I have written previously and spoken on the podcast about my views on the future of employment in the UK and the patterns I am starting to see with client’s businesses currently, which is, that it is becoming a candidate’s market when it comes to recruitment.
Many businesses I work with are really struggling to recruit the skilled staff that they need, and in some cases unskilled staff. There is a shortage all round for good quality candidates and in my view, particularly if Brexit does go ahead, this is going to become worse in future.
This lack of candidates for employment has created two problems for employers, the first is simply finding someone for a job in the first place and the second is how you deal with them when they start working.
One of our clients runs a security and electrical business in Kent and they are struggling to recruit due to a national shortage of engineers in the UK, and as a result it is even more important to hang on to the engineers that they do have. This has, in a way, led to a shift in the way that the client manages their engineers and they are starting to look at ways in which they can distinguish their Company from their competition when recruiting.
It is well known that most people are not motivated by money and this is not their main driving factor when they are deciding who to work for and whether to move to a new employer. There is of course only so much that you can pay staff before it becomes uneconomical and therefore using pay as the main ‘hook’ to get someone to join your business is not always feasible. I also do not believe that you are going to get a loyal employee if the reason they chose employment with you was just the money. They will be easily tempted to move on at the first sign of a better offer.
Pay of course does need to be considered carefully and you should look to ensure that you are benchmarking your pay against others in your industry but in my view it will be the good quality employers who treat their staff well, offer a good work life balance and protect their reputation with candidates who will succeed in attracting good quality staff in future.
If staffing is starting to become an issue for you or you feel it could be a barrier to the growth or success of your business in 2019, I recommend that you start to consider your ‘people strategy’ now and include this in your business plan for next year.
We regularly advise clients about how to be the best employer they can be and this is something I am passionate about, so if you would like to discuss or would like some input to your people strategy for 2019 please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please feel free to leave a comment, question or observation below. Alternatively get in touch directly: hello@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk
This article was written and researched by Alison Colley, Solicitor and Director at Real Employment Law Advice.
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