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Skills – Gearalt Fahy says retaining talent in the Teesside area can be challenging .
THE JOB
Gearalt Fahy , employment partner and change management specialist at Womble Bond Dickinson , explains why the right HR support is vital for inward investor success ...
As the UK economy faces significant economic headwinds , Teesside continues to be a hive of business activity and inward investment , with a series of significant announcements having been made in the last 12 months .
Its unique blend of energy , manufacturing and engineering expertise , along with an abundance of prime developable sites including PD Ports ’ Teesport and Wilton International , and its proximity to the offshore wind farms at Dogger Bank and Hornsea , means the region is a strong proposition , particularly for clean energy projects and other industrial investment .
For many inward investors , the challenges of familiarising themselves with the UK employment law framework and ensuring robust HR processes and procedures are in place is critical to a successful recruitment and retention strategy .
Many inward investors will come into the region and start out with a relatively modest head count , but require expansion in relatively short order , which can be challenging given the competition for talent both within the region and also from organisations outside of it .
With a unique history of being a hub for manufacturing and engineering , and with five universities in the wider North-East area , Teesside is full of prime talent .
However , retaining that talent can be challenging and work needs to be done to ensure those training at the region ’ s universities and colleges recognise the job opportunities in their local market .
Ensuring businesses can attract talent and have access to the right skilled workforce is essential to supporting business growth and , at times , that workforce may need to come from overseas .
With a UK-wide employment practice and access to Lex Mundi ( an international network of law firms ), our firm is well placed to advise businesses on employment and immigration matters to make onboarding new starters as smooth and seamless as possible .
Our experienced employment team can help you navigate the immigration process to ensure you get access to the talent you need to ensure you can grow and that your policies and procedures support that growth .
When an organisation is in its infancy , it may not have dedicated HR resources or sufficient resources to support rapid expansion .
We pride ourselves in acting as an extension of any in-house HR support you might have to help you achieve your aims .
While Teesside continues to grow and attract a wide range of inward investment , in today ’ s challenging economic landscape some of the region ’ s businesses may be struggling , particularly in the light of high energy costs , increased salary costs and supply chain challenges .
In March 2023 , Womble Bond Dickinson surveyed 500 employers across the UK with responses from business owners , leaders and senior HR professionals from businesses employing more than 50 employees .
The responses revealed that 42 per cent were planning to make redundancies . With changes to employment law coming in thick and fast , seeking legal advice and guidance to ensure you ’ re on the right track is more important than ever .
Most recently , WBD launched WBD Navigate , an online , easy-to-use , fixedfee toolkit and knowledge resource that supports employers through the redundancy and change management process to help clients make the necessary changes to move onto a growth footing .
If you would like a free consultation on our employment support , from the dos and don ’ ts of recruitment nationally and internationally , to managing a redundancy process , with one of our experienced employment law specialists , please contact me by emailing gearalt . fahy @ wbd-uk . com .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 141