It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Kate Coulson of Ena HR.
The employment and recruitment landscape has changed massively as a result of COVID-19.
Working from home was forced onto a lot of organisations and hybrid working has become the norm.
In 2023 I expect this arrangement to continue to grow, particularly now that employers are looking for new and alternative ways to recruit and retain staff. Roles that don’t offer the flexibility of remote/hybrid working will get harder to fill.
However, remote teams are harder to manage so businesses need to seriously consider investing more in leadership and management training. Leaders need to be more output focused to manage productivity and require additional skills for forward planning, communication and establishing efficient processes.
Culture will also be huge in 2023.
With everyone struggling to navigate the cost of living crisis, there is an expectation on businesses to offer pay rises. However, businesses are also seeing their costs rise and there will be many that can’t afford to. So, we will see businesses shift their focus to culture to retain top talent.
What are their USPs as employers? What is the vision and common purpose? What can you offer when it comes to growth or career progression? What are your values?
Lastly, there is still a shortage of workers in almost all industries. This isn’t going to change in 2023.
Developing the skills of current workers to grow with the business is going to be essential. This is not just about training but also focusing on leadership ability, resilience of employees and communication.
