations to clients, so too your suppliers take on a more significant role. You’ll need to work with partners that are financially stable, trusted and are sufficiently aware of their new role. Where your supply chain fails to satisfy any tax liability or fails to properly inform other members of the chain about your determination, the liability or debt can be transferred to you.
9. Education is essential. IR35 status questions are difficult to answer without contextual understanding. You could also create risk for your business if you fail to ‘manage’ contractors in line with your status determinations or stick to the working practices outlined.
10. Sentinel can help. We have a team of IR35 SMEs, and we have assessed all the major providers of consulting services, status determination tools, and insurance. We are taking our part in the supply chain seriously and are eager to support clients in taking charge of this new responsibility.

Visit our IR35 hub here for answers to common questions, to download our IR35 guide or to book a consultation with us.

IR35 would have dominated our news cycles for the past year were it not for a certain ‘exit’ and a certain ‘virus’ that have understandably overshadowed the legislation somewhat. Yet, for those of us in the private sector little else has captured our attention so much as IR35. Many of us have been glued to updates on the subject from the new Prime Minister, or the even newer Chancellor. Still, April 6^th draws ever nearer, and while hopes of the Government doing an about-turn persist, they are dwindling.

Preparation then is the task at hand. What are you doing to prepare for the upcoming changes to off payroll working regulations? In an ideal world your organisation will have already set their IR35 strategy and provided some direction on the part you’ll play. In reality, IR35 is a challenging piece of legislation. The burden of ‘reasonable care’ by which all determinations will be judged, means that if you want to retain access to flexible talent resource, you need to ensure you have a comprehensive understanding of the changes and ensure determinations are made on a case by case basis.

We have put together a Definitive Guide to IR35 to put all the information you need in one place. Sentinel’s guide to IR35 includes a comprehensive overview of the factors that should feed into your status determinations and how to manage the disagreement process. The guide is complete with a glossary of key IR35 terms, a break down of liability in your supply chain and our evaluation of the best status determination tools on the market. Download your guide to IR35 here.

We are also offering in person or phone IR35 consultations to cement your knowledge, help you to overcome common pitfalls, and advise you on the best way to mitigate your risk moving forward. Book here.

Managers have an integral role to play in making status determinations under new off payroll working rules applicable to the private sector as of April 6^th, 2020.

As a team leader, supervisor or department head you will have a significant influence over the way your contractors work and are managed. It is likely that HR teams will call upon you to make status determinations, even before hiring for a new role begins.

Under the new rules, the ‘supervision, direction and control’ a client exerts over a contractor will be a factor in making determinations. And, if HMRC decide to take a closer look at a determination it will be the actual working practices that they will review, not just the contract or role description.

If you are a hiring manager, it is important that you take your role in IR35 seriously. Any determinations made without ‘reasonable care’ could expose your organisation to tax liability. This is also true where your working practices deviate from the answers you provided for status determinations.

We have put together a guide to help you understand your role in making determinations, how you can show reasonable care, and what you can be doing now, to prepare.

If you want to take your knowledge further download our Definitive Guide to IR35 here and book an IR35 consultation with us so we can support you in establishing your IR35 strategy and advise on the best way forward.

I joined Sentinel in 1999 because I thought surrounding myself with genuine and talented people would be an opportunity to grow and it would be an enjoyable place to spend a few years.

I was right.

Twenty years later, I’m still enjoying it and the business is still growing. As I write this, my first letter on our new website bearing our new branding, I’m mindful of how far-reaching our plans are for 2020, and the scale of the investment we’ve scheduled.  This platform will allow us to better connect with and serve our customers, it will provide real-time opportunities to job-seekers and act as a knowledgebase thanks to the experts we partner with. 

In the time Sentinel has been recruiting, the world around us has changed drastically, particularly in recruitment practice and the technology sector. To adapt, we have expanded our international presence, with our offices in Europe providing the perfect launchpad to supply talent further afield. This has extended our candidate networks and given us the capability to create local solutions for our international customers and improved our access to talent for clients around the world.

Looking back, at the past few years – a period of profound change– it’s remarkable to see how much we have achieved. Not only in terms of placements made, or fee income (which has increased by 40%), but in the way we have embraced this change. We have delivered so much value to our customers and, by extension, to their customers, through partnering with talent acquisition teams, recruitment outsourcers, statement-of-work providers and, of course, talented candidates.

Taking time this year to reflect on who we are as a business, what we stand for and what we care about, has been hugely rewarding. For twenty years we have focussed on delivering value for our customers and have succeeded by a simple approach that addresses what the people at the heart of this industry value most.  Things like listening, empathising, and actively developing our technology and industry expertise. We are a tight-knit business, with many of our team boasting long tenures, and have a clarity of purpose defined by our mission statement:

To create positive change through talent, technology and opportunity.

Technology is changing the world around us, and we have never been more connected, more agile, or more reliant on talent to help our businesses succeed. Whether teams or individuals; driven, creative and talented people are making the impossible, possible. And we get to work with them every day.

Our commitment to putting people first, is one that starts here at home.  We have built on the experience of twenty years and our clients’ innovations and have created a more flexible working environment for our teams. Having won the Recruiter Investing In Talent Award for the Most Effective Agile and Flexible Working Strategy in 2018, we have enshrined flexibility in our policies and in our culture. We offer flexible working across our offices and focus on managing outcomes rather than time invested.

Looking to the future, we will continue to invest in our leaders through professional development, empowerment, and decentralising our management approach so that our teams have the freedom and agility to innovate and deliver a truly exceptional service to all our customers.

Let's plan for the future of your IT team.