University Staffing Whitepaper FINAL 27729 TA 191224 - Flipbook - Page 5
This need is re昀氀ected in the number of non-academic staff,
with an almost 4% increase in staff within professional
services, administration, sales and other roles in a calendar
year, according to HESA4.
While this level of employment is not as high as it was
pre-pandemic, with 222,885 non-academic staff in 2018/19,
we are seeing a return to campus in昀氀uencing the need for
better marketing, sales, and professional service teams in
universities.
This growth is a reaction to factors such as the increasing
competition for students, a focus on improving student
services, and the need to increase student satisfaction.
While larger workforces are necessary to manage the
in昀氀ux of students, the added strain of 昀椀xed budgets and
increasing debt means that some universities have had to
cut down their workforce, with one reducing theirs by 5%5.
With others placing thousands of workers at risk, the need
to 昀椀nd a way of acquiring staf昀椀ng while remaining within
budget is growing with ever-increasing urgency.
A divided staf昀椀ng approach
The departmental divide used within universities is
one challenge which could drive up your staf昀椀ng cost.
Universities support more than 768,000 jobs6 across
the sector. As hubs of employment for both academic
and non-academic staff, these institutions serve as key
employers within the UK and their local regions.
With various bodies and schools governing their own
staf昀椀ng solutions, aligning with various agencies on
cost and spend, universities are spending more than
necessary on high fees that take away spend from better
salaries, additional resources, and staff. The necessary
staf昀椀ng restructuring is required to streamline ef昀椀ciencies
and provide universities with a cohesive approach to
managed staf昀椀ng.
While these teams can sit outside of each department,
the traditional, academic-led structure of staf昀椀ng – where
departments recruit with their own agencies - limits the
ways in which universities can hire and manage their staff.
By allowing departments to govern their own staf昀椀ng, you
leave your university vulnerable to inconsistencies across
departments, as well as encourage departments to allocate
their funding in inef昀椀cient ways.
Innovative staf昀椀ng for universities
Fixing this issue is far from simple, particularly when
the growing complexity and size of modern universities
contribute such a large part to the cost of agency staf昀椀ng.
The need for specialised employees, such as marketing
professionals, catering, and cleaning staff, has increased,
and universities often lack the resources to 昀椀ll these roles
themselves.
Recruitment agencies provide expertise in 昀椀nding quali昀椀ed
candidates for these specialised roles, but if managed
incorrectly, these services can come at a high cost. The
inconsistencies caused by implementing various staf昀椀ng
agencies within one institution leaves your university with
the challenge of balancing cost inef昀椀ciencies with 昀椀nding
competitive talent.
The high demand for staf昀椀ng agency services for both
types of staff has resulted in the UK staf昀椀ng market
securing over £40 billion in revenue7 by the end of 2022 –
with recruiters 昀椀lling 25 million temporary8 and contract
roles. But the costs and management required to effectively
utilise permanent and temporary agency staff services
requires direct attention.
The increased need for professional services within
universities is an additional cost that has seen a rise in the
past decade. From both the popularity, and accessibility,
of university league tables, as well as the increase in remote
learning, online applications, and university branding, there
is much more to consider when it comes to attracting
students than before. Now, prestige and history only make
up a portion of a student’s attitudes towards your university.
This makes key central service teams, such as sales,
marketing, and professional services, a more sought-after
staf昀椀ng need.
5
Post, H.G. (2024). Why is UK HE in Breakdown? A Lecturer’s View - HEPI. [online] HEPI.
Available at: https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2024/05/29/why-is-uk-he-in-breakdown-a-lecturers-view/.
6
Universities UK. (2024). Impact of universities: in numbers. [online] Available at: https://
www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-research/publications/features/impactuniversities-numbers.
7
Staf昀椀ng Industry Analysts. (2024). UK Staf昀椀ng Market Overview 2023. [online] Available at:
https://www.staf昀椀ngindustry.com/Research/Research-Reports/EMEA/UK-Staf昀椀ng-MarketOverview-2023 [Accessed 2 Dec. 2024].
8
O’Rourke, P. (2024). 12 Recruitment Agency Statistics You Need to Know. [online] New
Millennia. Available at: https://www.newmillennia.co.uk/blog/12-recruitment-agency-statisticsyou-need-to-know/.
5
