Believe it or not, we’re almost a quarter of the way through 2023. We know, where has the time gone?!
We thought anyone interested in recruitment might want to hear a few of our thoughts on what the top challenges are at the moment for hiring teams in the UK and across the world.
- Talent shortage: With a lower number of skilled workers (due to Brexit, retirement, and lack of graduate hiring over the pandemic), finding and retaining top talent is probably the biggest hurdle in recruitment. This is two-fold – how do you get talent into your business… and how do you encourage them to stay?
- Remote work and flexible hours: The pandemic has changed the way people work, and many employees now expect remote work options and flexible schedules. Businesses across the UK seem to have a variety of thoughts on this trend as the pandemic seems to be mostly in the rearview by now; our thoughts are that a lot of companies that hire grads are moving towards WFH being a bonus rather than an everyday, and that is likely a good thing as early careers talent learns best by being right at the heart of businesses.
- Diversity and inclusion: In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on diversity and inclusion in the workplace (as there should be!). That truly has never been more important than now, and making sure you have D&I policies in place and are actively learning in that area, you are likely to be missing out on gen Z talent in particular (with studies having shown that a significant proportion of them would likely not apply to a company that doesn’t demonstrably take D&I seriously).
- Uncertain economy: with recent events and news leading to uncertain economic conditions, we’ve seen some hesitation in the market; some businesses are putting growth plans on hold while others are forging ahead. If you want our advice on hiring in a recession, get in touch as some of our senior staff have recruited through several of them before.
- Employee wellbeing: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the issue of employee wellbeing to the forefront. Creating, and more importantly sustaining, a supportive workplace culture and offering benefits that promote employee mental health and work-life balance is a key method of candidate attraction, particularly in markets where candidates are scarce and less eager to move companies.
- Employer branding: Finally, with increased competition for top talent, companies need to differentiate themselves as attractive employers. Why should jobseekers want to work for you? What makes you stand out? Your first step is figuring that out, and once you’re there, make sure to shout about it whenever and wherever you can!
And those are our thoughts on current hiring trends as we move into the second quarter of 2023.
