Economic growth should be stimulated now the UK has left the EU and entered a transition period until the end of 2020. This, in theory provides at least 11 months of stability and with the shackles off, businesses can now finally plan with some certainty after previous deadlines were not stuck to and the UK remained stuck in Brexit limbo.
Businesses
have responded quickly to the UK’s new political landscape according to a
recent survey by IHS Markit and the Chartered Institute of Procurement &
Supply (CIPS). It suggests for example,
that the services sector stabilised in December and that order books had picked
up, with optimism at its highest level for 15 months. This concurs with other surveys purporting
that Britain’s economy is on course for a strong 2020. The services sector is
particularly important because it accounts for around 80 per cent of the
British economy. It also happens to
account for a large proportion of our client base.
Organisations
need talent to grow and push forward with resourcing plans. We are entering a period of significant
change and the interim world has to adapt.
With the ongoing Brexit twists and turns and the immediate changes to
the reforms to IR35 due in April 2020 to the private sector, there are
currently more questions than answers. I
believe IR35 does provide an opportunity to ensure that interim assignments are
more clearly defined and scoped with pre-determined timescales and
objectives. It reminds me of the ‘true’
interim market when this was the expectation and the norm before the new breed
of interim became a thing, creating a ‘grey’ interim world where it became a convenient route to a permanent
role and over use of the title culminating in the growth of the ‘interim’
interim.
Our
role is to consult with businesses that all face similar challenges and all
need certainty and clarity to move their own organisations forward. After all, how can we expect businesses to
plan if they don’t know what they’re planning for? Resourcing is part of this
planning process and certainly makes up the bigger picture when implementing
New Year and new decade strategies.
Without the people to execute the plan, nothing happens. Without the
flexibility and deliverables an Interim resource provides, the business can’t
change. Without the option of bringing
in someone to take advice from, how are you sure the right decision or
direction is being taken?
Doing
nothing is not a strategy. Businesses
will continue to resource experienced executives in times of change,
transformation, restructuring, crisis etc. but the reforms to IR35 quite
frankly contradict the modern world we now live in where the effects of
technology are quite profound. Many
organisation are becoming more automated regardless of sector, AI is growing
and digital transformation is firmly on the agenda. Flexibility is key. The next 10 years will
bring about profound change and resourcing flexible talent must form part of
the strategy.
For
further information on Macallam Interim Resourcing or for a confidential
discussion please contact Steven Wynne, Managing Director on 01423 804900 or steven.wynne@macallaminterim.com or visit www.macallaminterim.com
