Majority of UK businesses not ready for post-Brexit immigration

Senior managers from 132 mid-market businesses have revealed that they do not have a recruitment and retention plan in place once the UK leaves the EU.

According to a recent survey, 79 per cent of those questioned admitted they were unprepared for what Brexit will mean to their HR strategies. They also revealed they did not have the staff or expertise to implement any changes to the immigration rules.

Companies with a turnover between £10-150 million responded to the questionnaire. A third of them said they had already experienced a decrease in talent and skills since Article 50 was triggered in March 2017. A quarter (26 per cent) said they had already recruited fewer EU workers into their organisation.

Organisations throughout the UK may have to upskill existing staff or else find other ways to plug gaps in talent once Freedom of Movement ends.

Over two thirds (69 per cent) of the business leaders who answered believed that it was the government’s responsibility to reduce red tape in order to smooth the path to sourcing skilled workers from non-EU countries.

Did you know?

The latest estimates from the UK computer industry say that seven out of 10 tech employers are experiencing skills deficits. Finland is currently the only EU country that does not have a shortage of computer science professionals.