We’re all aware of the massive impact that Covid-19 has had on the economy. It has effected everyone on the business ladder. From customer assistants to CEOs, and has changed the way in which we look at staffing in 2022; however, this is not necessarily a bad thing.
The truth is that the staffing system has been outdated and obsolete for far longer than just the last few years. This broken staffing model has had massive repercussions on the productivity of the business sector within the United Kingdom.
This is due to what we call the Churn – how businesses have had a high staff turnover, surviving on the sheer numbers of available staff alone. This has historically led to low morale and lower productivity as a whole. Although previously this “churn” has been non-consequential due to the inflow of new staff, times are now changing.
The “churn” can now no longer be overlooked or ignored, as staffing shortages across the UK are beginning to bite. Fortunately for the UK’s economic outlook many business leaders are starting to realise that a happy worker is a productive worker and a productive worker isn’t going to rotate out as rapidly.
Whilst many leaders are waking up to this new staffing reality, it is sadly still not the case for swathes of industry across the country that are still relying on archaic staffing strategies. So to put it bluntly, the Churn has to stop.
So, what is the impact of this new reality?
Well, for one, we can now see how employment gaps can cause huge strain and consequences on overall productivity on a day to day basis. Unfortunately, the pandemic has lead to many businesses massively having to limit their operations and staff positions due to many factors such as social distancing and other mandates.
As things begin to stabilise again; the staffing gaps are all still there and we find ourselves in the bizarre situation wherein people want work but are unable to find it. Simultaneously businesses want employees but can’t find them. How has this happened?
Too many businesses are trying to fit a square peg into a round hole and trying to force a worker into shift patterns or work type that simply doesn’t accommodate their needs. Unfortunately in too many cases there’s just not enough compromise, leading to staff doing hours that don’t suit them – which in turn often leads to a drop in morale; an effect that is undeniably contagious and damaging to a business.
This non-functional situation is largely due to an outdated recruitment model that hinders both the perspective employee and the business looking to employ. Combine this with a recruitment industry that doesn’t fully understand, or appreciate, traditional blue collar work you truly have a suboptimal situation.
Simply put, the current system in place was never going to be able to handle the Covid-19 crisis. Still, it has lead to some interesting revelations. This includes the revelation that the system is unnecessarily complex and primed for disruption.
So what is the solution to these staffing issues as a whole? Simply put we need to place the squares into the square holes and the pegs into the peg holes. It really is that simple.
Imagine a system that does this automatically, filling in those gaps and finding the right places for the right people – all the while keeping costs low, productivity high and business thriving. A system wherein everyone wins and no compromises have to be made. A system that finds the best fit and a foundation to build upon.
Perhaps the solutions are closer than you think…