ORGANISATIONAL READINESS
IMPACT OF EU WITHDRAWAL ON PUBLIC SECTOR WORKFORCE - QUESTIONNAIRE
Please use the following scale for questions 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 9
1 – Very confident
2 – Confident
3 – Less confident
4 – Not at all confident
5 – Don’t know at present
Please use the following scale for questions 3 and 8
1 – Extensive engagement
2 – Regular engagement
3 – Some engagement
4 – Limited engagement
5 – No engagement
Question
Please refer to the Please provide commentary to support your
scale above
assessment including any examples of best
practice that you would be willing to share.
Profile
1
2
3
4
5
1.
How confident are you that you understand the current
x
As an organisation, we have a clear understanding of
profile of, and dependency on, non-UK EU workers
the individuals that are non-UK EU workers, the roles
within your workforce?
they hold and the departments within the business they
are employed in. We have completed a data analysis in
Areas you may wish to consider include:
order to help us prepare for any communications that
• any engagement you have had with the EU
will be required or any support we may need to provide
nationals within your organisations aimed at
to existing staff as well as consideration we may need
understanding the proportion of your workforce
to give to filling key roles in the future. It should be noted
that are non UK EU citizens;
that of the 600+ staff employed by VisitScotland, we
• which part of the organisation they work in;
estimate less than 5% of roles which are critical to the
• any assessment or engagement taken to
business are currently filled by non UK EU nationals.
understand any specific support that non UK EU
nationals may need.
Plans
1
2
3
4
5
2.
How confident are you that your workforce plans take
x
We have not yet seen any significant changes in our
account of the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the
workforce or a reduction in job applications from non UK
EU on the availability of labour?
EU nationals. The roles that non-EU workers in our
business hold are largely split into three groups:
Areas you may wish to consider include:
• whether you are aware of any changes in the
Specialist professional marketing roles with language
proportion of EU nationals in your workforce
skills and/or a knowledge of a particular market
since the announcement of the UK’s withdrawal
or
from the EU;
digital/technical staff with expertise in IT/digital
• whether you think you will be affected by other
platforms
potentially competing labour demand – e.g.
or
sectors such as early learning and childcare or
Customer service posts within our iCentre network
other regional demand.
As the implications are yet unknown it is difficult to
forecast the impact. If there were increased
complications to non UK EU citizens working in the UK
there is potential that we would be competing with a
number of other organisations for a reduced pool of
suitable candidates.
Communication
1
2
3
4
5
3. To what extent are you discussing the potential
x
Through workforce planning, some discussions
workforce impact from EU withdrawal with your
regarding the implications of EU withdrawal have been
management and staff?
discussed however given we are yet unclear what the
rules will be in relation to employment of EU nationals
If you are, please briefly describe what this comprises
there is a limited amount we can currently do. The key
of.
issues emerging are the concerns around nationals
• What are the key issues emerging from those
from Europe joining our workforce. We will be
discussions?
competing with other businesses for individuals with
specific skills and knowledge. There is also some
If not, what help or advice would you find helpful to do
concern from existing staff about whether they will be
this?
able to remain in the UK or if they are, what processes
they must follow to do so.
Risk assessment and management
1
2
3
4
5
4.
How confident are you that you have effective
x
EU withdrawal is within our risk register. The impact of
governance structures in place for addressing
EU withdrawal is currently unknown depending upon the
workforce impacts from EU withdrawal?
rules and legislation that will be involved in continuing to
source and employ EU nationals.
Areas you may wish to consider include:
The Risk Register is reviewed monthly by the
• whether the impact of EU withdrawal on your
Leadership Group and every 6-8 weeks by the Board
workforce features on your risk register;
• what the organisation has identified as the key
risks to its workforce from EU withdrawal;
• how significant these risks will potentially be to
the effective delivery of your services;
• how often is the risk register reviewed.
5. How confident are you of identifying opportunities to
x
In the short and medium term we have solutions in place
mitigate short and medium term workforce pressures?
to ensure we attract and recruit staff. We are involved
in a variety of initiatives and programmes including the
Areas you may wish to consider include:
‘career ready’ programme, we employ Modern
• whether you have any mitigating actions already
Apprentices, have a graduate programme and work
in place, e.g:
actively with local communities and groups to employ a
o
youth employment / recruitment schemes;
range of staff. The main concern we have will be
o
disability employment schemes;
attracting staff with specific language skills and a
o
upskilling / staff development programmes;
knowledge of European markets. The pool of
o
talent attraction from the rest of the UK;
candidates will potentially be reduced if it is more
o
support available through our enterprise and
difficult for EU citizens to work in the UK. We will be
skills bodies or trade unions;
competing with many other organisations for marketing
o
using flexible approaches to deployment of
staff or technical staff with language skills if the talent
workforce.
pool from Europe was to reduce. It would be useful to
• what help or advice would you find helpful.
understand the implications of recruitment of EU
citizens post Brexit.
