Brexit, recruitment, business concerns

May 25th, 2017 | Industry News

With employers from Hyatt Hotels to the NHS expressing concern about a post-Brexit future, the one certainty for all employers is that recruitment is about to become more complicated.

In fact, a Hyatt spokesman claimed “life could become very difficult” if access to foreign workers is restricted, echoing concerns expressed by major employers in the construction, education, healthcare, hospitality and manufacturing sectors. For Hyatt, like many others, the proportion of British citizens working in their hotels is relatively small and the labour situation could become problematic.

Top tips for employers in a post-Brexit world

Many industries are calling for a review of what Brexit will mean for business so that organisations can prepare for what’s ahead. There’s no evidence that such a review will happen and that means that businesses must attempt to work out for themselves the best approach to an uncertain future. At Recruit So Simple we have a few tips to help chart a path in a post-Brexit world.

Flexibility and recruitment – for many organisations, established recruiting procedures will have to change. From the fruit pickers who may no longer arrive from Eastern Europe through to the Spanish baristas who may no longer serve coffee throughout our major cities, recruitment campaigns will need to be more inclusive and adaptable. Hiring procedures must be both stringent and effective to avoid problems and employee retention will become crucial to avoid costly and time-consuming staff turnover.

Recruitment and trade deals – as each individual trade deal is agreed, employers may need to be vigilant, not only in recruiting new staff but in checking the right to work of existing ones. This requires a recruitment system that can individuate each employee and their employment status. Online recruitment software that can be updated as each circumstance changes is vital to the effective management of future recruitment strategies.

Trade and export markets – Theresa May has said that she is determined to “significantly increase … trade with the fastest growing export markets in the world”, but Brexit may mean that specialised workers from within the EU may not be available for these fast growing markets as there will be less interest from overseas applicants with key skills. Every organisation will need a recruitment software database that can be interrogated to discover equivalent qualifications and transferable skills. Such an applicant tracking system will need to be responsive, not static, so that employers are able to rapidly update information about the skills and training of their own employees to ensure there are no shortfalls.

Cost cutting – historically, the value of the pound is a good indicator of future GDP. Consistent falls in sterling suggest that many sectors will need to find cost-cutting ways to handle recruitment. Recruitment software that requires little training, that is regularly updated at source rather than bespoke and that can grow or shrink with employment needs could be one way for organisations to succeed in challenging times.