www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com 41 S


cottish businesses have always been resilient in the face of adversity. That doesn’t mean simply putting a brave face on


things, but rather actively planning and working their way through challenging trading conditions. At the heart of this is a core policy of ensuring they have the right staff and skills in place to survive and prosper when things are tough. And with the uncertainty of Brexit looming over the next few months and years, this optimistic, can-do approach is needed more than ever. Nearly two thirds – 65 per cent –


of Scottish organisations say that they are planning to recruit over the next 12 months, according to the recently published Hays UK Salary & Recruiting Trends 2017 guide. A total of 92 per cent of surveyed


companies also say that they are expecting business activity to either remain the same or increase in the coming year. This positive approach doesn’t mean, though, that recruiters can dismiss Brexit and its consequences. According to Hays, the referendum and its outcome have made staff think more seriously about their career development and whether there are other opportunities out there that they should be considering before they lose their EU citizenship. This should make employers think more carefully about their recruiting strategy and the salary and benefits packages they are offering. Otherwise candidates may be tempted to seize opportunities in other EU countries while they still can. The survey also shows that money isn’t the main driver for most candidates. In Scotland, lack of scope for career progression in their organisation was cited in the research as the main reason for 24 per cent of people wanting to leave their current role, surpassing salary at 21 per cent. Work-life balance was also rated highly at 24 per cent, as was location at 16 per cent. Akash Marwaha, Managing Director


for Hays in Scotland, says: “Our survey shows that there is clearly some disparity in views between employers and employees on what’s important when looking for a new role. Quite often, salary alone won’t be sufficient to attract the right talent, especially if someone receives multiple job offers. “Employers must take a flexible approach


to their salary and benefits packages and think more


Akash Marwaha


Uncertainty over Brexit is just one of


the factors influencing job seekers


seriously about things like work-life balance, flexible working, annual leave and career development, as it’s these benefits that people rate most highly. They also need to tailor packages for different generations. “For example, for many millennials who are moving from junior positions to more senior roles, career development is very important. There needs to be a bigger conversation around investing in staff development, training courses or even study leave. Cross-departmental training is often a great cost-effective solution.” The Hays survey shows that many organisations are being challenged by the perennial problem of skills shortages. These are causing significant salary inflation in some sectors, including IT and construction and property.


There needs to be a


bigger conversation around investing in staff development, training courses or even study leave”


Staff are happy to work hard, but they expect the opportunity to be able to play hard too, says the Hays survey, which takes in the views of nearly 17,500 employers and employees. According to the research, 66 per


cent of employees deem flexible working to be important and 60 per cent rate over 25 days’ annual leave as important. However, this message has yet to be fully taken up by businesses. Just over half of employers offer flexible working and far fewer offer over 25 days’ annual leave than the number of staff rating it as important. Employees are less concerned about some of the elements of the packages they are offered. Many deem statutory pension contributions to be important, and just over a quarter rate financial support for professional studies highly.


But in these areas, employers are ahead of the game, with 60 per cent of employers offering pension contributions and almost half providing financial study support. “It’s no longer just about


candidates selling themselves in an interview,” says Akash Marwaha. “In this market, it’s also important for employers to make sure they’re promoting their organisation in a positive way to attract the talent they need.”


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