FESTIVAL: Ian Girling with Grant Esterhuizen from Premier Festival Partner Lester Aldridge
More jobseekers are choosing ‘conscience over cash’ when it comes to work, according to Dorset’s leading business support organisation.
Dorset Chamber chief executive Ian Girling has highlighted a clear shift in the jobs market where salary is no longer the sole or over-riding consideration – especially for younger generations.
His comments come ahead of the Dorset Business Festival Conference on October 9 which includes a panel discussion titled ‘Gen Z – Alpha and Beyond: Their Future in our Hands’ focusing on how businesses need to evolve to meet the demands of tomorrow’s workforce.
They also come hot on the heels of latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data which estimated the employment rate for those aged 16 and over fell to 4.1% in the period covering May, June and July.
Ian Girling, chief executive of the Dorset Chamber, said: “Employers continue to face challenges in the recruitment and retention of staff.
“It is clear that many people now base their choice of employer on whether it is a conscientious company that does the right thing, rather than purely on salary alone.
“Whether it is in terms of wellbeing or environmental and social responsibility, expectations are changing and businesses need to keep pace to meet the needs of tomorrow’s workforce.
“We will be exploring this issue and many more at our Business Festival Conference to help employers explore strategies for recruitment as well as such issues as skills development, growth and innovation.
“The conference will demonstrate how an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) focus can make a positive impact as well as profit, representing a smart business strategy for the future.”
The day-long Business Festival Conference, at the Hilton Hotel in Bournemouth, has the theme of ‘Business as a force for good’.
As well as spotlight speakers, Q&As and networking, its panels will focus on
- Embedding Environmental and Social Responsibility for Growth
- Sustainable Business: Where Profit and Planet Align
- Leadership and Innovation. Business as a Problem Solver
- Gen Z, Gen Alpha and Beyond: Their Future in our Hands
Other panellists are from such diverse organisations and businesses as Lush, Organix, Suez, the Department for Education, YMCA Bournemouth, Nourish Care Systems Ltd, 4Couture, Marsham Court Hotel and Bournemouth and Poole College.
The keynote speakers are global climate change consultant and social entrepreneur Benita Matofska and political analyst and president of The Jobs Foundation Lord Matthew Elliott.
The conference is one of the highlights of the Dorset Chamber organised Business Festival – the largest event of its kind in the region – over two weeks from September 30 to October 10.
It includes a Festival Expo on October 2, the conference on October 9 and the Dorset Business Awards on October 1 – all at the Hilton Hotel in Bournemouth. There will also be a festival breakfast on September 30 at Rick Stein’s restaurant at Sandbanks.
Dorset Business Festival is also supporting a Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Homewards Employer Engagement Event on Wednesday 16 October at the Marsham Court Hotel.
It aims to support businesses to increase their workforce, through re-skilling and upskilling, and potentially addressing some of the issues which cause homelessness at the same time.
Homewards is a locally led programme developed by The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales to tackle homelessness
Dorset Chamber, the voice of business for the county with a vision of ‘enabling better lives through business’, is organising the festival during its 75th anniversary year.
The festival is supported by Premier Festival Partner Lester Aldridge and Festival Partners Blue Sky Financial Planning, Bournemouth and Poole College, Dorset Council, ElectriX and YMCA Bournemouth.
Dorset Chamber has nearly 700 members representing 37,000 employees. Its Business Festival is open to all businesses, including non-members.
ENDS
