BEIS request for feedback - recruitment for the Christmas period

Last week, we met with officials from BEIS, who are keen to hear members’ feedback on the questions below:

• What is the typical % increase in staff requirement for the sector over the Christmas period?
• Approximately what shortfall in filling that requirement do you expect this year, if any?
• What is likely to be the main cause of this shortfall? (e.g. access to overseas labour or difficulties with any specific parts of the visa system; insufficient skills; difficulty finding jobseekers; structural labour market issues; any policy/regulatory factors impacting on staff recruitment or availability, such as the App Levy training issue we’ve previously discussed.)
• What mitigations are firms likely to adopt, if faced with shortfalls? For example, reduced profits or trading hours. We’d also be interested in any feedback from the sector as to whether raising wages is likely to be a viable way to reduce the shortfall.

Members willing to share comments can email luiza.gomes@brc.org.uk at your earliest convenience