SME workers seeking to move roles

UK employers need to actually engage with their staff, beyond the typical benefits and round-robin emails. People are looking for genuine, meaningful discussions with their employers on what the future looks like for them. Businesses need to set realistic expectations, and educate and engage staff about their role in the company and the wider industry the business serves. Training and career development must sit at the heart of this. To reduce costs on recruitment, the focus needs to be on retention, which comes from training your staff to do the job well, empowering them to take ownership of their work and rewarding them for that work. We've worked with organisations around the country that have invested in all levels of training including leadership training for their future managers, which has resulted in higher staff engagement, reduced turn over and more internal progression.

It's not surprising that so many people are looking to change jobs. We've been hearing about high rates of burnout and the 'Great Resignation' for some time. The increased pressure on household finances due to rising energy and mortgage costs may also now be driving people to look at job changes as a way to secure a better package and relieve some of the financial stress. Employers of all sizes should be looking for innovative ways to attract and retain talent. Listening to what people are saying about their reasons for leaving is a great place to start but leaving it until they are going to have the conversation, is too little, too late. We know that businesses that actively invest in people's wellbeing have happier, healthier and more productive people. It's time that UK firms put wellbeing at the heart of their talent strategy. The rapidly revolving door of people suggests they can't afford not to.

There's a huge amount of talk about retaining staff through better employee engagement, pay rises, and increased flexibility. That's all well and good in an ideal world, but we are far from living in an ideal world right now and many SMEs don't have the capacity to invest further in their staffing. Many SMEs are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They can't afford to lose their staff to some big corporate giant who are offering them the world on a silver platter, but neither can they afford to compete with these sorts of offers. It's a really challenging time to be negotiating staffing and, in my opinion, all employers can do is treat their staff well, with respect and transparency, recognise their valuable contributions, and show them that you see their worth.

Covid taught all of us that life is short and unpredictable. As a result, it is unsurprising that if people are not happy, they now feel more empowered to make a change. The carriage clocks are a distant memory, as we have seen the average tenure of employees steadily reduce as they try to find their happy home. SME Business Owners, often end up wearing a magnitude of hats and are overstretched. Within the whirlwind of running a business, it can be easy to overlook your team and assume they are content. Making specific time to have meaningful, quality discussions with your team regularly is paramount to retain staff and reduce the surprise if someone is unhappy. After all, prevention is better than cure.

Glassdoor research shows the biggest nightmares facing hiring managers right now are sourcing qualified candidates and making competitive offers. And 1 in 2 talent acquisition specialists says recruiting and retaining workers is more difficult now than it was pre-pandemic. Hiring will remain challenging in 2023. To win the war for talent companies need a clear mission and a strong reputation for being a great workplace. It's the culture and values of a company, the strength of senior leadership, and access to learning and development that keep people happy in their jobs. Salary is the least important driver of workplace satisfaction. SMEs should capitalise on their agility and focus on their employer brand to attract and retain talent. And embrace transparency. Being transparent isn't always easy but it doesn't cost a penny. And Glassdoor research shows that companies who are transparent attract more applications and have a happier, more satisfied workforce.