Almost 90% of Stockport businesses plan to hire new staff over the next 12 months and higher rates of pay than Manchester city centre can be expected for some of those roles, a new report reveals.
The Stockport Salary Survey 2018/19 was commissioned by Grassroots Recruitment in association with leading online salary UK benchmarking brand Croner with major input from 25 leaders in key businesses across the borough.
It points to an extremely positive outlook for business growth and job creation in Stockport, with the majority of organisations looking to expand their operations, citing a growing customer base and the need to bring new skills on board.
The report reveals that Stockport wage rates will be at least equivalent to Manchester city centre, and higher in sectors such as legal and engineering (by 1-2%) as employers are prepared to invest in the best talent and keep it in Stockport.
Caroline Patten, from Grassroots Recruitment, says: “The fact that Stockport employers are matching and in some cases exceeding Manchester rates of pay is an impressive commitment to attracting the best.”
A Senior Web Developer is paid an average of £2,000 higher in Stockport than Manchester city centre (£46,110 compared to £44,212).
The trend has appeared within the context of skills shortages, reported by many employers, particularly in the legal, finance, technical and engineering sectors.
One of the report’s contributors is Chris Swerling, head of HR at law firm SAS Daniels.
She said: “In the current market there are lots of candidates, but not many appear to have the experience required for the higher level vacancies. We need to do more to attract the bigger hitters.
“Commitment to employee wellbeing is a top priority for us and we know attracts quality candidates, so that means investment in training, support for existing staff and operating a transparent recruitment process is all very important.”
Emma Lord, HR Manager at software specialists CDL, who also contributed to the report, added: “We need high-performing talent here at CDL and are continually striving to be one of the best employers in the north west.
“This includes a significant commitment to training to meet future skills demands. We also use our extensive apprenticeship and graduate programmes to provide a good talent pipeline.”