How the UK Talent Shortage Affects Engineers

Conversations around the Great Resignation and talent shortages are usually centred around the organisation – how it manages to recruit, hire, and retain skilled workers, how it has been affected by skills gaps, how its remaining employees and bottom line are affected, etc.

Rarely, however, are there conversations about how today’s climate affects experienced individuals, the engineers fresh out of college, and everyone in between.

Let’s discuss some of the ripple effects caused by tech engineers leaving their jobs and re-evaluating their careers.

1. Retention Interviews

Many organisations already utilise “exit interviews” – a conversation with HR about why you’ve decided to move on to a different organisation. This is usually an attempt to figure out if there’s anything the company can do to retain remaining employees and ensure the departing individual leaves on good terms.

Today, however, organisations have started to conduct “retention interviews.” These are earnest conversations about how current employees feel about their position. It gives decision-makers the chance to engage with their workers and understand their concerns.

2. In-House Training

The digital revolution came faster than we expected. Tech employees have to keep up with a rapidly changing industry, which can be difficult for older individuals and recent university graduates. As a result, organisations have trouble finding IT professionals who can meet their needs.

Investing in new and current employee training not only attracts valuable applicants but can help keep people from seeking new employment.

3. Extended Notice Requirements

Organisations are extending notice requirements in an attempt to prevent employees from blindsiding them with a resignation letter. For example, organisations that previously wanted a 2-week notice are starting to ask for 4-week or longer notices.

While this helps businesses replace the outgoing employees before their last day, this can prove to be inconvenient for tech workers – especially those who receive a better offer from another company that wants them to start ASAP.

4. Prioritising Employee Mental Health

Employee health was a main concern throughout the pandemic. Working through the spread of a deadly disease, civil unrest, and quickly changing rules and regulations was causing a lot of burnout. Millions of workers around the world decided they would rather take a break from their careers or try something altogether new.

Businesses realised that to retain employees they had to be more flexible, offer better health benefits, check in with employees regularly, and prioritise mental health over productivity. The organisations who get this right will realise that productivity increases with workforce happiness.

5. Remote Teams

Location is not a job barrier anymore. IT professionals are no longer restricted by businesses within driving distance. Remote work has opened a whole new world to talented individuals, and, in many cases, it comes with a higher salary.

For example, a skilled worker who lives in a small town doesn’t have to relocate to a big city with a high cost of living. Now, it’s realistic for them to bring in a “big city salary” while their bills stay the same.

Inbay’s Dedicated Tech Teams

Inbay dedicated tech teams are the solution to the Great Resignation. We work with talented tech engineers all over the world. We bring skilled and diverse workers to your company to fill positions such as Service Desk Engineer, Network Engineer, Software Developer, and more.