Half of UK businesses will look internally to bridge dire skills shortages in 2019

Almost half of business (47%) believe that developing staff internally will be their greatest opportunity from a talent management perspective over the next three years.

That is according to a survey of 1,500 UK-based hiring managers by international talent acquisition and managed workforce solutions provider, Guidant Global.

The news comes as 78% of all respondents admit they are currently finding it difficult to access the quality and volume of talent their businesses need to thrive, with 39% of hiring managers finding that uncertainty around Brexit has directly impacted access to talent.

Other measures that those surveyed plan on implementing to bridge current and future skills gaps include using technology to plan and manage workforces more strategically, and tapping into underutilised talent pools, which were favoured by 22% and 16% of respondents respectively.

A further 8% of hiring managers plan on taking a more global approach to sourcing and managing staff, while 5% are maximising the potential of contingent talent by flexing workforces to meet demand.

Commenting on the findings, Simon Blockley, Managing Director, EMEA, at Guidant Global, said:

“While the chronic skills shortages which are impacting the UK labour market have been well documented, these findings demonstrate that smart businesses are working hard behind the scenes to mitigate against future talent gaps.

“It’s encouraging to see that a significant proportion of businesses are concentrating on training and developing existing teams as part of their wider talent management strategy, particularly when you consider that skills demand is shifting rapidly in line with the digital revolution. Taking this approach also has the added benefit of increasing engagement levels, which is proven to have a positive impact on retention and productivity long-term.”

Information about Guidant Global: A new dynamic in workforce solutions. It was recently formed from two companies coming together: Bartech, headquartered in the US, and Guidant Group in London. They are both part of Impellam, the leading provider of managed services and specialist staffing expertise based in the UK, North America, Australasia, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and mainland Europe.  By uniting Bartech and Guidant Group we have unprecedented insight into the world at work. We assist our clients in sourcing, assessing and implementing complex talent solutions which engage contingent workers, consultants and freelancers.

Information about Impellam Group: The 2nd largest staffing business in the UK and 6th largest MSP provider worldwide. We provide managed service provision and specialist staffing solutions across the UK, North America and Asia Pacific. We have over 3,200 Impellam people throughout our network of 18 market-leading brands across 163 worldwide locations. Ultimately, Impellam Group’s mission is to provide fulfillment and a sense of purpose to its people, and to help customers build better businesses in a changing world.