December always brings the Pre-Budget Report, which has been greeted with complete trepidation this time round. This in itself is hardly surprising; we have, after all, endured the worst recession of modern times and are officially still in recession, as well as having a mind-boggling deficit.  

The report was going to be anything but enjoyable reading; taxes up, spending tightened and public sector pay either experiencing limited pay rises or to be capped. As to be expected the Pre-Budget Report has been slated by pretty much every, high-profiled, none-Labour fan, including the CBI's director-general, Richard Lambert.

No matter what your stance on the report, one view that most HR and Training professionals will have in common is that the coming year is going to be tough and so the HR and Training functions will need to play a pivotal role within UK businesses to help the situation get better.

It has been widely reported that unemployment will continue to rise next year, even though other indicators are starting to improve; the economy's growth is predicted to be back in the black, mortgage approvals are at a two-year high and the Government aims to half the national debt by 2013.

Rising unemployment will cause concerns, which will likely impact on stress levels and employee well-being, both of which have renowned negative effects on organisational and individual performance, effectiveness and productivity.

It is inevitable that organisations will continue to shed the fat, trying to stay as lean as possible; after all cash does not grow on trees, which leaves organisations no choice but to be as competitive and sensible as possible in order to survive. This actually makes perfect business sense, something the banks would do well to remember.
 
Kasmin Cooney, Righttrack Consultancy's Managing Director, said, "Organisations need to remember that they need to value and invest in their people as an organisation's employees are just as important as any physical product or brand name. Without good people, it is rare that an organisation can be truly successful.

Organisations at the forefront of their industries, particularly innovative organisations, would not dream of cutting product or research investment so why should employee investment be any different?

Those organisations who blame the recession for locking down on training and continual professional development for their employees will find that their organisation's reputation as an employer of choice will be damaged in the long-term. When things pick up, which they inevitably will, and the power will shift back to the employee, holding on to top talent and attracting new talent will be a very difficult job indeed."

Notes:

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About Righttrack Consultancy:
Right Track Consultancy Ltd was formed in 1988, and has its head office in Worcestershire. Righttrack is the leading learning and development consultancy that design and deliver innovative and engaging training solutions to organisations all over the world. The range of services that Righttrack provide covers a broad spectrum and includes bespoke and ready-to-run training, sales solutions, ILM qualifications and development programmes, ICAEW programmes, organisational development and coaching.

Righttrack work with clients of all sizes across all industry sectors, including Mercedes Benz, Gucci, BAE Systems, The Forestry Commission and The North East Ambulance Service. More information can be found on  www.righttrackconsultancy.co.uk 

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