Managers’ New Year’s Resolutions in 2015: Training Staff Trumps Chasing Turnover

A survey of UK managers’ New Year resolutions has revealed that half of them would like to develop their team’s skills in 2015. 

This is the first time in recent years that “developing people” has appeared in the top three resolutions, which are:

1. Devote more time to my own professional development
2. Support the development of my team’s skills
3. Find ways to become more productive

This year there is a much sharper focus on developing people than in previous surveys. The shift in focus from profit to people could be due to business growth and the difficulty recruiting the right talent.  

Business Growth

More organisations report growth in the last 12 months than in the last five years, with 46% of managers saying their organisation grew in 2014, compared to 41% in 2013. 

Recruitment difficulties

Managers faced recruitment difficulties in 2014, with 72% (66% in 2013) stating they had trouble hiring the right talent. In light of these difficulties managers are choosing to develop the skills of existing staff. 

The talent gap is particularly true of management and leadership skills, where almost three quarters (75%) reported recruitment problems. What’s more, a further 39% said they do not believe they have the right people in place to achieve their organisation’s objectives, up from 35% last year.

“We’ve always kept our focus on developing our people in-house.” Says Ahmed Al-Ansari, Media Manager of London Commercial Property agents, Morgan Pryce. “This means we’ve kept staff turnover low, in-house expertise high, and client relationships strong. I’m not at all surprised that managers are moving more towards making this a priority, over the other options available.”

Boosting the skills of their existing workforce has become more important as employers grapple with the challenges of gearing up for growth. So for these managers “growth through people is the only option” for success in 2015.

You can see an infographic showing managers’ top 10 resolutions by visiting www.managers.org.uk/resolutions. 

This news was brought to you by Morgan Pryce, a specialist tenant acquisition agent with offices in Oxford Circus and the City. Morgan Pryce specialises in search, negotiation and project management and works exclusively for tenants.