The survey, undertaken by UK HR management community platform HReSource, sought insights from senior HR decision-makers across a wide variety of topical issues impacting productivity and overall performance of the respondents' organisations.
Headline issues from the survey highlight the difficulties businesses are having sourcing and retaining suitably skilled and engaged employees. Nearly 25% of all respondents stated that the greatest challenge they faced in 2023 was "retention", with a further 20% saying "recruitment". These concerns will no doubt be familiar to many businesses in the UK. When asked about their experiences of the "Great Resignation", while almost two thirds of respondents said that they had not experienced it at all, 36% percent did recognise it with some stating staff turnover increased as much as 30%. There were also higher levels of resignations including those of new starters, some on the day they joined.
These challenges align with the responses to a question on what organisations considered to be their most important priorities in 2023. At the top of that list was well-being and support for employees, followed by improving employee skills. Both these priorities seek to create a workplace that employees can feel comfortable and supported in.
The most popular answer to a question on what area of employment law respondents would most like to see reviewed or amended was flexible working. This is, of course, an area where amendments are being made (albeit employee friendly amendments) with the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill currently making its way through Parliament. The next most popular answer was the contentious IR35 rule and the grey areas surrounding liabilities and responsibilities for tax when engaging contractors or interim executives. This was followed by disciplinary and grievance legislation, being the third most popular answer.
A full copy of the survey, which also looks at issues such as workload levels, reasons for grievances and the impact of Brexit can be obtained by emailing info@hresource.co.uk.
