How are businesses Recruiting and Retaining their workforce in the Sheffield City Region?

The proportion of firms reporting recruitment difficulties remains close to a record high, which is undermining their productivity and growth according to an ongoing business survey conducted by the Sheffield City Region Chambers of Commerce and funded by the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

As employers everywhere worry about finding skilled staff, the Sheffield City Region Quarterly Economic Survey for quarter two aims to find out exactly what difficulties businesses are experiencing and what extra incentives they are using to recruit and retain their workforce.

“Businesses are reporting that the region’s skills challenges are feeling more and more acute. The Chambers, LEP and other region partners are already doing a lot to address the region’s skills challenges but this survey help to provide further evidence about what specific challenges businesses are facing and what measures can be put in place to relive the pressure,” says Dan Fell, CEO of Doncaster Chamber.

“Additionally, with well documented macroeconomic headwinds and concerns about consumer spending being played out in the media every day, this research will provide an insight into local businesses’ plans in relation to pay settlements and other mechanisms that they are putting in place to attract and retain skilled staff.”

The survey, sponsored by The Source, is a quick and easy way for firms to report on how
business is faring, create a snapshot of how the regional economy performed over the last three months, and make a forecast for the next quarter.

The results will provide the details the Chambers and Local Enterprise Partnership need to influence decision-makers to provide the right skills, help employers to fill jobs and address any other arising business issues to help boost growth, jobs and the economy across the region.

The Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) for Q2 2017 is runs until 12 June. It takes around three-minutes for any business leaders in all sectors located in the Sheffield City Region to complete. All participants are entered into a free prize draw to win two Flybe flights to Amsterdam, courtesy of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

The results will be presented at a free Quarterly Economic Survey Breakfast on Tuesday 18 July alongside a keynote speech on the economy by Alistair Cunningham, Bank of England, and a panel discussion to address business recruitment difficulties.

To influence policy and decision-making, and win free flights to Amsterdam, take the survey by 12 June 2017 at screconomy.org.uk/survey
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