A recent survey by The HR Dept, a HR outsource business for small and medium sized businesses, revealed that nearly 50% of the SMEs surveyed in their annual satisfaction survey were looking to recruit one or more new members of staff in the next six months.
The HR Dept surveyed its SME client base across the UK and response from its customers serves as a barometer of confidence for the wider economic background.
This compared with just 4% of those who responded saying they were likely to decrease their numbers in the next six months.
The HR Dept says: “Clients are now looking to the future and as we start to pull clear of the doldrums of the last few years, more businesses will want to increase their capacity to grow which is great for the economy. The key and the challenge – regardless of the role being recruited for – remains recruiting the right people with the right skills to do the job, we often hear from our clients that they may receive plenty of applications for roles advertised but the quality of candidates isn’t sufficient for what they are looking for.”
Clients as a national average across its 50 locations in UK and now Ireland scored The HR Dept’s overall performance at 9.2 out of 10 and noted the advice, the local and personal nature of the relationship with SME business owners, and the knowledge of HR and employment law as the key drives to their high levels of satisfaction.
The HR Dept also saw in the past year a 33% increase in the number of clients looking for help with recruitment in their business and an 82% increase in clients seeking advice on absence management issues. Dealing with “sickies” can often be a real headache for SMEs because of the impact it can have on a smaller team.
The HR Dept specialises in advising small and medium sized business on all employment issues. www.hrdept.co.uk
