Hays Ireland Survey Unveils Talent Struggles

A recent survey conducted by Hays Ireland has revealed that organisations continue to grapple with challenges related to skills shortages and talent retention.

According to the findings, 94% of the surveyed companies faced skills shortages in 2023, a slight increase from the 92% reported the previous year. Over half of the respondents identified recruiting the right talent as the primary external challenge for their organisations.

Talent retention emerged as a significant internal challenge, with 62% of participants predicting it to be the most pressing issue in the coming 12 months.

While 85% of employers expressed intentions to hire in the next year, this represents a slight decrease from the previous year’s figure of 90%, which marked a six-year high. The majority (almost two-thirds) plan to hire full-time staff, while the remaining third will seek temporary employment solutions. This is a shift from the previous year, where three-quarters of respondents intended to hire mainly full-time staff.

Maureen Lynch, Managing Director at Hays Ireland, highlighted the resilience of Irish employers in pursuing their hiring goals despite economic concerns. She acknowledged the persistent challenges, such as living costs and inflation, and noted that employers are addressing talent shortages by raising wages to attract and retain skilled individuals.

From the employee perspective, the survey found that 40% cited a lack of career progression as the primary reason for changing jobs in 2023, followed closely by 38% expressing dissatisfaction with career development opportunities.

Although 56% of employees remained optimistic about their career prospects this year, there was a slight dip from the previous year’s figure of 58%.

The comprehensive survey, which included input from almost 1,500 employers and professionals, was conducted between August and September this year.