While the election already seems like a distant memory, we’ve now passed 100 days of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Government being in power, and the work starts now for policy and public affairs professionals. As readers will recognise, these specialists help support the implementation of new legislation on various markets, which will be key in the ongoing post-election period. But what areas are particularly under the spotlight for these experts in the coming months, and which markets will see significant demand?

Economy

The economy is naturally the best place to start for the new Government. The UK has seen productivity fall to the lowest point since the Victorian era, and millions of people are facing financial hardship as a result of the cost-of-living crisis and wider macroeconomic pressures. However, the tide appears to be turning. The Government hosted its first financial conference in October designed to attract global investors, and the Chancellor announced plans to secure further investment into national coffers shortly afterwards. The markets appear to be slowly improving, and this growing optimism will increase workloads for policy and public affairs professionals, particularly those who operate within international organisations.

Energy

The launch of Great British Energy is likely to be the focus of much of the policy and advocacy work for many in the energy sector. The Prime Minister announced his plans for the creation of a publicly-funded organisation shortly after winning the election and this is likely to come to fruition in the coming months. With the UK's net-zero commitments also remaining a central concern, professionals are focusing on the Government’s detailed action plans. These include strategies for renewable energy, green jobs, and sustainability initiatives, which will grow as additional areas of focus for specialists in the future.

Healthcare

The Prime Minister has also put healthcare under the spotlight, and has announced plans to move from ‘an analogue to a digital NHS’. This change programme would represent the biggest transition for the sector in years, and could potentially create challenges around patients’ data rights, which may lead to additional workloads for policy teams to manage. Specialists will also be involved in advocating for legislation that improves access to quality healthcare, potentially including new funding mechanisms, public-private partnerships, and initiatives to streamline delivery.

Transport

Widespread changes to existing policies are expected across the transport sector, with a particular focus on rail. Labour wants to modernise existing infrastructure in order to support the transition to net zero, and to reduce reliance on already congested road networks. This includes investments in railways, particularly in electrification projects and high-speed lines that replace scrapped projects like HS2 Stage 2. This shift, along with the potential transition to public ownership for many networks, could create opportunities for policy professionals to shape frameworks for rail service governance.

Growing need for policy and public affairs professionals

This is only a selection of the industries where policy and public affairs professionals will likely be in demand in the coming months. However, there may be challenges ahead for employers. Our recently released Policy and Public Affairs Salary and Employment Report highlighted a major issue. Namely, that over a third (38%) of specialists in these fields plan to leave their roles in the next six months. At a time when consistency is required, organisations that don’t adapt are going to struggle and will not only need to recruit to bolster their workforces, but also to cover the shortfall created by departing talent.

According to our data, the sectors hit hardest by this heightened turnover will include transport, where 41% of specialists are set to change roles in the next six months. Other markets that are likely to be heavily impacted include financial services (40%), healthcare (30%) and pharmaceuticals (22%). Energy is at the other end of the scale, with only 18% of specialists seeking a new job in that timeframe. However, this too will create challenges for employers. With talent reluctant to leave, they’ll need to find ways to attract professionals out of their existing positions.

But with these challenges in mind, how can employers across all sectors recruit – and retain – the best policy and public affairs professionals?

One key factor according to our report, which was based on a survey of over 4,000 specialists across multiple sectors, is flexibility. We looked in detail at candidate motivators and access to flexible hours along with home and hybrid working was second only to pay. In total, 83% of employees said they considered this as important or very important when looking for their next position. This highlights that employers that can’t offer these types of benefits may struggle to compete both to hire, and keep, their top performers.

Perks and benefits a useful tool

Benefits packages can also make all the difference. We asked professionals what additional benefits they are currently offered by employers and which they would want in the future. The most popular perks received were ‘longer-term’ options, like above statutory pension contributions, extended parental leave and private healthcare. However, in reality, the benefits actually sought by policy and public affairs professionals, were options that helped them to manage shorter-term finances, like gym memberships. In fact, only 15% currently receive this as part of their employment package, but 39% said they would like to. At a time when professionals will likely have multiple offers to choose from, these seemingly marginal options can make all the difference to whether organisations can effectively recruit or retain the skills they need.

The anticipated introduction of a range of new legislation set to be introduced by the Government in the coming years will drive a greater need for policy and public affairs professionals to deal with potentially complex changes. If employers are to be able to source the skills they require and retain talent already on their books, then they will need to listen to their workers and adapt their approach accordingly.

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