Jobs vacuum due to high employment and skills shortage is creating a war for talent

Jobs vacuum due to high employment and skills shortage is creating a war for talent

Jobs vacuum due to high employment and skills shortage is creating a war for talent

Figures published yesterday showed that the jobless rate has fallen to 4.2 percent, the lowest since 1975 according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). While good news for the economy, the challenge for employers will be recruitment. On average, over 40,000 job vacancies are left unfilled for over six months according to research by Robert Half UK. The figure doubles to 80,000 for roles left vacant for more than a month. The findings come following research into the UK job market looking at trends in the modern workplace which confirmed that high employment coupled with an ongoing skills crisis is leading companies to face a war for talent which is leaving many positions unfilled. A lack of skilled candidates (51 percent) tops the list of challenges, whilst difficulties in finding the right talent follows close behind (30 percent). Even when the right person has been found, many firms aren’t hiring fast enough and end up missing out on their preferred candidate (28 percent). UK organisations clearly recognise the detrimental effect that unfilled roles can have on their business. Reduced productivity (42 percent), increased stress (42 percent) and limited business growth (38 percent) are cited as the main consequences – all of which can cripple a firm’s performance.

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Workplace aggression can lead to vicious circle of misconduct

Workplace aggression can lead to vicious circle of misconduct

New research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) claims that frequently being the target of workplace aggression not only affects the victim’s health but can also cause them to behave badly towards others. Workplace aggression is a significant issue particularly in the healthcare sector, where nurses can be targeted by both their colleagues and co-workers through bullying, and by patients and their relatives through ‘third-party’ aggression. While workplace aggression has been examined in relation to the health-related consequences for victims, less is known about the possible negative impact it may have on their own behaviour at work. The findings of this study suggest that the experience of anger and fear associated with being the target of aggression at work could lead some nurses to translate the emotions that are triggered into misconduct, possibly disregarding professional and ethical codes. More →

Workers fake physical sickness to mask mental health issues due to stigma worries

Workers fake physical sickness to mask mental health issues due to stigma worries

Workers fake physical sickness to mask mental health issues due to stigma worries

Two fifths (42 percent) of UK employees are calling in sick claiming a physical illness, when in reality it’s a mental health issue, new research from BHSF has claimed. The research was commissioned to raise awareness of employee wellbeing during  Mental Health Awareness Week, a campaign hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, which has stress as its focus this year.  The survey found that 24 percent of employees worry that if they did need to take a sick day, they wouldn’t be taken seriously. Over half (56 percent) of employees admitted to suffering from stress, a third from anxiety (36 percent) and a quarter from depression (25 percent). Despite 46 percent admitting that work is the main cause of their health problems, just 15 percent would tell their boss if they were struggling with an issue of this nature.

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Seven stories to get your week off to a flying start

Seven stories to get your week off to a flying start

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Are flexible short term leases the new future?

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Employers face increasing challenge in finding the right person for the job warns CIPD

Employers face increasing challenge in finding the right person for the job warns CIPD

Employers face increasing challenge in finding the right person for the job warns CIPD

Employment prospects in the UK are improving, as the number of vacancies in the UK economy remain well above historic average levels, but the CIPD is warning that employers’ demand for skills and labour may not be met by supply. The latest Labour Market Outlook from the CIPD and The Adecco Group shows that employers’ near-term employment expectations have risen to a five-year high. This continued growth in demand for labour, while highlighting employer optimism, is set to lead to a further tightening of the UK labour market for employers, making it harder for them to find the skills and labour they need. Almost two-thirds (61 percent) of employers in the survey said that at least some of their vacancies are proving hard to fill.  By comparison, just over half (56 percent) of employers reported that they were currently having difficulty filling vacancies in their organisation during the same period in 2017. In response, more than a quarter (28 percent) said that they are raising wages to tackle their recruitment difficulties. The report authors also suggest that offering staff more flexible work and collaborative spaces could help with recruitment and retention.

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UK office workers spend limited time outside and over half complain of lack of fresh air

UK office workers spend limited time outside and over half complain of lack of fresh air

UK office workers spend limited time outside and over half complain of lack of fresh airUK office workers spend an alarmingly limited amount of time outdoors each day, claims new research from Ambius, which found that almost 40 percent spend a maximum of just 15 minutes outside, excluding their commute to work, and an additional 22 percent spend a maximum of 30 minutes outside. This is even less than prisoners, who require ‘at least one hour of suitable exercise in the open air daily’, according to UN guidelines. On average, the British workers surveyed spend more time per day at their desk or workstation (6.8 hours) than they do in bed (6.4 hours), relaxing at home (3.5 hours) or outdoors (37 mins). A lack of fresh air (57 percent), insufficient natural light (49 percent), and an absence of indoor plants (36 percent) were the biggest source of frustration for employees. Introducing indoor plants (49 percent), nicer artwork (50 percent), and a more interesting colour scheme (54 percent), topped the list of employees’ requests to improve their workplace.

