FEATURE A Sector Falling Short CV-Library take a look at the skills shortage faced by the care sector and advise


care providers how to attract talented new recruits, as well as retain existing staff, by listening to what their employees want.


The healthcare sector is plagued with skill shortages, according to research from CV-Library, with 89.7% of workers in the industry believing that this is reducing levels of patient care across the UK. The findings suggest that the strain on staff and resources mean that care for the elderly, mental healthcare and nursing home care have become the areas which are most affected by skill shortages.


There are several contributing factors deterring people from choosing a career in the healthcare sector, and organisations in the industry need to be proactive in their approach to recruiting and supporting staff, if they hope to begin bridging the skills gap and increasing the quality of patient care.


In the past, organisations have sought to create a workforce and fill gaps by using contract workers, but two thirds of professionals said this actually deters people from the healthcare sector, with a further 80.9% believing that organisations in the sector have become too dependent on temporary staff. It’s clear that workers want stability in their jobs, with 82.7% saying that they’d be more interested in permanent placements than contract roles, which comes as no surprise given current economic uncertainty.


Low salaries were also cited as a big factor deterring candidates from the healthcare sector, but recent cuts across the NHS mean organisations in the sector can’t always offer the most competitive salaries. Employers need to do their best to understand what


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workers want, so they can ensure they are offering the best perks to entice people into the industry.


For organisations that cannot offer competitive salaries there are other ways to incentivise healthcare workers, and training is a big part of this. CV-Library’s research revealed that the majority of workers (81.4%) believe that additional training provided by businesses in the sector could help to address the skills gap; especially as there is already an existing and talented healthcare workforce out there that need to be utilised. Restructuring current staff, and offering them additional training could help to relieve some of the stress that professionals in the sector are facing, helping workers to be more effective and offer better standards of care as a result.


‘‘Findings suggest that the strain on staff and resources mean that care for the elderly,


mental healthcare and nursing home care


have become the areas


which are most affected by skill shortages.’’


It is also worth offering training to potential recruits who may be considering a job in healthcare, not


just giving extra training and support to those already in the sector. This way, workers can start their career feeling supported and prepared to offer the best possible care to their patients.


As well as additional training, it’s also important to proactively offer opportunities for progression, as most workers want the chance to move forward in their career. Many candidates are deterred by positions that show no room for development, but by offering the opportunity to train and move up the career ladder, you’ll not only retain talented workers, but also attract new ones, and begin building a stronger workforce in the healthcare sector as a result.


If the industry is to see a seven- day NHS work effectively, then action must be taken today to better understand the supply of healthcare workers and address current and future resourcing issues. Unfortunately, the industry is facing skills shortages and skilled workers don’t hang around for long, making it more important than ever for businesses to listen to what workers want. It’s clear that training and room for progression are the top priorities of many, and organisations need to take this on board if they want to attract talented new recruits. Not only this, but the existing workforce needs more support to help relieve some of the pressures they currently face, so that they can offer the very best levels patient care.


www.cv-library.co.uk www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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