Jinesh Patel discusses why hiring overseas technicians could be a strategic move for your lab, and his tips for becoming a sponsor.
The field of dentistry is continually evolving, with technology advancements and innovations at the forefront. To stay competitive and offer the best possible care to patients, dental laboratories must employ skilled dental technicians who create high-quality dental prosthesis and restorations.
In today’s globalised world, the sponsorship of overseas dental technicians is a strategic move that can help laboratories access a pool of talent, foster innovation, and enhance their competitive edge.
In this article, I will attempt to showcase how this sponsorship route outlined key changes in S4S London’s workforce in favour of creating an innovative and forward-thinking team.
Global talent
Sponsoring overseas dental technicians can be a game changer for laboratories who are looking to diversify their workforce and tap into a world of talented individuals. By recruiting technicians from other nations, businesses are able to access professionals who may have unique skills, cultural perspectives and educational backgrounds that can complement their existing teams.
- Diverse skill sets: With innovation around the world being ever so different from the UK at times, dental technicians from abroad often bring diverse skills, stemming from different training programs and clinical experiences. This diversity can lead to unlocking a world of manufacturing processes, benefitting both laboratory businesses and the patients they serve
- Fresh perspectives: International technicians often provide a fresh perspective on the dental industry and emerging trends due to the privatisation of dental care around the world. Therefore, this allows for the adaptation of new technologies and materials that enhance the quality of dental manufacturing
- Language and cultural diversity: Hiring overseas technicians can also create a more culturally diverse work environment, improving customer care and satisfaction by embracing the different styles of the world. This has often been a good team building opportunity when we celebrate each other’s cultural backgrounds.
Nurturing innovation
The dental industry is advancing at an incredible pace, with new materials, technologies and treatment advancements emerging regularly. Becoming a sponsor can be a good approach for businesses to encourage innovation and adaptation of cutting-edge technology through…
- Exposure to new techniques: Overseas dental technicians often receive different types of training in techniques and methods. Therefore, this can introduce innovative approaches to the production of dental prosthesis
- Technology transfer: Can we utilise transferring technological advancements and knowledge from regions of the world who are ahead in dentistry?
- Competitive edge: Staying ahead in technology means to continually be at the forefront, embracing changes. The world is moving fast in technology and we are at the pinnacle in our industry in what we can achieve. How are we able to unlock ourselves to be able to innovate and keep up with the world’s progression? We need exposure to the world, and the best way to do this is to bring the world to our lab.
Workforce shortages
Many regions are experiencing huge shortages of skilled dental technicians, including the UK. They are finding it more difficult to fill key areas with good talent. Therefore, sponsoring a new team member can help to bridge the gap in the growing demand for dental technicians by filling these shortages with qualified and highly trained individuals who have a different mindset. Below are some key points when considering taking on a sponsor.
- Addressing labour shortages: In areas where there are shortages of skilled technicians, overseas recruitment should help laboratories maintain and expand their services
- Meeting patient needs: Having a diverse team of skilled technicians can help the business to respond to a broader range of patient needs and preferences
- Building a strong reputation: Offering timely services and meeting the demands of the community will always foster loyalty to the business. Will hiring overseas achieve this for you?
Becoming a sponsor
This process can be quite daunting when first looking to set things up. My suggestion for getting this right is to hire a company with knowledge on how to get things in place in accordance with UK Border Agency (UKBA) guidelines.
- Sponsorship regulations: With strict regulations of the home office, each business would need to appoint an officer in charge of being responsible for the management of taking on overseas skilled technicians. Please ensure you have everything in place within your business to allow you to meet the criteria. If there is anything missing, your licence may be rejected
- Cost implication: These sponsor licensing processes are not the cheapest to set up, with initial investment around £2,000 for set-up fees and around £1,000 for home office fees. This does not include the salary of each skilled technician
- Worthwhile investment: By vetting during the interview process and asking the right questions, we are able to quickly identify those who will be a worthwhile investment. ‘Will this person improve my dental team?’ is the question I ask myself.
Strategic move
Sponsoring is a strategic move which we wanted to use to lead us to a more diverse, innovative and competitive laboratory, by utilising the knowledge of skilled professionals across our borders.
By unlocking global talent, nurturing innovation, addressing workforce shortages and becoming a sponsor, we look to achieve a successful team at S4S London and hope to continually progress in innovation and deliver an exceptional service to patients with our appliances
This article first appeared in Laboratory. To subscribe, join Dentistry CPD Pro.
