S P E C I A L F E ATURE Jeanette Parradine chief talent alchemist at international recruitment specialist Alchemy Recruitment When we came out of lockdowns, suddenly there were too many roles and not enough people working policies and lack of career development to the impact of the rising cost of living and a desire to prioritise work/life balance or simply to try something different. Simon Rogers, Managing Partner at Talent Mobility Search (TMS), says at the start of the pandemic, when employers put recruitment on hold, there was a surplus of candidates, but the story changed dramatically a few months later. When we started to come out of lockdowns, this completely flipped on its head, he says. Suddenly, there were too many roles and not enough people. With the World Health Organization reporting more than six million deaths around the world and millions more still unable to work because of the long-term effects of COVID, the legacy of the pandemic on jobs will last for many years. Enduring travel restrictions in some parts of the world will have an ongoing impact, too. Parradine says migrant workers traditionally make up five per cent of the global workforce, and that stricter travel policies have stemmed a previously abundant flow of labour. Most countries are now loosening their immigration restrictions to allow these workers to return, but this will take time, she says. In the UK, the situation has been worsened by Brexit, which has restricted free movement of potential employees and made the country less attractive for migrant workers. Here, says Parradine: International moving and relocation companies are crying out for staff with European language skills. Unfortunately, many of the European staff who used to fulfil the roles have returned to their home countries. Wages rise, skills fall As staff availability has plummeted and international inflation continues to push prices up for everyone, salaries have risen to attract the right staff while a recent Randstad report found that 62 per cent of workers will change job to increase their wages. Parradine says we now have a candidate-driven market... and companies are having to increase salary levels in order to recruit staff. These increases are expected to base salaries, not merely to potential bonuses, says Rogers, adding: Its a difficult position but, ultimately, if you want to find the right person youve got to get there. Parradine warns: In some countries, wage increases will still not cover the cost of inflation. There is now a widening skills gap acknowledged by 87 per cent of employers in a recent study that demands businesses retrain, educate and upskill their staff. However, as existing employees are often overloaded with the additional tasks created for them by the shortage, many firms simply dont have the capacity to do this. This conundrum is notably evident in the uptake of tech solutions. Implementing advanced technology helps streamline processes and drive efficiency, says Parradine, but you need specialised staff with the skills to operate it and there is a global shortage of these. Impact on moving Overall, the shortages are causing companies to suffer a triple whammy of self-reinforcing challenges to service quality, staff morale and business growth. Parradine says: With fewer employees available to serve clients and handle operations, service quality becomes poor, which diminishes a companys reputation. Where there is a shortage of staff, existing employees also become responsible for more work increased workload adds stress, which lowers morale and job satisfaction, and employees mental and physical health deteriorates, says Parradine. Inevitable time off for under-pressure staff or employees leaving puts further strain on already understaffed businesses. 26 FF308 Dec-Jan 23 pp24-31 Recruitment.indd 26 06/12/2022 11:18 DBon