The severe impact of talent shortages on local authorities made clear in research report

A recent research report: Inside HR: Transforming Talent in Local Government. has revealed the significant impact of talent shortages on the ability of local authorities to deliver essential services to their constituents. 

The research surveyed 60+ senior decision-makers from local authorities across the UK found that 83% of respondents stated that talent shortages are having a mid (52%) or high-level impact (31%) on their local authority's performance.  

Additionally, 100% of all respondents stated their local authority was experiencing some form of talent shortage, demonstrating just how significant the public sector skills crises has become. 

Several key areas where local authorities are struggling to attract and retain talent were identified, as health and social care, planning, finance, legal, digital, and cyber security. In many of these areas, local authorities are coming up against the private sector for workers, who can often offer higher salaries and be more flexible in working arrangements. 

The report highlighted new approaches local authority talent leaders would recommend local authorities focus on in order to maintain a top quality and motivated workforce. 

Hoa Ngo, Managing Director at Comensura stated "Local authorities are made up of workforces clearly dedicated to providing public service, but this report gives a worrying picture of the current state of talent shortages in local authorities and the implications for the public sector as a whole.  

In putting together this report we were looking to not only highlight concerns, but also seek out practical and actionable recommendations for how local authorities can overcome the skills gap and ensure they have the talent they need to deliver services to their constituents. There is so much potential for improvement in the future.” 

The research report is available to download free here