We need to focus on how Brexit will affect the industry, says Neil Pickering.
The past few months have resulted in organisations pushing the forthcoming Brexit migration policy to the bottom of their agendas. However, December brings with it the end of the EU withdrawal bill and now is the time for all businesses in the FM sector to turn their attention back to the critical issue of accessing talent from the EU next year.
With a substantial risk that post-Brexit migration restrictions will result in skill shortages and recruitment challenges, companies must ensure that employee retention tops their agendas and investment is made in reskilling and multiskilling staff, as well as personalisation of employee treatment.
People are the greatest asset in the FM sector. Organisations should look to automate simple, low-value processes using technology such as AI and machine learning to ease disruption caused by potential skills shortages. By taking away the repetitive labour-intensive tasks from employees and focusing on the critical work that gives them a sense of accomplishment and belonging to the organisation, as well as providing training to carry out more meaningful value-add tasks, employers can cultivate engaged, productive employees.
“The sector needs to start making initial investments in retaining employees”
Organisations can leverage technologies such as workforce management solutions to ensure that businesses are optimising the return on investment from their labour spend by controlling labour costs and improving overall productivity.
The sector needs to start making initial investments in retaining employees if organisations are to navigate the impact of the Brexit migration policy in January. It is the organisations that prepare for this smaller pool of talent and invest in their employees that will be best placed to navigate the uncertain times ahead.
Neil Pickering, industry and content marketing manager at UKG
