As companies continue to fill skills shortages by recruiting workers from abroad, Neil Barsby, head of Global Employee Banking at NatWest, analyses the results of two recent surveys and concludes that making banking arrangements well in advance of an employee`s arrival in the UK is vital if they are to hit the ground running in their new role.

A shortage of skilled workers in the UK is resulting in companies recruiting overseas workers in a bid to get the right people for the job.

In a NatWest Global Employee Banking survey, nearly half of human resources professionals say they recruit inpats because the skills needed for specific roles can`t be found in the UK workforce. In addition, one in four firms looks to employ foreign workers to ensure that their business has the skills tocompete globally.

British businesses employ inpats because they are a cost-effective solution for companies looking to compete effectively in the global market. Inpats bring with them a wealth of expertise and diverse capabilities, allowing UK companies to upskill and compete effectively in the modern corporate and technological world.

The situation shows little sign of changing, either. A recent report by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) revealed that demand for highly skilled workers would intensify during the economic recovery. Employers simply say that they will not be able to find people with the skills they need to fill high-level jobs.

The CBI report reveals that more than half of employers are concerned that they will not be able to fill posts requiring the right graduate level or higher skills, while a third don`t believe it will be possible to fill intermediate-level jobs requiring skills equivalent to A level.

This backs up the NatWest survey, which found that one third of HR professionals are expecting inpats to be used to fill graduate vacancies in the near future.

Until now, it is the IT sector that has seen the biggest influx of inpats, and this trend is expected to continue over the next 18 months. Demand for middle managers is also forecast to rise, and, in the NatWest survey, it was found that nearly half of HR Professionals (47%) said they expect to see this demand filled by inpats.

Demand for IT is on the up, which might seem counterintuitive in a recession. However, entrepreneurial activity and business start-ups can thrive in economic downturns, and almost all of these will require IT support of some sort.

A priority for any inpat, whether they are coming to work on a long-term or a short-term contract, should be their banking arrangements. If these are planned before they pass through passport control, it will make life a great deal easier. Many inpats may not realise that it is even possible to set up their banking arrangements before arriving in the country.

Banking should be high on the list of priorities it is vital inpats` banking needs are addressed as a matter of urgency if they are to hit the ground running when coming to work in the UK.

NatWest offersaservice called Global Employee Bankingto HR departments of global companies, setting up banking facilities for inpats coming to the UK and making the move as painless as possible for everyone involved. For further information, visit www.natwestglobal.com