Ever since the COVID-19 crisis, public affairs professionals have had to address issues of unprecedented complexity and although we are finally past the main issues presented by the pandemic, public policy roles are still as demanding as ever, with the UK government currently in a very high-profile turmoil. For businesses, this is a time for rapid change and growth, but for this to be of the positive kind, employers need to be gearing up to hire the very best. And this will be no easy task, with reports revealing that the employer hiring outlook is up by 66% this year when compared with 2021 figures. Furthermore, 51% of employers have said that finding candidates with the skills they needed was their main challenge as the UK’s war for talent intensifies. This, alongside a heightened demand for public policy and affairs professionals, has the potential to hinder business growth in this arena.

It's no secret that careers in policy and affairs are underscored by public and political pressure. With this in mind, our latest blog takes a look at the skills currently in demand for these professionals, so you know what to look for when the time comes to hire.

1. Adaptability

It’s very likely that most roles in the policy and affairs arena will require employees to juggle different projects with varying degrees of priority, while also needing to negotiate with other departments, influence others and face unprecedented challenges head-on. For these reasons, it’s crucial that you are looking to hire employees that have great adaptability. As we have seen with the recent Mini-Budget U-turn, change can happen both rapidly and unexpectedly but those with adaptability will be able to successfully manage change. This will mean that your hires will continue to maintain optimum productivity in their role.

2. Resilience

When employing public affairs professionals, you will also need to look for workers that display high levels of resilience. This way, your team will be able to cope and bounce back from unprecedented situations, which as we have all seen in the past few years, can take us by surprise.

It’s also important that resilience is embedded into your company culture, as a lack of this skill may impact workplace productivity as well as internal and external relationships, which could be detrimental to the public policy role. Resilience is a skill that needs to be nurtured by the workplace, it’s also a good idea to consider training aimed to promote and restore it when morale is low.

3. Commercial awareness

Before making your hire, it’s important to look for talent who have a good understanding of what incentivises clients and people in this sector and what impact government policy and politics have on the wider commercial world. Employees who are in the know about the current business environment as well as the political landscape will need less educational training while in the role and are likely to progress much faster, helping your company’s growth plan.

As experts in recruitment across Policy, Public Affairs and Communication, we know that it can be extremely challenging to find the perfect candidate that fulfils all of your wants and needs – but we also have the resources and contacts to find these highly sought-after candidates. For those employers in the public affairs arena, flexibility is crucial when developing a job spec. Just because something is the norm does not necessarily mean it works for everyone.

For more information, or to discuss your hiring needs, contact us.