Episode 95
Addressing TA challenges in 2022 | with Andy Headworth
Brexit and COVID created a perfect storm for UK talent acquisition. Andy Headworth, Deputy Director of TA at HMRC, shares how closed borders forced a rethink on hiring strategy, retention, and competing for rare skills in a candidate-driven market.
Episode Key Takeaways
Closed borders and visa restrictions have fundamentally reshaped UK talent acquisition. Post-Brexit and post-COVID, organizations now compete in the same constrained talent pool as tech giants, losing the geographic arbitrage that once existed. This forces a strategic pivot: compete on purpose, career trajectory, and workplace culture rather than salary alone.
The market has shifted from post-and-pray to relationship-driven recruiting. Three months into 2022, hiring slowed not from lack of demand but from candidate scarcity and choice paralysis—candidates now juggle four or five competing offers. Recruiters have reverted to old-school engagement: sustained relationship-building, consistent communication, and counter-offer management.
Andy argues that joining retention and recruitment is no longer optional—it’s existential. Organizations that silo TA from HR and retention strategy hemorrhage talent to competitors. The civil service’s advantage lies in offering 400+ organizations and 16 professions internally; candidates can advance without leaving the system.
Sustainable talent requires a portfolio mindset, not a job-for-life model. Hiring for a two-to-three-year project lifespan, paired with structured training and development, attracts skilled people who might otherwise chase higher salaries elsewhere. The goal is to create alumni who return or stay within the broader organization.
Process and security vetting are competitive disadvantages in a tight market. Public sector hiring cycles stretch 8–10 weeks versus 2–4 weeks in private sector. Procurement policies, while necessary, slow innovation adoption. Winning organizations challenge inherited policies and ask ‘why’ repeatedly rather than accepting bureaucratic inertia.
Frequently
Asked
Questions
How has Brexit affected UK talent acquisition?
Brexit closed the talent pipeline from the EU, forcing UK employers into a constrained domestic market. Combined with post-COVID visa restrictions and higher acquisition costs, organizations now compete for the same limited pool of specialists. This has made salary less competitive and forced a shift toward purpose-driven recruitment and retention strategies.
What's changed in recruiting since the pandemic?
Video interviewing, once a forced experiment, became permanent infrastructure. More significantly, the candidate-driven market intensified: hiring slowed in early 2022 not from lack of demand but from candidate scarcity and choice. Recruiters abandoned automated ATS messaging and returned to direct relationship-building and counter-offer management.
How can public sector compete with tech companies for talent?
Public sector can’t match top-tier salaries but can offer career mobility across hundreds of organizations, diverse skill-building opportunities, and purpose-driven work. The strategy is to target the 70–80% of candidates who value growth, stability, and meaningful work over maximum compensation, then invest in structured development programs.
Why is joining TA and retention strategy critical now?
In a candidate-driven market, losing people to competitors after investing in hiring defeats the purpose. Organizations that treat TA and retention as separate functions leak talent to headhunters. Integrated talent strategy—from acquisition through development and internal mobility—creates a sustainable pipeline and reduces costly external hiring.
What advice would you give a CHRO on talent strategy?
First, secure a seat at the top table with the CEO and board. Then map current skills, gaps, and future needs. Build a sustainable mix: buy short-term specialist talent to plug gaps, develop internal capability through training and apprenticeships, and retain core talent through career pathways and purpose. Avoid the trap of chasing ‘the best’ talent at any cost.