The ongoing skills shortage is showing no signs of slowing now we’re in the new year, and employers now need to consider new approaches in the way they combat this growing issue.
 

There are a myriad of reasons why skills shortages are worsening, including a low unemployment rate, which has been affected by the proportion of the workforce who haven’t returned to the labour market post-pandemic. The number of people who have left the labour market rose by 252,000 from the three months to May 2022, the biggest increase since records began in 1971. The leap pushed the unemployment rate down to its lowest since 1974 at 3.5%. 
 

This shortage of candidate availability has seen intense competition for workers, leading to further steep increases in rates of starting pay for both permanent and short-term staff. Notably, in February last year permanent starters' salaries rose at the second-sharpest pace since data collection began in October 1997.
 

An inability to source the right skills and talent can severely hamper growth for businesses, but what can be done to tackle them? In order to help address the issue, we've come up with five strategies that businesses can use to attract and retain talent:
 

1. Invest in Training

To alleviate the shortage of skilled workers, many companies have begun offering training to their existing employees, in order to tailor them to fill current gaps.

Several businesses offer their employees an opportunity for external training to upskill. While this option can be more expensive and time-consuming, it does ensure your employees are trained to industry standard quality, but can also serve as an incentive to attract a great deal of talented workers to your doorstep.

Some smaller firms understandably feel they don’t have the resources to meet the cost of training, but it’s likely to be easier and cheaper to train existing staff than to take on new employees. A more cost effective option is to offer in-house training, where a knowledgeable employee shares with others their valuable expertise. It’s a great way for companies with a few good resources to increase their value without expending too much time and money.
 

2. Expand the Search

Being proactive is key, you can’t assume quality candidates will find you. Try out different approaches in your hiring strategy:
 

• Change your recruitment   consultant - Why not contact Morgan Hunt? 
• Advertise in new places
• Attend Job Fairs
• Use Social Media
• Use niche job boards
• Keep your website up-to date
   

You should also consider broadening your hiring practice. You could easily hire candidates that don’t fit 100% of the job specification requirements or maybe have less experience, without hurting your company. With this in mind you could help those candidates grow into the role and fulfil your company's staffing needs. 
 

3. Use Contingent Workers

One of the easiest and quickest ways to tackle skills shortages is by hiring contingent workers, but this comes with both benefits and drawbacks. 

Contingent workers are a popular option for many companies, as their availability and flexibility allow them to work within the confines of any timeframe, budget, and project, giving you the ability to fill gaps in your operation quickly and in a cost-effective manner.

On the other hand, companies should be careful not to rely too heavily on contingent workers. While a contingent workforce can help an organisation fill an immediate skills shortage, it isn’t the best solution for long-term growth because it doesn’t address the root cause of why a skills gap exists in the first place.

Morgan Hunt have 28 years of experience recruiting temporary workers within the public, not-for-profit and private sectors. We can help provide you with a diverse, inclusive and quality bank of staff. Get in touch here info@morganhunt.com
 

4. Rethink the Workforce

The number of people aged over 65 working part-time or on a consultancy basis is growing. These workers can be an excellent way to bring skills and experience into your business, even if you don't offer them permanent positions. Such staff provide expertise that may otherwise be lacking, and they can also play a valuable role mentoring less experienced personnel.
 

5. Focus on Staff Retention

If you want to ensure that your business has the best talent, it’s important to keep the employees you have. That can mean more than just paying them well; successful companies work hard to create a culture of loyalty, by offering flexible work hours or other incentives that encourage people to stay. Take a look at our blogs Key motivators in the workplace and How can organisations appreciate their employees? for further tips.
 

There are numerous ways to tackle the ongoing skill shortage, some will work better for your company than others. However now is the time to look inward at your organisation and assess its talent, the skill sets you’re searching for most likely live in your organisation already.

We’re here to help. If you would like more guidance on the current skills shortage, feel free to drop us an email at info@morganhunt.com. 

Guest Blog — Written by Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow Mind

There are so many careers to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start, or what to change to if you want to try something different. If you’re looking for a career with real meaning, where you’ll be able to make a difference and genuinely improve people’s lives, advocacy could be for you.

What is advocacy?

An advocate is an independent professional that speaks for someone who may not be able to speak for themselves. Advocates help their clients achieve their goals by listening to them, helping them understand their rights, providing them with options and choices to help empower them to take control of their lives. Advocates do not make decisions on behalf of their clients.

Advocates all work towards the Advocacy Charter that underpins and governs the work they do.

What you need to work in advocacy

Empathy

Advocates need a high degree of empathy to be successful. Being able to understand how your clients feel, and why, is important in being able to help them be fully understood by organisations that have the power to make a difference in their lives.

Independence

You are working for the client and take instruction from the client to ensure their voice is heard.

Advocates must ensure, at all costs, that they take instruction from the client and do as instructed.