Cost
1
2
3
4
5
6. How confident are you that you considered the
x
We have a clear understanding of our strategy for the
potential cost and availability of future workforce
next 2-3 years and the types of positions, skills and
training requirements?
knowledge required. We have a clear understanding of
the roles that require language skills and we also have
Areas you may wish to consider include:
a clear understanding of more technical roles that are
• whether your understand the future skills
difficult to recruit generally due to lack of suitable
requirements and the skills profile of your current
candidates, EU or otherwise.
workforce;
We are currently experiencing difficulties recruiting
• whether you have considered the potential costs
digital development staff and are outsourcing some of
of training replacement staff should current EU
this work. We would expect, regardless of the situation,
nationals leave;
to take this approach.
• whether your current training is delivered in
We offer our staff a range of training programmes and
house or delivered by someone else;
opportunities. The nature of the roles we offer means
• whether you have considered how future training
that language skills must be present prior to recruitment
would be delivered;
and not something we would necessarily invest in.
• what help or support would you find helpful.
Engagement
1
2
3
4
5
7.
How confident are you that you that your Scottish
x
We have not had discussions directly with our sponsor
Government sponsor team / lead contact is aware of
team on this matter as the number of job roles impacted
the potential impacts of EU withdrawal on your
is manageable as a business.
workforce?
As
information
becomes
available
about
the
administration process required by non UK EU staff
Areas you may wish to consider include:
currently working for VisitScotland it would be helpful to
• whether there are effective forums in place to
receive this so we can actively support and help staff.
have these discussions;
Equally, it would be helpful to understand the process
• what other information would you like to receive
required to attract potential candidates currently based
from:
in the EU and what we can do as an organisation to
o
your Scottish Government sponsor area /
ensure that we continue to have access to this
lead contact;
workforce.
o
the wider Scottish Government.
• whether there are any workforce related issues
that should be considered as part of the Scottish
Government’s negotiations with UK Government;
• whether these have been discussed with
Scottish Government sponsor area / lead
contact.
8.
To what extent are you engaging with other public
x
We have had no direct discussions with other public
bodies to discuss or assess the potential impact of
bodies but have engaged with the tourism industry and
withdrawal from the EU?
contribute to various SG work groups. Many tourism
businesses are dependent upon non UK EU workers.
Areas you may wish to consider include:
It would be useful to have an all-inclusive forum to
• whether there are relevant forums to discuss
discuss workforce issues and skills shortages
workforce issues and develop shared plans;
regardless of the implications of Brexit.
• what help or support would you find helpful.
Supply Chain / Delivery Partners
1
2
3
4
5
9.
How confident are you that the workforce impact from
x
Comments to follow
EU withdrawal is being considered by your service
VisitScotland have a limited number of direct services
providers / contracted bodies?
contracts where on-site labour is provided by
contractors, with majority of our contract spend
Areas you may wish to consider include:
focussed on the external supplier provision such as
• whether you have discussed the impact of EU
marketing
services,
media,
PR
and
IT
withdrawal on their workforce delivering your
services. Accordingly, the impact of Brexit withdrawal
services;
to VisitScotland should be minimal.
• whether they have identified any specific risks;
• whether they sought your help / advice on how to
We have not yet made contact with our key contractors
mitigate any concerns;
to assess the workforce impact that they perceive, and
• what help or support would be helpful.
are therefore not in a position to comment on what
considerations they have made on this matter. We will
obtain a statement and risk assessment from core
contractors as a matter of course.
VisitScotland has signed participation agreements and
has call-off contracts in place drawn down from a
number
of
Scottish
Procurement
collaborative
frameworks. In order to reduce the burden on vendors
and contracting authorities alike, it would be extremely
supportive if Scottish Procurement could co-ordinate
the
impact
assessment
to
all
its framework
contractors. If Scottish Procurement undertake this
activity, evaluate the risk factors and report the findings
to the contracting authorities it would ensure that such
risks can be managed at a local contract authority
level.
External Advice
Yes
No
10. Have you identified any external help or advice to help
x
No, this is not something we have explored primarily
you manage any impact of EU withdrawal on your
due to the small number of roles relative to our total staff
workforce?
population.
