University Staffing Whitepaper FINAL 27729 TA 191224 - Flipbook - Page 6
New opportunities provided by technology
The big challenges faced
by UK universities
There are a large range of issues causing headaches
in university head of昀椀ces. Here are just a few:
The cost of in昀氀ation and its impact on National
Minimum Wage increases.
The cost implications of pay parity for agency
workers after 12 weeks’ continuous service
in line with the Agency Worker Regulations
2010 (previously, temporary staff would be
paid lower rates compared with permanently
employed staff).
Increased National Insurance Contributions
from 13.5% to 15%.
Many occupations within the university sector
have become less attractive to younger, less
experienced jobseekers.
An ongoing skills shortage seen across all sectors
in the UK – this is driving up pay rates as the right
staff become harder to 昀椀nd.
There is a long-term issue with the supply of
temporary staff – not many people can make it
work over a prolonged period, leading to chronic
levels of high staff attrition.
As well as specialist staf昀椀ng solutions, the integration
of technology has the potential to transform university
recruitment staf昀椀ng practices. Vendor management
systems (VMS) and automation are helping universities
manage agency spend and improve recruitment ef昀椀ciency.
By streamlining administrative processes and providing
real-time insights, these technologies can free up valuable
time and resources for head of昀椀ce staff to focus on their
core mission of education and research.
Many universities recognise that
they simply can’t carry on in the same
way. Without a centralised solution,
the complexity and inef昀椀ciency that
arise from different departments
working with varied staf昀椀ng providers
leads to signi昀椀cant
discrepancies in
costs, quality,
and even
compliance.
Changing legislation
Adding further complexity are several incoming pieces of
legislation. The change in National Insurance Contributions
is set to change the ways in which universities consider
staf昀椀ng and cost management. Labour have announced
that NI contributions will rise from 13.8% to 15%, with a
lowered threshold from £9,100 to £5,000. This adjustment
means that all employers, including Higher Education
institutions, will be paying more to hire.
The government’s Procurement Bill is also set to change
the way universities manage their workforce as it aims
to streamline the procurement process and ensure
compliance with regulations. It requires the publication
of contracts and procurement details, including savings
and value for money. The government believes this will
introduce greater transparency in procurement processes,
which could help universities understand where they
can cut costs and encourages stronger sustainable
recruitment processes.
The social mobility pledge, supporting equal opportunities
and access to education, is another signi昀椀cant change to
be aware of. Recruitment agencies can help universities
with equitable workforce staf昀椀ng, providing inclusive
opportunities to a diverse workforce while remaining costef昀椀cient.
To address these challenges, many universities are
implementing VMS through a trusted staf昀椀ng solution
partner. These systems serve as a central platform for
managing relationships with different staf昀椀ng providers,
enabling universities to standardise their processes and
ensure consistent quality across departments. With a VMS
in place, universities can optimise their staf昀椀ng operations
by effectively coordinating and monitoring their interactions
with multiple providers through a master or neutral
vendor service arrangement. The automation bene昀椀ts of
technology-driven staf昀椀ng allow universities the visibility,
昀氀exibility, and attraction to build a strong workforce while
remaining compliant with legislation.
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