2 years on from one of the most contentious decisions made in British politics over the last decade, Brexit still offers great uncertainty surrounding its true impact on almost every aspect of business. The UK job market is no different either, with different sources suggesting opposing outlooks of Brexit on jobs.

In 2019, The Office of National Statistics (ONS) estimated the UK employment rate at a record high of 76.3% during November, with this trend predicted to continue for the first quarter of 2020. They reported unemployment has not been this low since 1974 and has been steadily decreasing since 2014. Now, two years on, in the wake of both a global pandemic and getting to grips with Brexit, we’ve only just about levelled out, at a 75.4% employment rate.

As a member of the EU, Britain benefitted hugely from easy access to the pool of workers from the EU. Post-Brexit, those firms who employ large numbers of EU nationals, had to ensure that they have a process in place to manage the “right to work” status of any EU national employees. Businesses are still dealing with this shift to this day, with small tech businesses, for example, finding it hard to get off their feet without the cheaper labour costs EU programmers and coders used to cost. Similarly, firms looking to recruit anyone from the EU had to now ensure they meet immigration criteria, costing them even more.

So, what can small businesses do to mitigate the negative impact of Brexit? By placing a greater emphasis on re-/upskilling, businesses will be able to develop the skills they need in their existing staff AND future-proof their workforce in an age of rising automation and digital disruption.

During times of uncertainty, employers need to develop a robust recruitment process and Employer Value Proposition (EVP) to ensure they have the right people in place. Past surveys by Gartner have estimated that EVPs can reduce recruitment costs by as much as 50 percent and employee turnover by up to 30 percent. Whilst you may have an EVP in place, now might be the time to review and revise.

However, hiring and retaining the right staff, even in the steadiest of times, can be tough. That’s where we’re here to help, with support across any aspect of your recruitment needs. Get in touch today, and we’ll help you get your workers upskilled in no time.