In a comprehensive study conducted across 44 companies worldwide, results have shown that employers face greater challenges in recruiting sales, business development, capture and bid management staff compared to retaining them. The research, from a multinational professional services firm Shipley, sought to understand the dynamics of staff retention and recruitment within the global business winning landscape.
The project featured a diverse range of respondents, including a significant presence from the United States (41 per cent), followed by Australia and New Zealand (20 per cent), the UK and EU (16 per cent), Korea (12 per cent), India (4 per cent), and the Middle East (2 per cent). A majority of these companies hold an annual revenue exceeding $100 million. 57 per cent of respondents were at Executive Leadership level in their company, 39 per cent were Project Managers and 4 per cent were listed as Individual Contributors.
According to the survey, when it comes to retaining top talent, over half of the employers (53 per cent) reported minimal issues. However, the recruitment of business winning professionals appears to be a significant obstacle for many businesses. Just 32 per cent of respondents reported having minimal issues in this area, with a significant 34 per cent disagreeing, and an additional 7 per cent expressing strong disagreement.
The study also found that 25 per cent said staff were potentially not reaching their career potential.
“These findings illustrate the challenges faced by companies of all shapes and sizes particularly on recruitment,” said Shipley UK Board Director Paul Deighton. “Staff retention appears to be a manageable aspect for a large majority, the challenge of recruiting valuable personnel remains prevalent.”
Deighton went on to say that another critical area highlighted is the need for improvement in enabling employees to achieve their full potential, with one quarter believing that this was potentially not currently happening.
To address this, Shipley have suggested four leadership recommendations:
- Give people the authority to prioritise their work and make their own decisions.
- Provide opportunities to develop expert, or master-level skills.
- Encourage a sense of belonging and teamwork.
- Create environments where people can safely learn from mistakes – which is not easy when mistakes may lose their employer contracts
“Businesses should use this information, even if they’re not facing these challenges today, in order to develop strategies to prevent potential issues arising,” concluded Deighton.
