Healthcare, social care and life sciences world of work outlook

Demand for skilled talent outpaces supply

The healthcare, social care and life sciences sectors are experiencing a record talent shortage. With employers struggling to attract talented candidates, the urgency to rethink recruitment strategies and prioritise ‘human skills’ is clearer than ever before.

Brook Street Social Care, the UK’s specialist social care company, reveals through our most recent study that 83% of organisations are grappling to find skilled candidates to meet the escalating demand for essential services. Despite the inrush of international hires through the new Health and Care Worker visa, the sector’s talent shortage remains substantially high, indicating a significant gap in talent supply.

This scarcity is more polarised by a high employee turnover rate and the fact that the sector needs to scale by an incredible 52% by 2035 to meet demand. Emphasised human skill sets like resilience, critical thinking and problem-solving could not only make the sector a more enticing place to work but also enhance the quality of care delivery.

Teresa Wilson, Operations Director at Brook Street Social Care, part of ManpowerGroup UK, says: “While many frontline workers in health and social care are demanding better working conditions and wages through industrial action, employers are struggling to hire and retain the growing number of employees the sector needs to meet increasing demands of service users.”

Teresa continues: “Traditional social care is being reimagined through new technological innovations. Where routine tasks can be automated in the care space, the experience of service users can be improved by freeing up carers to focus on the innately human elements of their roles, which also makes the care sector a more attractive place to work.”