UK job prospects experiencing ‘boom’

Listening to all the doom and gloom merchants ? or even watching the daily news ? it might appear as though the current economic climate is still wreaking havoc on employment prospects here in the UK.

But dig deeper, as leadership development firm Morgan Redwood have done, and you will find a very different picture; that prospects have been improving and look set to do so for some time.

According to research carried out by Morgan Redwood, one in four businesses have increased their headcount by a quarter over the past year with the trend expected to last for at least the next 12 months, as 42% of businesses anticipate a growth in their headcount during that period.

The findings suggest that construction firms and charities are experiencing a particular boom, with 86.6% of businesses in the construction industry looking to increase headcount over the coming year, whilst 53.9% of charities are also aiming to grow theirs during that time.

The research is based on responses from HR department heads and board-level directors from more than 250 businesses. These have been drawn from across the UK and from a mix of sectors and a range of company sizes, with two thirds employing over 250 people, and none less than 50.

The figures revealed by the study suggest that headcount increases have been of considerable size. Of the businesses that increased their staffing levels, 25.2% did so by a quarter, whilst as many as one in six (15.9%) saw staff size jump by more than 30%.

The report also revealed that only 9.20% – or fewer than one in ten businesses ?- have actively decreased their headcount in the past year, and over the next 12 months this figure is anticipated to rise only slightly to 10.80%.

Janice Haddon, MD of Morgan Redwood said: ?With widespread increases in headcount, the trend certainly suggests that we?re on a steady return to economic prosperity. Whilst business growth should clearly be welcomed, this growth also brings new challenges with it. Dealing with increased staff numbers can cause fresh problems, which means efficient leadership becomes ever more important.?

Read more of Morgan Redwood?s research at bit.ly/1gNX3zn