INFOGRAPHIC maintaining an engaged workforce ( both 45 %). Followed by providing a good employee experience , promoting talent from within to fill skills gaps , reducing absenteeism caused by workrelated stress and ensuring a positive workplace culture ( all coming in at 41 %).
The top 10 challenges facing UK employers in 2024 :
INVESTING IN YOUR PEOPLE , HOWEVER , DOESN ’ T NECESSARILY NEED HUGE BUDGETS .
• Retaining employees / keeping top talent ( cited by 51 % of surveyed HR professionals )
• Meeting employees ’ pay expectations ( 46 %)
• Providing a good work / life balance for employees ( 46 %)
• Supporting employees ’ mental health and wellbeing at work ( 46 %)
• Meeting employees ’ remote or hybrid working expectations ( 45 %)
• Recruiting enough qualified talent ( 45 %)
• Maintaining an engaged workforce ( 45 %)
• Providing a good employee experience ( 42 %)
• Promoting talent from within to fill skills gaps ( 42 %)
• Reducing absenteeism caused by work-related stress ( 41 %)
• Ensuring a positive workplace culture ( 41 %)
Common challenges ( or opportunities , depending on your outlook ) that narrowly missed inclusion in the top 10 included providing regular and ongoing employee training and development and encouraging employees to attend the ( physical ) workplace more often or a specific number of times a week , for example . The latter appears to be slightly more of an issue ( 43 % vs 38 %) for smaller organisations ( with less than 50 employees ) than their larger counterparts ( with more than 250 employees ).
Claire Williams , Chief People and Operations Officer at Ciphr , highlights the necessity for organisations to recognise that their people are their greatest asset . And that their business success is contingent on continued investment in their employees .
Williams said : “ Like it or not , the world of work is changing . Employers need to step up and invest in their people if they want to hire the best talent and then retain them .
“ Employers are facing a range of challenges . A volatile global economy that has fast-changing and sweeping ramifications for our labour market . There ’ s salary inflation that ’ s not been seen at this scale before ( recently , at least ). Technical advancements continue to evolve at lightspeed , expanding digital skills gaps . And we have multigenerational workforces with wildly different expectations and demands from their employers when it comes to values , purpose , flexible working , diversity , social impact and so on .
“ Many organisations are also being impacted by tighter budgets as they are having to invest in new technologies , increase their compliance standards and levels of professionalisation and mature their business to keep up with competitors and the market .
“ Investing in your people , however , doesn ’ t necessarily need huge budgets . It does require leaders to invest in a different mindset though . Those that fail to recognise and respond to these challenges will ultimately be left behind .”
Williams recommends that HR leaders keep a strategic focus on their people . She added : “ Go back to basics if you need to and overhaul your employee value proposition to ensure that you have considered every aspect of the employee experience . Use data from existing employees and recent leavers to understand where there is room for improvement . And do some research into what other organisations are doing well .
“ Budgets aside , the biggest investment that employers can give is their time . Creating clear purpose , transparency and good communications , a strong and forward-thinking culture , diversity and social impact all come down to the time that leaders are willing to put in and spend with their employees . It ’ s the easiest , yet most frequently missed , action that organisations can take and it will – very likely – have the biggest , positive impact on employee experience and retention .” x
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