#1. Has Brexit harmed the UK’s ability to attract talent?
Regular readers might be surprised at how long we’ve gone without mentioning the ‘B word’ but we do have to talk Brexit for a moment. The UK officially left the European Union last week and began negotiations on its future relationship with the trading bloc. The uncertainty remains for businesses, particularly SMEs and start-ups who rely on attracting talent from abroad.
The Adecco Group’s recently published Global Talent Competitive Index, in association with Insead and Google, shows the UK falling from 9th to 12th in terms of its ability to attract, retain and develop talent. However, London has climbed from 14th to 2nd. As Alex Fleming, President and Country Head for the Adecco Group in the UK and Ireland explains, while London has branded itself as a global city and continues to be a magnet for talent, the rest of the UK and smaller companies could struggle to hire the staff they need. Regardless of what happens next, however, businesses can mitigate some risk by upskilling and cross-skilling their current staff.
💡 In today’s world, the only thing certain is that nothing is certain. But investment in your employees and their skills is the best guarantee of being able to adjust to the fast-changing world.