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Majority of US employers say they will increase or maintain headcount due to automation

Majority of US employers say they will increase or maintain headcount due to automation

Majority of US employers say they will increase or maintain headcount due to automationCompanies will need more, not less people, in the near-term to meet the demand stimulated by automation, claims a new report from ManpowerGroup. The report – Robots Need Not Apply: Human Solutions in the Skills, found that 91 percent of employers in the US will maintain or increase headcount in the next two to three years as industries shift to more advanced, automated processes. The report provides a real-time view of the impact of automation on headcount, the functions most affected and the soft skills that are both of greatest value and hardest to find. Frontline and Customer-Facing functions anticipate the most growth as organisations place higher value on customer service and human interaction. Manufacturing and Production functions are close behind. Back-office functions that are routine or add less value to customer interactions are under greatest threat as organisations implement new technology to drive efficiency. In this Skills Revolution the best blend of high-tech and high-touch will be the combination of human strengths with technical and digital know-how: 61 percent of companies say communication skills, written and verbal, are their most valued soft skill followed by customer service, collaboration and problem-solving.

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Productivity levels in offices across the UK have fallen since last year

Productivity levels in offices across the UK have fallen since last year

Productivity levels in offices across the UK have fallen since last yearA third of UK office workers (30 percent) have admitted to only completing 1-4 tasks every day, according to a new report from Fellowes, which claims productivity levels in offices across the UK have fallen to a dramatic low. A quarter of workers admit they are unproductive for up to two hours a day, equating to a staggering 40 million-hours in lost productivity across the UK every week. Compared to data from Fellowes in 2017, the average office worker has lost an extra 30 minutes each day to productivity issues., office product specialists, released their second Productivity in the UK report today to help businesses understand what their employees need to increase output and the tools that can help. The study also found that over a third (38 percent) of office workers felt their employers weren’t doing enough to help their productivity and nearly half (40 percent) even went as far as to say they were more productive than their boss. On average Brits failed to meet deadlines at least once a week and 65 percent think a four-day working week would improve productivity.

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Over half of employers expect to spend less time in traditional office space

Over half of employers expect to spend less time in traditional office space

Over half of employers expect to spend less time in traditional office spaceUsers of co-working and flexible space rapidly growing in numbers, according to a report, Marketplace for flexible work, from research conducted by (flexible workspace provider) The Instant Group and architects HLW. The report claims to ‘analyse’ the coworking and flexible workspace sector to gather a ‘360-degree perspective’ of the industry to determine where ‘perspectives align and diverge among stakeholders’.  The research also claims that location and the ability to assign or reassign employees to workspace on short notice were also important influencers when choosing flexible workspace over conventional office space. Looking forward, the research claims that more than half of the companies interviewed envisage spending less time working from a traditional company office space.

The workplace week in seven stories you should read

The workplace week in seven stories you should read

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The lapsing of Finland’s universal basic income trial (registration)

Digital media overload as over half of workers unable to find information easily

Digital media overload as over half of workers unable to find information easily

Over half of UK workers (57 percent), are regularly experiencing an inability to locate information easily across a range of digital media, including emails, apps, messages and the internet, a new survey claims. The survey conducted via YouGov, for Evernote, also revealed that 87 percent of digital workers use up to four devices such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and/or a smart watch on a daily basis to access information. The majority (83 percent) of people use at least one app a day to source information. 31 percent of workers are accessing between five to nine apps per day and 18 percent are utilising over 10 apps a day. However, when it comes to face to face communications rather than digital, respondents were much more positive, with nearly half of those asked (45 percent) expressing that they felt they had the right number of meetings at work, and just 16 percent of those saying they feel their work day is filled with too many meetings.

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Global talent crunch will include UK workforce deficit of nearly 3 million employees by 2030

Global talent crunch will include UK workforce deficit of nearly 3 million employees by 2030

A shortage of skilled employees will continue to impede growth and if not addressed, could have a significant impact on major global economies by 2030, claims a new study. Korn Ferry’s Global Talent Crunch study estimated the gap between future talent supply and demand in 20 major economies at three milestones: 2020, 2025 and 2030, and across three sectors: financial and business services; technology, media and telecommunications (TMT); and manufacturing and found that a talent deficit issue could threaten economies and sectors across Europe. Germany could experience the largest deficit of 4.9 million workers and could lose out on $629.89 billion of annual revenue by 2030 if labour shortages are not addressed – equivalent to 14 percent of its economy.

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