A recent survey highlights a cautious yet positive hiring trend in the UK.
- UK’s employment outlook remains high despite a slight quarterly decline.
- Nearly half of employers plan to hire workers aged 25 and under this quarter.
- Challenges persist in engaging younger employees with less than ten years of experience.
- Addressing intergenerational equity and technology adoption is crucial to future workforce success.
The latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey sheds light on the UK hiring landscape for the third quarter, revealing a cautious yet positive intent among employers. Despite a minor three-percentage point decline, the UK’s Net Employment Outlook remains robust at +20%, surpassing the EMEA regional Outlook by 3%. This optimistic outlook is tempered by the reality that youth unemployment rates are still more than double the national average, necessitating strategic hiring practices.
Close to half of the employers surveyed express intentions to hire young workers aged 25 and under, with particularly strong inclinations in regions like Northern Ireland, Scotland, and London. This indicates a keen interest in integrating fresh talents into the workforce, counteracting the rising youth unemployment.
However, engaging younger employees, especially those with less than a decade of work experience, poses challenges. Employers find it difficult to meet these workers’ work-life balance expectations and to sustain motivation. There is also a perception that Gen Z and younger Millennials lack certain skills. To counteract this, businesses are focusing on strategies such as flexible working hours, enhancing wellbeing, and improving technological tools.
Michael Stull, Managing Director at ManpowerGroup UK, dispels the stereotypical view of Gen Z lacking work ethic, asserting that they are eager to gain skills and embrace new technologies. The large number of economically inactive young individuals in the UK presents a significant opportunity for businesses willing to engage this demographic.
Gen Z’s adaptability to technology is evident, with many identifying as either ‘early’ or ‘current adopters’ of generative AI tools. As technology evolves, there is a likelihood that Gen Z may become the last generation to work ‘full-time’ in the traditional sense, bringing forth critical intergenerational considerations around equity and the development of new workforce contracts.
Stull emphasises the necessity of a concerted effort involving businesses, educational institutions, and government bodies to implement lifelong learning and developmental opportunities. This approach is essential to address skill gaps and secure future prosperity, particularly as Gen Z is expected to constitute a significant portion of the global workforce by 2030.
The collaboration between employers and Gen Z is pivotal for unlocking future workforce potential amidst technological advancements.
