The human resources sector is changing in all sorts of ways. And it’s important for HR workers to be aware of what these changes are – and why they’re occurring – in order to keep up with the trends. In the UK, it appears that HR will face three major challenges in the near future.
1. Increasing Competition
There are already fierce levels of competition in the HR industry, but we have reason to suppose that employers will become even more competitive in order to attract top talent. Being a competitive employer means trying to find that perfect alignment between a candidate’s skills and what a company can offer in terms of perks, compensation, work culture and environment, development opportunities, and flexibility. However, the HR industry is continually redefining what these ‘benefits’ are. This will see organizations becoming even more creative in what they can offer candidates, which will make the industry as a whole more competitive.
2. Skill Shortages
Many within the HR industry also worry about skill shortages becoming more of an issue in the future. The nature and extent of these skill shortages also vary depending on the specific sector in question. In this vein, one of the most acutely affected sectors, which is set to see further skill shortages in the future, is the healthcare sector. In the UK, there is currently a high demand for radiographers, mental health nurses, occupational health nurses, and health care assistants.
But firms in general, not just in the health sector, are struggling to hire skilled workers. In order to avoid an ongoing skills shortage, it’s vital to combine sensible workforce planning in the short-term with effective talent pipelining for the coming decades.
3. Brexit
Research suggests that Brexit is likely to present further challenges to the HR sector. Drawing on the previous point, the Open University revealed that 53% of businesses believe Brexit is going to exacerbate the skills shortage. Already, firms are struggling to hire the talent they need.
In addition, if Brexit introduces restrictions on EU workers, then this could result in high turnover rates, as well as uncertainty in the workforce. Already, EU workers are worried about the impact of Brexit, so HR will need to make reassurances to existing employees and address their concerns. According to Bruce Walcroft at CoreHR, Brexit will have wide-ranging implications for HR, although these obstacles can be overcome. He said:
“The consequences of Brexit will almost certainly create more work for HR professionals, from implementing legislative changes to applying for visas or processing the details of migratory workers. Of course, it’s hard to quantify the full impact of Brexit ahead of government negotiations and agreements on legislative reform and migration policies.
The Brexit ripple may be wider than we expect but HR can use strategic planning, organizational flexibility and the adoption of disruptive HR technologies to settle the ship. The challenge of Brexit is to embrace the transition and implement an HR strategy that will lead your organization to further success in a post-Brexit world.”
This point should be stressed. While the HR sector will present more challenges to employers in the near future, this simply means that professionals in the industry need to be adaptable and stay on top of changing trends.
About the author: Sam Woolfe writes for Inspiring Interns, which specializes in sourcing candidates for internships and graduate jobs. He is particularly interested in self-development, psychology, mental health, and the future of work. Most of all, though, Sam is passionate about helping people find work that is meaningful and fulfilling. You can follow him on Twitter .