The advocate should not be influenced by other organisations or work in a way that disempowers clients.

Communication and Listening Skills

A good advocate is able to listen to their clients and understand what their clients’ issues are.

A good advocate is also able to communicate effectively to everyone they work with, whether that’s their client, the organisation they’re liaising with, case workers, or the local authority.

With the client, and advocate needs to be able to explain processes or situations. They need to take instruction from their client on how the client wants to proceed with their case. They also need to help empower the client to speak up for themselves.

With organisations, advocates need to be able to explain the needs of their client, why their clients want certain changes made, and how this should proceed.

Communication isn’t only knowing what to say, it’s about knowing when to not say anything. Advocates often need to keep information confidential. This is incredibly important and helps keep people safe.

Why advocacy is a great field to work in

You directly help resolve clients’ problems

One of the most rewarding things about working in advocacy is that you get to help people improve their situations.

Whether it’s creating action plans, improving access to resources or infrastructure, or just helping a client feel understood, advocacy has a direct positive impact on people who need help.

Advocates may play a role in helping vulnerable people take the first step to recovery, or greater and more secure sense of wellbeing.

You help to improve services

A large part of working in advocacy is dealing with social services, community organisations, and government agencies. Advocates facilitate meetings to discuss their clients’ needs with the organisation that can help. Throughout this process, as an advocate, you have a unique position to point out how processes could be smoother, simpler, or more effective.

The systems that influence these processes aren’t set in stone. Advocates have regularly made the case for why things need to change or improve, and had a great impact on making things better for other advocates and clients who they will never even meet.

You help clients improve their self-advocacy skills

One of the most important things advocates do is help their clients improve their ability to articulate their own needs and desires, to make them able to advocate for themselves.

Advocacy often starts with gathering information on behalf of the client, helping them understand their position, their rights, and who they need to speak to in order to make changes.

Eventually, advocates may be able to help their clients understand this information, and act on it, to such a point that they no longer require an advocate at all.

At this point, the client can be considered able to self-advocate, and are better able to navigate things by themselves.

Advocacy is an incredibly rewarding field, where you can directly help people in difficult situations, and empower them to improve their own lives.

Learn more about advocacy, or check out Morgan Hunt’s candidate section.

There are many claiming that a 4 day working week can help reduce costs, reduce staff sickness, stress levels and burnout, increase staff engagement, support the attraction of a better talent pool and increase productivity!
 

But is all that glitters really gold?
 

However, a four day week won’t suit every business model and even be possible for every employee type within an organisation. In reality, many will work 4 long days to ensure targets are still achieved but longer days could have a significant effect on your employees' stress levels and therefore their overall wellbeing and productivity. Whilst the theory is that more time away from work benefits an employee’s work life balance, by working extra hard during their new ‘working week’, they may find that their work-life balance actually takes a hit.
 

There are considerations for organisations that require desks covered for 5 or even 7 days to ensure clients can contact staff, continuity of service if different people are looking after the same clients which could then result in differing service levels and even missed sales opportunities. There really are pros and cons to this topic…
 

Pros

• Increased productivity — A recent study by Warwick Business School found that people are more productive when they work fewer hours than when they work longer hours.
• An Equal Workplace — Roughly two million British people are not currently in employment due to childcare responsibilities and 89% of these people are women. A 4 day work week would promote an equal workplace as employees would be able to spend more time with their families and better juggle care and work commitments.
• A smaller carbon footprint — Shortening our working week means that employees don’t need to commute as much and large office buildings are only in use four days a week.
   

Cons

• Customer Satisfaction — The Utah study closed due to poor customer satisfaction. Customers complained that they were unable to access government services with offices closed on a Friday.
• Wrong Approach — Many confused the concept of a 4 day work week with compressed hours. Employees who are expected to still work 35 hours, but across 4 days will actually show decreased levels of productivity and it can also impact employees’ engagement, work-life balance and overall happiness.
• Team Management — Managers sometimes find that managing multiple teams on a four-day work week can be challenging as the days employees take off are scattered, making it hard to set up team meetings and manage projects.
   

Some interesting statistics

• New research by Henley Business School reports that companies that adopted a four-day week found that over three quarters of staff (78%) were happier, less stressed (70%) and took fewer days off ill (62%).
• Over 60% of businesses in trials have found it easier to attract staff.
• A trial in New Zealand found over 75% of employees were better able to manage their home and work life compared to 55% before
• Expenses can be significantly reduced, for companies having a day less to open the office and for staff to reduce commuting and lunch costs.
   

So, what do you think? Will the condensed days become so jam packed with meetings leaving little time to be productive? Will management of diaries become impossible? Are you an employer wanting to be ahead of the curve, retain and attract staff, improve employee well-being but are concerned about productivity? Are you an employee that likes the idea but have questions about how full-on the 4 days will be, will there be an impact on your holiday allowance, and will you be able to achieve the same income?