Grow your own – how to attract, develop and retain a talented team

For many businesses in the region, attracting and retaining talent is an ongoing challenge. And successfully growing, and keeping, a pipeline of future leaders and key decision makers is often an uphill battle.

But the ability to do so – particularly in a competitive labour market – can support long term stability, boost productivity and drive growth.

So how can organisations that are serious about retaining and nurturing their talent, put in place strategies to recruit, upskill and retain the right people for their business?

John McCabe, Chief Executive at the North East England Chamber of Commerce, said:

“The region faces profound labour market issues and employers are reluctant to create job vacancies due to economic uncertainty. Whilst this isn’t a challenge unique to the North East, it is arguably greater than in other parts of the UK as a result of other factors such as health issues, poverty and skills shortages.

“This means the businesses that are advertising are finding it difficult to fill roles. As a consequence, businesses need to be prepared to create their own future leaders. This underlines the importance of having a sustainable recruitment and retention strategy, to ensure they can attract, develop and retain talent effectively.”

Dr Helen Charlton, Senior Lecturer in Leadership and HR management at Northumbria University, added:

“Investing in leadership development is proven to improve company culture, competitive advantage, customer satisfaction and efficient business performance. But all too often, people come to management or leadership roles within a business by circumstance, rather than design.

“Without the right skills or behaviours, it can be difficult to operate effectively and have a profoundly negative impact on the wellbeing and motivation of both the individual concerned and the team around them. Ensuring that leaders, at all levels, have the necessary confidence, support and skills is an important part of any retention strategy.”

Northumbria University and the Chamber will next month host a free knowledge sharing event exploring these issues in more detail and bringing together the worlds of business, academia, and sport to discuss how employers can begin to tackle recruitment and retention challenges.

John McCabe will outline some of the skills and labour market barriers facing businesses currently and the importance of building leadership skills and capacity to maximise growth and prosperity here in the region.

Dr Helen Charlton will consider what we mean by professionalism in management, how we can develop those in leadership roles, and where executive education and apprenticeships fit. Helen will be joined by Vahid Walker, Technical Director at Walker Subsea, who will explore the theme of training to be a multi-disciplinary professional.

In addition, Paul Blake, MD at Newcastle Eagles – will share his own leadership insights from the world of sport – and Alix Bolton, Group HR Director at Walker Filtration – will share her personal journey and learnings as a HR professional and senior leader. Alix is passionate about developing future fit people strategies and has worked across a wide range of sectors, from digital/tech, FMCG and professional services to utilities and advanced manufacturing.

Presentations will be followed by an interactive panel discussion and an opportunity to network with fellow attendees. To find out more and to register for free tickets at the event on Tuesday 6 June, visit their website here

Hear more from John McCabe about the importance of investing in workforce development opportunities below.