Why it may be harder to find good workers after Brexit

Now that the UK has left the EU, there is no longer a general route to recruit EU workers for jobs with a salary less than £20,480. The new rules will significantly reduce the pool of talent available to fill so-called ‘unskilled’ roles, so businesses will need a plan to attract, retain and engage good people.

Fast forward to next summer: the vaccine is doing its job, the economy is getting back on its feet, and visitors are returning to the region in droves. Leisure and tourism businesses will be welcoming the increase in trade and hoping their great products and service have guests coming back for more.

But you can’t offer great service without great people. Just as you can’t harvest your produce on time or manufacture your goods efficiently.

However, from 1 January, you may find it more difficult to find good, reliable and experienced staff. And all too soon those hard-won TripAdvisor and Google ratings – as well as your reputation – will start to decline.

I don’t recruit from the EU – how does this affect me?

Even if you’ve never directly recruited workers from the EU, these changes will affect your business. Companies that currently rely on EU workers to fill roles under £20,480 will be forced to source labour from within the UK; reducing the pool of talent usually available to other businesses.

Talent planning – how you intend to attract and keep the best workers

Establishing your reputation as a great employer will make you more attractive to the workers everyone wants, but it doesn’t happen overnight. If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to develop a clear plan for how you will attract, retain and engage your unskilled labour force after Brexit.

If you want to be a company that workers choose to come to and stay with, RfM Transform HR can help. Arrange a free consultation with Lead HR Consultant, Diane, Johnson, today. Email djohnson@rfm-more.co.uk or call 07720 353450.