I had an email from a client of mine recently, who has a very international outlook and this gives him an interesting perspective into the UK job market:
“Would it be fair to say that British employers simply don’t invest in their staff very much? My European friends seem to be given potential-based opportunities where UK employers seem to essentially be a bit entitled. I also know Chinese friends who spent the first month or two of their careers being paid full-rate to watch others working. They had little experience but the companies literally gave them 100% training without cost. It seems a stark difference to [the UK]”
I have some sympathy with this view, and my initial response was that there is a contrast between the UK’s approach compared to some of our European neighbours and a few other parts of the world. However, after a little thought, I found myself reflecting upon “The Great Resignation“, the reported US phenomenon where many are quitting their jobs; some say that they are doing so in order to avoid burnout, to find better work-life balance, or because the effects of the pandemic have enabled them to realign their life goals.
Can we draw any conclusions?
The short answer is “not yet”: it is early days, and we probably don’t have enough evidence to back up the idea that people are resigning in protest at their bosses. Even then, it might be foolish to suggest that the movement of white-collar workers is symptomatic of a wider shift in the job market.
However, to come back to the point made by my client: I think that his comments, along with those of other job seekers, plus the reported “Great Resignation”, could have some significance.
Three inferences about the UK job market and professional job seekers
- The UK labour market has arguably gained greater parallels with the US polity and economy than with most of western Europe. Unionisation has been eroded and many sectors seem to demand greater flexibility from their workforce, in terms of working hours and responsibilities. This has led some workers to feel as though they have fewer rights than before, and that their work-life balance has shifted.
- Although there are many UK employers (particularly in the graduate labour market) who take pride in offering structured programmes of training and development, for some organisations there is a focus on “hitting the ground running” – so they may expect new employees to demonstrate their aptitude and take responsibility for learning as they go.
- There is some suggestion that, in parallel with “The Great Resignation”, certain parts of the UK labour market are now changing. Job seekers may be more discerning and even more demanding, leading employers to offer more carrots such as wellbeing programmes, non-pay benefits and incentives, and to place emphasis on equality, diversity and inclusion.
An important caveat: these are trends that I am seeing reported across a range of media and networks, but at the time of writing there isn’t really a body of hard evidence to confirm the above suggestions.
What does this mean for you as a job seeker?
It really depends on the kind of job that you want. Different sectors have differing levels of demand – we know that the UK job market is recovering on the whole, and there are plenty of vacancies across the economy.
However, supply and demand varies across the professions; the games industry has been successful throughout the pandemic, but opportunities for photographers are taking some time to recover. Engineering firms are looking to expand their workforce and are not just recruiting graduate engineers but a wider range of potential employees. Some professions require you to have a high level of technical skill as coders, data modellers or analysts.
If you do not have a technical or professional specialism, then you can consider contacting recruitment agencies to get a feel for the types of job that exist, and of course you can seek careers guidance to help you identify your strengths and find your niche – just get in touch.
[Cover photo by Tatiana Syrikova from Pexels]
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