INTERNATIONAL JOB MARKET

In most international organizations based in the UK, there is the recognition that certain of their jobs could be filled by non-UK nationals. Indeed, there may be an advantage to doing so, either to gain from a different set of cultural values or ways of working, to demonstrate one's international credentials or to optimize labour costs. It is not uncommon for menial, domestic jobs or other very low-paid jobs, such as cleaning, to be filled by people coming in from lower-paying countries. More recently, there has been the targeted recruitment of software developers from countries such as India by some companies to meet both skills shortages here in the UK and to combat the high remuneration levels commanded by local software developers. The nursing profession would be a further example where nurses from the Philippines and elsewhere have been deliberately targeted by UK employers. However, the comments made already concerning pay equity among those carrying out similar or even identical work would need to be addressed, so employment cost advantages may be achieved or maintained.

Where jobs have a clear international dimension and multi-country scope, it is recognized that potential employees could come from an international market place. Indeed, one should also recognize that existing 'international' employees could be recruited by organizations not based here in the UK. As such, one would need to accept that the remuneration market place is international and that remuneration policies and practices need, for some employees or roles, to reflect a broader set of countries than just the UK. In such circumstances, it is not uncommon for organizations to select those countries that they might expect to recruit from or lose staff to and consider their approach to remuneration against this 'basket' of country practices, social arrangements, legislation, etc.