Self-isolating staff and recruitment issues impact remarketing sector

The need for self-isolation and recruitment issues are causing staffing shortages across the remarketing sector, according to the Vehicle Remarketing Association (VRA).

The trade association explains that members are struggling to fill vacancies and the problem is being exacerbated by the ongoing short-term demands of self-isolation.

“Obviously, we recognise and support the requirement for self-isolation to curb the pandemic but ‘pinging’ it does create often quite acute staffing issues with no notice,” said VRA chair Philip Nothard. “This can affect almost any element of the remarketing industry.

The shortage of drivers has hist crisis point recently, with the Government announcing a range of measures to try and alleviate the growing problem. 

“While these problems are clearly not limited to remarketing and are being felt to differing degrees across the whole economy, we do feel as though they might be quite acute here,” Nothard continued.

He says the driver shortage is having an “obvious effect” in a sector that relied on being able to move vehicles across the country quickly and efficiently.

He explained: “Our view is that the impact of staffing issues on vehicle logistics has been managed relatively well so far but that noticeable effects are quite likely to increase over time. Clients may have to become accustomed to vehicle movements taking longer.

“Really, the underlying issue is that the there is no immediate solution to either the issue of self-isolation or of long-term staffing shortages.

“While we all obviously hope that the pandemic continues to recede and falls to a level where its effects are minimal and manageable, there is also a chance that we could return to partial lockdowns.

“Similarly, the situation with long-term vacancies is likely to persist. While there may be redundancies over the next few months as furloughing ends and more people therefore entering the job market, there is no guarantee that they’ll have the skills that the remarketing sector requires.”