Something for everyone – the skills shortage
One of the biggest challenges facing HR at the moment is a skills shortage. As we emerge from the pandemic, the shape of work has changed for many companies considerably. HR is having to deal with challenges on several fronts, from managing hybrid working to finding the right candidates to fill the right roles, at a time when many business leaders are bemoaning the vacancies they have unfilled.
Sector-wide problems
There’s a common perception that it’s only certain sectors that are suffering a skills shortage. But many people are telling me that ‘their’ sector is struggling with recruitment. But this isn’t just one sector, it is every sector. Across the board, everyone is having recruitment issues. This is due to a variety of outside influences. There are the changes to available labour in some sectors due to factors implemented by the process of the UK leaving the European Union. There are free movement and employment changes, not to mention Visa regulations, that are impacting some sectors much more than others.
Staff retention
To take an obvious example we all have experience of a sector such as hospitality is struggling from an assault on many fronts. People don’t have the disposable income to spend on luxuries, such has going out. The cost-of-living crisis is driving the price of food and drink upwards, which makes it more expensive to go out too. Fuel rises are affecting taxi drivers, the trains are on strike. It’s a miracle anyone’s out there spending their money on hospitality at all! Recruitment into this sector is also seeing a skills shortage, particularly it seems in terms of qualified chefs, who are able to demand top dollar for their services, due to demand. There also seems to be a shortfall in younger staff willing to take on roles in the lower-paid areas of hospitality and also retaining the relevant staff long-term, who have gained the experience to progress up the ladder into management roles. As a result, the sector is affected disproportionately due to its skills shortage. But it’s not just the usual suspects that are suffering.
Making the connection
When HR managers are looking to fill vacant roles, they need to look at ways they can encourage candidates to think outside of their usual parameters. They need to identify and encourage the importance of recognising transferable skills – skills that can be used across multiple industries – so you don’t necessarily need to look at someone from exactly the same sector. In this way, there may be allied sectors where the answer to the skills shortage lies. There is a role for everyone out there somewhere. It’s just a case of finding the right one and making the connection.
