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HR Recruitment December 2009
HR News |
09/12/2009
As a year characterised by job losses and pay freezes nears its end, HR professionals could be forgiven for heaving a sigh of relief that 2009 is almost over and done with. However, it seems that 2010 is likely to be just as hectic for HR departments, as firms look to them to appease workers who are ready to jump ship as soon as the upturn comes.
Research by the Hidden Brain Drain taskforce has highlighted the worsening working conditions that the UK's top talent are currently facing, with managers commonly working 82 hours a week and an increasing number of people finding it difficult to draw a line between the office and home.
With the recovery reportedly just around the corner, many businesses risk a talent shortage in the New Year and it will be down to HR professionals to figure out ways to encourage existing key staff to stay whilst attracting the best talent to their business.
This will be even more important in light of recent estimates from the Hay Group that pay rises in 2010 will lag behind inflation, suggesting that HR workers will have to become ever more creative at engaging employees with non-monetary rewards.
Speaking about the need to motivate staff and boost morale, Adrian Norris, managing director of the health and productivity practice at Buck Consultants UK, said: "Historically, companies have incentivised staff financially, but particularly in the wake of the credit crunch finding a means to motivate your workforce, improve their wellbeing and thus their efficiency by other means can make a big difference to the financial health of the business."
HR's role in preparing firms for the post-downturn era was also emphasised by the recent white paper Gateway to Success - Recruitment 2020 from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.
The report suggested that HR professionals and recruiters need to work together to attract new talent, and address issues such as a shrinking talent pool and a widening skills gap.
With so much responsibility resting on HR departments, are firms already acting to snap up the most experienced and innovative people when the economic recovery is in full flow?
The latest Ashdown Group Jobs Index shows a decline of 4.3 per cent in HR vacancies across November, however this is likely to be a correction to the massive 11.28 per cent rise seen in October and will still leave the sector 6.98 per cent up over the two months.
Commenting on the findings, John Lynes, director of the Ashdown Group, said: "Demand for human resources staff over the past two months has been a rollercoaster ride, with the market lurching, a prediction is difficult. If we look over the past six months the net effect is flat. My prediction for the next quarter and 2010 is that HR recruitment will mirror any economic recovery with a slow growth rate throughout the year.
"Whether HR departments are ready for any spike in demand for new staff is yet to be seen. A flat human resources job market would suggest that HR departments are structured for current workloads and will not be able to act quickly. This represents a great opportunity for recruitment agencies to partner with HR and fill any void. This is already the case for our business with a 22 per cent increase in demand for our services since October."
Posted by Jon Aspinell.
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