According to Friends Provident, the next decade will create a battleground for elite talent, meaning HR strategies are to become a more critical part of business recruitment operations than ever before.
In its Visions of Britain 2020, conducted by Future Foundation, the group suggested as workforces become polarised as there is a decline in migrant workers, the rise of the “elite worker” – an individual in a technical, professional or managerial position – will place new demands on employers.
Furthermore, 83 per cent of the experts surveyed agreed HR will have to become more strategic to attract and retain this workforce – which will play a vital role in the future performance of businesses.
Gillian Fox, HR director at Friends Provident, said: “Only by fostering a culture that truly allows talented employees to prosper will employers be able to attract, recruit and more importantly retain this powerful band of employees.”
In addition to higher salaries and benefits, such a trend could also see job satisfaction becoming a more important issue, the report suggested.
Looking to the present day, Lewis Campbell, spokesperson for Keep Britain Working, recently claimed employers and HR staff need to be fair with any conditions they plan to introduce as a result of the recession, such as pay freezes, in order to keep staff happy and motivated.
