UK businesses feel more confident but need to upskill their teams to make the most of growth opportunities, according to a new report.
The Special UK Report: Demand for Skilled Talent from Robert Half says 86% of UK firms are confident about growing in the second half of 2021 as lockdown eases. But having the skills to capitalise on opportunities remains a concern.
The pandemic has highlighted a demand for more digital skills but also unlocked a new way of working. The report suggests most firms see hybrid working (a mix of office- and home-based working) as a permanent feature of the workplace.
Welsh businesses are already adapting to the ‘new normal,’ with the Welsh Government aiming for 30% of the Welsh workforce to work remotely, even after the pandemic.
Key to achieving this will be giving businesses the tools and know-how to deliver their services away from a traditional office setting.
Digital support programme Superfast Business Wales has seen first-hand the desire of Welsh SMEs to embrace hybrid working as they look to stay flexible to new customer expectations.
Project Manager Howard Thompson says:
“We’ve seen Welsh businesses change how they work quickly in the face of the pandemic, and we’ve adapted our support accordingly, so they get the skills and advice they need to sustain themselves and grow.”
Planning Firm Builds Success
Kathryn Williams KEW Planning
One of these was Cardiff planning consultancy KEW Planning. Despite a dip in activity during April 2020 as clients moved to remote working, it bounced back with digital key to managing projects remotely and winning new contracts.
Overhauling their online marketing strategy by improving SEO and connecting on LinkedIn helped grow the firm’s revenue. But with Microsoft Teams, they saved countless hours and thousands of pounds in travel to London-based clients, plus created a new hybrid working model ready for future sustainable growth.
“Digital has been so important in getting us to where we are in 2021 and the free help from Superfast Business Wales has been such a benefit, helping us understand where tech fits into the business,” says founder Kathryn Williams.
To find out more about how to use digital in your business, including hybrid working models, visit
Superfast Business Wales and register onto their free programme of support.
