In a recent blog we looked at the impact of Brexit on the procurement and supply chain industry. This week we turn our attention to how Britain’s exit from the European Union could affect careers and job opportunities in our sector.
In this unprecedented time of uncertainty, we want to present the facts and face the challenges as we see them – but we also want to offer solutions and hope. Resilience, creativity and collaboration are some of the key characteristics of the procurement and supply chain sector, and some of our core values here at Bramwith. Whatever your standpoint on Brexit, let’s work together to safeguard our people and our businesses and ensure we have robust strategies in place to meet whatever challenges come our way.
Hiring strategies in supply chain and procurement
In May 2018, LinkedIn reported that Brexit had already impacted 96% of hiring strategies and that 44% of recruiters think that working in the UK is becoming a less attractive prospect to EU citizens. Worryingly, the same survey found that 39% of international candidates are reluctant to move to London. On a more positive note, research by the CIPD in 2017 found that the proportion of employers across all business sectors who planned to recruit migrants from the EU was largely the same as the proportion doing so in 2016.
What can we do?
Make sure your team is the best it can possibly be
Procurement and supply chain professionals are increasingly recognised as integral to the success of a business and often play an important role in Board decisions and overall company strategies. Whatever your industry, it’s likely that Brexit will significantly impact on your operations, your supply chain and your bottom line. It’s vital that you, and your team, have strong, well-considered tactics and strategies in place to mitigate damage to your business, your clients and your customers. Naturally, you’ll need the best people on your team and you’ll want to be sure they can hit the ground running. Whether you need long or short-term support or just want to discuss possibilities for strengthening your team, please get in touch. We’d love to help.
Develop a robust strategy to retain existing workforces and attract new candidates
If you have employees who are EU citizens, make sure they are aware of their eligibility to apply for British citizenship or settled status before Britain leaves the EU and make sure they understand the urgency for doing so. The clock is most definitely ticking.
In terms of attracting new candidates to our exciting and dynamic sector, it’s time to really shout about the great opportunities procurement and supply chain can offer talented and ambitious people. There are few industries where hard work and dedication are rewarded at such early stages in your career. And few that offer such great opportunities for working with a wide variety of people and departments. Let’s make sure people know what they’re missing out on and about the wide variety of roles there are available.
Identify opportunities to recruit from wider talent pools
It’s no surprise that 67% of UK graduates say that they now work in a role completely unrelated to their degree and that one in three graduates are unhappy in their current job. The overwhelming majority of our candidates love working in procurement, purchasing, operations and supply chain though many admit that it wasn’t a sector that they knew much about when they were studying or after they had graduated. If you need to widen your talent pool why not look at doing some outreach work with schools and universities? Or consider talking to students or young people at job fairs about the opportunities available and how their talents could be used and developed.
Outsource from non-EU countries
Two of the main known unknowns relating to the EU exit are possible restrictions on recruitment from the EU and the introduction of new regulations relating to EU citizens who wish to live and work in the UK, either short or long-term. Naturally, firms do not have to recruit solely from the UK or the EU. There’s a wide pool of talent out there and providing your business has something to offer these candidates there’s no reason why you can’t consider recruiting from elsewhere. One thing we do know is that it’s time to get creative and solution-focused. If you have any questions relating to this, please feel free to get in touch with one of our team who will be more than happy to help.
We hope the above has given you a few ideas on how to mitigate Brexit-related impact on your business. We’re likely to experience some challenging times over the next year or so. Being as prepared, as creative and collaborative as possible is key to confronting any obstacles. We’ll be updating with news over the coming months and welcome your thoughts and feedback on how your business may be affected and what solutions you are considering.
