News: Performance Management
Lack of HR departments and resources limit SMEs
28 February 2008
It has been claimed that not having a human resources department may place small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at a disadvantage when it comes to employing migrant workers.
Belinda Webb, a spokesperson for the Federation of Small Businesses, said that because small firms tend to be run by one person, they do not have a human resources department that is "au fait" with the kind of qualifications they encounter.
Consequently, small businesses have to "do a bit more research" when considering applications from migrant workers, the expert added.
However, small businesses tend to fall behind larger firms when recruiting skilled staff because they do not have the necessary resources, Ms Webb stated.
"If the resources are there to check the qualifications then that's fine but we do always have to bear in mind the time constraints of the small business owner," she claimed.
A report by the TUC recently found that there is a significant gap between the contribution migrant workers make to the UK's economy and the contribution they could potentially make if their qualifications and skills were recognised by employers.
