Overcoming Public Sector
Talent Shortages

Amid mounting pressures from talent shortages, demographic transitions, and widely publicised pay disputes, public sector recruitment is nearing crisis point. Employers across healthcare, education, law enforcement, and the civil service are struggling to source qualified candidates – and secure the loyalty of existing staff.

In the prevailing climate, socio-economic changes are working against the UK’s vital services. Factors including mass retirement, record-long NHS waiting lists, and the impact of Brexit and immigration are driving demand to unsustainable levels, leaving public sector organisations scrambling to build a workforce strong and skilled enough to meet requirements.

Recent Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) research shows half of public sector employers have hard-to-fill vacancies, and a similar proportion expects major resourcing problems in the next six months. Down the line, experts predict debilitating personnel shortfalls across most key fields.

Adecco’s latest paper – Overcoming Public Sector Talent Shortages – helps employers take back control. The report examines the current state of the public sector workforce and provides short, medium, and long-term strategies to tackle critical skills gaps within the UK’s core services.

Factors behind the talent shortfall

Far-reaching demographic shifts have contributed to the sector’s significant talent shortage. The UK’s ageing population is not only placing a heavier burden on existing public services, but also necessitating their rapid expansion – particularly across health and social care.

Crucially, rising vacancy numbers coincide with widescale retirement among the sector’s most experienced staff. Research from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that 6% of 55 to 64-year-old workers exit the labour market annually compared with 3% of 30 to 54-year-olds. In addition, harsh physical and mental demands of employment in sectors such as healthcare and law enforcement may push older professionals to leave their roles before the standard retirement age.

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Why is there a talent shortfall and how can the public sector overcome it?

Overcoming Public Sector Talent Shortages

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A 2023 Skills for Care report found that, if the labour force expands in line with present demographic changes, the care sector alone will need an extra 440,000 roles by 2035 to backfill posts vacated by retirees in the next 10 years.

Meanwhile, fresh talent is failing to plug the gap. Government figures show that 526,000 young people aged 16 to 24 were unemployed from May to July 2023 – an increase of 62,000 on the previous quarter and 154,000 on the previous year.

Achievable attraction and retention strategies

As thousands of long-serving staff leave their public sector positions, pay disputes and perception issues are hindering efforts to attract new hires. High-profile strike action placed salary and working conditions under heightened scrutiny, while minimal promotion and outreach could be preventing young people from pursuing public sector careers.

Our Overcoming Public Sector Talent Shortages report confronts these concerns head on, providing achievable strategies to improve pay, benefits, organisational culture, attraction, retention, and more. Sector-specific solutions include:

Harnessing purpose: Guidance on customised recruitment campaigns that attract applicants with a calling to public service. Learn how to capitalise on the sector’s unique selling points, connect with socially conscious candidates, and gain the edge on privately run competitors.

Maximising your employer value proposition: Practical ways to cultivate loyalty within your current workforce and position yourself as an employer of choice for prospective hires – including enhanced discount schemes, workplace savings programmes, and financial management support.

Improving work-life balance: Boost job satisfaction, prevent burnout, and create a supportive workplace culture with flexible work, self-rostering, and annual leave solutions that succeed within the public sector’s face-to-face framework.

Leveraging technology: Global Government Forum and Google Cloud research shows 76% of civil servants believe technology is the key to unlocking public sector transformation. Get expert advice on embracing tech and automating tasks to make employee remits more streamlined, productive, and rewarding.

Cultivating early interest and awareness in careers: Forward-looking plans to overcome demographic hurdles and attract more young people into the public sector, including collaborations with schools and colleges to improve the visibility of opportunities. Access tips on organising networking events that match students with employers, promote apprenticeship programmes, and offer guidance on routes to entry.

Retirement flexibility: Navigate the complexities of a multigenerational workforce with personalised, flexible, and phased retirement options that serve employees at different life stages. Explore gradual exit programmes, staggered work schedules, tactical training, succession planning, and knowledge transfer between retiring workers and younger talent.

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As a strategic client partner, Adecco UK & Ireland helps public sector organisations transform how they attract, support, reward, and develop talent. However, a skills shortage on this scale requires collaboration from all stakeholders. Policymakers, public sector leaders, and educational institutions must work together to drive and deliver meaningful change.

Overcoming Public Sector Talent Shortages provides collaborative solutions that deliver within the sector’s current constraints – and create a better workforce for the future. By implementing results-focused strategies for the short, medium, and long term, employers can confidently hold onto existing workers and secure quality candidates to move the public sector forward.