It’s time to step up 'the war' for talent

Karl Howkins, managing director at Sogo Mobility

The fleet industry is in a war for talent.

At a time when the sector is facing a period of accelerated change and disruption, it is more important than ever to attract the best and the brightest to drive growth.

According to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), hiring difficulties are at historic highs in the UK, affecting three out of every four businesses.

The BCC reported that about 61% of businesses were looking for employees in the second quarter, while 76% said they were having problems.

As the fleet sector juggles the transition to net-zero, digital transformation, supply chain shortages, changing ownership, funding and usage models, it faces the brakes being applied due to a talent gap.

The industry needs to act collectively to build awareness and engagement with potential recruits.

As the employment crisis bites and there are over 1m job vacancies, steps need to be taken to attract the web developers, data analysts, product managers, fleet managers, accountants and marketing people that fuel the fleet sector.

A myriad of careers are available in the fleet, and, by and large, they go unnoticed by the 500,000 university graduates a year.

A hearts and minds programme to engage young people at school and through further education would help to position the fleet industry positively against careers in IT, media, banking and retail.

At Sogo Mobility, it’s clear that to thrive, we have to attract and retain the best talent to achieve our goals.

One route to achieve this goal is the clear aim of increasing the number of women working within the company as a whole and, more importantly, at a senior level.

Women are a valuable part of the fleet sector, and it’s vital to reverse the perception that automotive is a mens’ club.

Sogo joined the Automotive 30% Club, which is doing fantastic work by supporting best practices across the industry to achieve a better gender balance.

It was important for everyone in the business to be an active part of this work across the industry.

The data is clear, gender-balanced teams deliver better value over time.

However, there is still a lot of work to make sustainable progress. The industry must do all it can to attract new talent into the automotive sector.

Equally concerning is a study by accountants PWC, that found nearly a fifth of UK workers say they plan to switch jobs within the next 12 months in search of a higher salary and job satisfaction.

The survey found that 18% of workers stated they ‘are very or extremely likely’ to change employment over the next year.

Retaining talent is essential. The UK has seen increasing numbers of over 50s leaving full-time employment, and keeping their skills and experience is vital.

Employers can act to develop more flexible forms of working.

According to a study by Glassdoor, 56% of respondents said that workplace culture was more important than pay, and 73% said that they would not apply to a company that didn't share their beliefs.

Pay and benefits are no longer the main motivators for most people. Instead, a company's mission, values, and culture have emerged as the main areas where companies can win.

In March, a study by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) estimated there were more than 23,000 automotive job openings, or around 4% of the workforce, which is the largest level in 20 years, and the sixth-highest vacancy rate of all industry sectors was in the motor trades.

There are no easy answers for an issue that is impacting the entire economy.

However, it is clear that companies across the fleet sector can act to drive greater engagement with potential new recruits to the industry and retain talent.

While collective action could drive a step change in the ability of the sector to attract new talent.