Employers around the world are continuing to struggle to fill open roles, and the United Kingdom is no exception, with Bloomberg reporting that nearly one-fifth of U.K. workers expect to move to new roles within the next 12 months — primarily in search of higher pay, greater flexibility, and improved job satisfaction.
This appetite for remote and flexible work is reshaping the labour market, making it harder for organisations to attract and retain top talent unless they accept and adapt to this evolving way of working.
We aim to support U.K. employers in understanding the labour market disruptions, so we surveyed over 500 British employers to identify which sectors and locations are most affected by The Great Resignation, the toughest skills shortages to address, and the recruitment tactics firms are using to navigate these barriers.
82% of employers have felt the effects of The Great Resignation over the past year
We examined which U.K. cities show the greatest share of companies impacted by the “great resignation.” Sheffield, in Yorkshire, leads the list: 92% of the Sheffield employers we polled reported a direct impact from The Great Resignation.
Sheffield is closely followed by Plymouth and London, registering 89% and 87% respectively.
While these three cities top the ranking for the highest share of affected employers, the effects appear widespread nationwide — from Edinburgh in Scotland down to Plymouth in southwest England.
The table below lists the top 10 U.K. cities with the highest percentage of employers reporting impact from The Great Resignation.
Cities with the highest % of companies affected by The Great Resignation
Rank | City | % that said The Great Resignation has impacted their company* |
|---|---|---|
1 | Sheffield | 92% |
2 | Plymouth | 89% |
3 | London | 87% |
4 | Birmingham | 87% |
5 | Brighton | 87% |
6 | Southampton | 86% |
7 | Glasgow | 85% |
8 | Newcastle | 84% |
9 | Bristol | 80% |
10 | Edinburgh | 80% |
*Figures rounded to the nearest %.
92% of employers have found it difficult to fill roles in the past year
Partly driven by The Great Resignation, recruiting to bridge internal skills gaps has grown more challenging. With candidate demand high, workers now have greater leverage and can be more selective about the roles they accept.
Our research indicates 92% of U.K. employers struggled to fill vacancies in the last year, and on average they engaged nine recruiters in attempts to close those skills gaps.
The roles hardest for U.K. employers to fill are software engineering, HR, and data analytics.
Companies struggling to attract candidates with these specialist skills should rethink how they add value through employee benefit schemes and tailor existing packages to match the expectations of their target candidates.
The table below ranks the business areas and skills employers have most struggled to recruit for in the past year, from highest to lowest percentage.
The top 12 skills U.K. companies find hard to recruit for
Rank | Business areas/skills | % of employers that have struggled to fill roles within these areas in the past year* |
|---|---|---|
1 | Software engineering | 27% |
2 | HR | 26% |
3 | Data analytics | 24% |
4 | Customer experience | 23% |
5 | Business operations | 23% |
6 | Executive leadership | 23% |
7 | Marketing | 20% |
8 | Sales | 19% |
9 | Product management | 18% |
10 | Finance | 17% |
11 | Design | 17% |
12 | Legal | 12% |
*Figures rounded to the nearest %.
The survey also examined which specific roles within industries are hardest to recruit for. Almost every U.K. employer we questioned in the logistics sector (96%) reported difficulty filling a role in the past year, fintech firms reported the most trouble hiring for HR roles (42%), and healthcare organisations struggled most with customer experience roles (25%).
Industry | % that have struggled to fill any job role (past year) | Business area | % that have struggled to hire for business area |
|---|---|---|---|
Fintech | 92% | HR | 42% |
Healthcare | 90% | Customer experience | 25% |
Logistics | 96% | Data analytics | 50% |
Marketing & Advertising | 91% | Marketing | 45% |
Technology | 94% | Software engineering | 58% |
*Figures rounded to the nearest %.
Half of employers now provide new training for existing staff to address recruitment challenges
Attracting and retaining top performers is essential for any company focused on growth. Historically, firms have concentrated hiring in countries where they maintain a local legal entity. Today, a global employment partner such as Remote streamlines international recruitment, making it faster, simpler, and safer with employer of record services.
U.K. employers are deploying inventive approaches to surmount hiring obstacles. Half of respondents (50%) are investing in training current staff, and over a third have implemented referral schemes.
Only about one-third of employers surveyed are recruiting candidates from outside their immediate city. That indicates more than 60% are not yet leveraging the wider global talent pool available to them.
The table below ranks the tactics employers use to overcome hiring challenges, from most to least common.
How employers have tried to address recruitment challenges | % that said The Great Resignation has impacted their company |
|---|---|
Offering training to current employees | 50% |
Running an employee referral scheme | 35% |
Recruiting beyond your base city | 33% |
Offering an apprenticeship programme | 33% |
Using external recruitment resources | 33% |
Recruiting internationally | 33% |
Actively sourcing more diverse candidates | 33% |
Outsourcing tasks to freelancers and contractors | 29% |
Offering bursaries and scholarships for underskilled areas | 26% |
*Figures rounded to the nearest %.
Hiring internationally can resolve recruitment challenges
Hiring internationally to address recruitment difficulties is a route chosen by 33% of the employers we surveyed.
33% of employers recruit internationally to resolve hiring challenges.
