Job's - Current Situation

[fossyant]

Not sure if this has been covered, but the current job's situation is a bit of a nightmare for employers ! We just can't get people.

Even at a University, just my Faculty is over £1m underspent on staffing as we just can't recruit, and that's in just 6 months - it's equivalent to 30 Senior Lecturing staff.

Many places you speak to, from hospitality to professional jobs are short of workers at all levels. Have we lost that many European people at all levels - not just talking the seasonal agriculture workers ?

My son's been wanting to get into the motor trade, so has plans for a part time course in September whilst working. He was working at an alloy wheels company until last week when he walked out - reason, not enough staff, everyone under pressure and back biting, management not doing anything - just not a nice place to work (that and 6 days a week left him no spare time). That said, he started another job today, just like that !

If employers aren't doing much to retain staff, given the market, folk will just walk. We have staff shortages throughout our business, admin, accountancy, cleaning, lecturers, estates, you name it.

Has 'the blip' taken that many people (Marvel reference).

 

[Sharky]

Sorry, my fault and all the other "Baby Boomers" moving into retirement.

 

[fossyant]

Sorry, my fault and all the other "Baby Boomers" moving into retirement.

I'm a little off retirement yet. Boooooo

 

[Arrowfoot]

We have the same issue - staff shortage, hard to recruit etc. People are scared to leave their current employer due to market uncertainty.

 

[DCLane]

We're similar; having had quite a number retire over the past two years we're short-staffed on all fronts.

It's not just European employees, with some UK staff also moving to Europe along with others moving back [we've found European universities incentivising UK-based academics to move there], but also the older employees taking an opportunity to retire.

It will get better, with a large number of teenagers hitting employment age, but not for a couple of years.

Hopefully son no. 1 will graduate with his Master's in Mechanical Engineering this year and find employment (in the Lincoln area - hint, hint ).

 

[PaulB]

We lost four workers as a direct result of Brexit and two more had their positions made untenable so they've left. They were based in our production facility.

Out on the road, we've got two vacancies for medical sales people but even though lots of medical companies have laid off sales people in the last two years, we just cannot get the right two. Or even one! They just won't come and I don't know that it's not people who got too used to the furlough days and the enforced nowt-to-do days and don't want to work properly again.

I've been offered more than one job, sight-unseen on two occasions this year already and one company asking me what my signing on fee would be! I know one person who got them to take over the lease on her car to join them and another only took a job when the company bowed down to his demand to have a paid-for Tesla provided.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

A lot took the opportunity to retire and / or switch to less demanding part time jobs during the pandemic. It was an employers market for so long, I think many have forgotten what’s it’s like with the boot on the other foot. The offers need to be better, and the demands less. People have realised that their job is not their god.

 

[Alex321]

We have a similar issue, but I don't think it is due to Brexit. I think it is more down to the switch to home working/hybrid working.

Our office has always been based in Cardiff, but now a lot of the local talent can get remote jobs at London/Thames valley rates, and even though we are also offering remote working contracts, it is hard to compete with those.

This is particularly for IT/Data engineering staff, though I think other parts of the business are having some difficulties with recruitment as well.

 

[Jody]

The offers need to be better, and the demands less. People have realised that their job is not their god.

That pretty much sums it up.

 

[oldwheels]

Where I live the problem is lack of anywhere to stay. Several businesses are desperate to get staff but the holiday homes buy up everything at inflated prices. One guy posted on the local FB page that he lived in a garden shed for a year before anything turned up. One business with land is currently excavating for what looks like foundations. I do not check the planning applications but it is a fair bet it is workers housing.

 

[Bollo]

… People have realised that their job is not their god.

What about vicars?

 

[fair weather cyclist]

We have a similar issue, but I don't think it is due to Brexit. I think it is more down to the switch to home working/hybrid working.

Our office has always been based in Cardiff, but now a lot of the local talent can get remote jobs at London/Thames valley rates, and even though we are also offering remote working contracts, it is hard to compete with those.

This is particularly for IT/Data engineering staff, though I think other parts of the business are having some difficulties with recruitment as well.

Pretty much what I did.

When my Scottish company decided it was time to bring people back in the office for 3 days a week despite having performed well in a 100% working from home environment for the previous 12-18 months, I found a 100% remote job for a company in London that pays 17k more in basic salary, has better benefits, and pays for all expenses for those 2 times a year they'd like me to go to the London HQ.

 

[Dayvo]

It could be a trend for a variety of reasons,
This applies to the US but it’d be interesting to see Britain’s figures.

 

[All uphill]

I heard a piece recently on Radio 4 saying another factor is an increasing number of people who have chosen to be economically inactive - not on benefits, not working and not retired or retired early. The suggestion was that a quiet life on a low income is proving more attractive than regular employment.

I completely get that, and the solution has to be to find ways of making employment more pleasant/enjoyable/flexible or better paid

 

[Alex321]

Pretty much what I did.

When my Scottish company decided it was time to bring people back in the office for 3 days a week despite having performed well in a 100% working from home environment for the previous 12-18 months, I found a 100% remote job for a company in London that pays 17k more in basic salary, has better benefits, and pays for all expenses for those 2 times a year they'd like me to go to the London HQ.

Can't blame you at all for that, or anybody else doing the same.

But it does make recruitment rather more difficult for companies not used to paying those rates.