Introduction

In 2018 we gathered senior business leaders for a series of debates in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and London. The discussions focused on the challenges facing organisations in order to attract, engage and retain a future-ready workforce. Several key themes emerged, including; the need to focus on diversity (in particular the gender pay gap and the “pregnancy penalty”) and the role that technology plays in shaping the way in which employees work. The outcome of the debates was our “Future Chemistry: Getting the elements right for the workforce of tomorrow” paper which provided a road map for businesses on how to tackle such challenges.

In 2020, recognising that productivity and talent was being lost because of a lack of understanding and support of menopausal people, we hosted a further series of roundtable discussions to explore how best to address menopause in the workplace. The results, which we published in our “Insights: Menopause in the Workplace” paper, were fascinating and provided guidance for our clients on how to create a culture that normalises the menopause and supports menopausal workers.

Looking to the future, the pandemic has changed how and where we work and expectations around work-life balance. The role that technology plays in our working and personal lives has altered significantly. In recognition of this shift, and aware that our clients are facing numerous challenges, we again gathered senior business leaders from a variety of sectors across the UK to discuss and understand what businesses are, and should be doing now, to attract, engage and retain a future-ready workforce. The sessions were highly informative and engaged. Several key trends emerged:

• Hybrid working is now the norm in many sectors. Employees expect a better work-life balance, especially flexibility around where they work and, ideally, around the hours they work. The key challenge for employers when operating a hybrid model is how to use the technology and the experience gained during the pandemic to ensure collaboration and innovation when working remotely.

• Both recruitment and retention are problematic for employers, particularly considering the current cost of living crisis. Culture, diversity and benefits are key to attracting, engaging and retaining staff.

• ESG (environmental, social and governance) impact is now a business priority. As well as driving employee engagement, transparency and accountability is now expected by clients and other stakeholders. Key themes in ESG include sustainability and diversity across all levels of the business.

We understand that these are demanding times for our clients, and we wish to help. In this paper we have summarised the principal trends and identified key actions for boards and senior management teams on how to tackle the current challenges and opportunities, in order to become an employer of choice. Our chemistry with our clients is at the heart of what we do, and we hope you find this paper insightful and thought-provoking. Please do get in touch if you wish to discuss any aspect of what we have covered.

Mandy Laurie

HEAD OF EMPLOYMENT

mandy.laurie@burnesspaull.com
+44 (0)131 473 6318
+44 (0)7507 766 288