The growing momentum of remote work and enabling technologies now allow employers to discover excellent candidates across the globe. British firms no longer need to limit themselves to professionals located solely in the U.K..
Large numbers of highly skilled professionals are prepared to work remotely in time zones close to the U.K., spanning the rest of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Asynchronous work practices can enable U.K. employers to extend their hiring reach to Asia, the Americas and the Pacific — a strategic advantage for organisations seeking round-the-clock sales or customer support coverage.
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However, not all employers are opting for international hiring to alleviate The Great Resignation; 8% said they do not sponsor work permits, and another 8% prefer employees who can commute to the office when required.
Remember, U.K. employers can still hire internationally and legally enable employees to work abroad with the support of an employer of record like Remote.
If your operations permit remote work, you can avoid relocation packages and visa sponsorship. Provided overseas candidates have the legal right to work in their home country, Remote enables you to hire and pay these team members in compliance with applicable labour laws through our wholly owned local entities.
When recruiting, does your company consider international candidates? | % |
|---|---|
Yes, because we have a remote working policy | 40% |
Yes, because we work with international clients | 36% |
Yes, but they are offered a wage representative of where they live | 22% |
Yes, but only if they have the right to work where we are based | 20% |
No, because we don't sponsor work permits | 8% |
No, because we want to ensure employees can come into the office when needed | 8% |
No, but it is something we are considering | 6% |
No, because we do not have a remote working policy | 5% |
*Figures rounded to the nearest %.
Almost half of employers (46%) are now willing to negotiate salaries due to recruitment pressures
To stay competitive and close skills gaps, nearly half of the U.K. employers we surveyed said they have become more open to salary negotiation since The Great Resignation began.
There are other negotiation areas employers are receptive to, such as health benefits and annual leave.
This greater readiness to offer a more comprehensive total rewards compensation package may also help retain staff and reduce further turnover.
The table below outlines the areas where employers have become more willing to negotiate with employees and candidates since The Great Resignation.
Area of negotiation | % that said they have been more open to negotiating in the last year |
|---|---|
Flexible working policy | 49% |
Salary | 46% |
Remote working policy | 46% |
Annual leave | 43% |
Training benefits | 43% |
Health benefits | 42% |
Home office allowance | 40% |
*Figures rounded to the nearest %.
Unsurprisingly, remote working policy is a primary area companies are prepared to reconsider, given its widespread adoption since the COVID-19 pandemic. For many industries, flexible hours are already embedded in permanent working arrangements.
How can employers attract high-quality talent to close skills gaps?
Hiring experienced staff and retaining current talent is difficult at the best of times, and it becomes harder in a more competitive labour market.
Where should employers begin when seeking the talent they need?
Be transparent in job advert specifications
Clarity is essential throughout the recruitment journey, particularly for prospective applicants. Vague or hard-to-understand job listings can confuse and discourage candidates from applying.
Set out the role responsibilities plainly, including required experience levels, specific skills, and reporting lines. Rather than labelling salary as ‘competitive’, we recommend stating a salary range for greater transparency.
Our research found 41% of employers do not always include salary details in job descriptions, and nearly 50% omit progression opportunities for roles.
Employers can differentiate their job postings by outlining key benefits and perks. Even values-based benefits such as flexible hours, remote work provisions, and mental health initiatives can make your offer stand out.
Employers lack transparency in job adverts
41% of employers don’t always include salary information in job descriptions
47% of employers do not mention progression opportunities for each role
Complex or inaccessible language can confuse and deter applicants
Assess your current benefits programmes
A key consideration for candidates is the benefits package on offer and the practical value it brings. If you recruit internationally, benefits must be appropriate for the country where the employee is based.
We recommend designing tailored benefits packages that reflect the demographics and geographic realities of your workforce.
Employers should also conduct regular salary reviews to ensure pay remains fair and competitive. Our survey shows 17% of U.K. employers do no salary benchmarking at all, while the 80% that do, review salaries on average every five months.
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Download your \u2028Global Benefits Guide and attract top global talent
Download your \u2028Global Benefits Guide and attract top global talent
For your reference, Remote's global HR experts offer practical, actionable guidance on crafting benefits programs that are locally relevant and globally compliant, enabling you to attract and retain the world's top talent.
Reassess return-to-office policies
Employers that still mandate frequent office attendance may want to reconsider. With remote work now embedded in many people’s routines, those who value flexibility are unlikely to relinquish it — particularly when competitors offer indefinite remote arrangements.
Adopt inclusive hiring practices
Implementing inclusive hiring practices is not only the right ethical approach, it also prevents the unintended exclusion of talented candidates from diverse backgrounds.
As a first step, educate your recruitment team about overt and unconscious bias and review live job adverts to ensure inclusive language is used.
Our findings indicate employers should adopt an employee-focused recruitment strategy for 2022 and beyond, adapting hiring and retention to highlight the value an organisation brings to existing and prospective employees. This could include personalised training plans, recruiting internationally to expand talent access, or offering flexible policies to accommodate diverse lifestyles such as those with childcare responsibilities.
To simplify filling open roles, we have gathered specialist guidance from Remote’s experts and employment professionals for every stage of remote hiring — from assessing remote readiness to extending offers and scaling global teams. Our guide to hiring remote employees contains practical tactics and strategies to help employers close skills gaps by sourcing talent internationally.