At least four in 10 employers have raised some salaries in the hope of attracting suitable candidates, according to a survey by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation.
The survey of 600 bosses revealed that 80% had re-advertised a role after failing to recruit anyone. Furthermore, 24% said they’d had to lower job requirements in order to fill vacancies.
Skill shortages a serious concern
The survey also showed that employers are still very concerned about the skills shortage across the UK. Almost half say they anticipate a shortage of candidates for permanent roles over the next three months. Employers expect the biggest shortage for permanent roles to be in construction, engineering, technical and health and social care. In addition, driving, engineering, technical and hospitality have the largest shortage of skilled temporary agency workers.
Improved perks
As employers become more desperate to attract quality candidates with the right skills, they have begun offering improved incentives. Some businesses hope to tackle the staff shortage by offering some unusual incentives to attract and retain employees. These include hangover days, free ice cream and time off for staff to look after their new puppy.
UK not prepared for post-Brexit
As employers compete for the best available talent, throwing money at the situation may not necessarily be a long-term solution. And with the UK’s talent pool expected to keep shrinking, many employers have become reliant on EU workers. Employers hope that the government will create an immigration system that enables them to recruit skilled candidates. But the CIPD warns that the UK risks sleepwalking into a low-skills economy, leaving the country poorly prepared for life after Brexit.
