It’s been a minute since the shape-shifting effects of Covid-19 pandemic changed the working world as we knew it, but the ripple effect is still clearly influencing the jobs market and in our field, seems to have led to a shortage of fashion technologists ready, able and willing to move to a new role.
Trying to understand the economics of a global industry such as fashion is no mean feat, but suffice to say the tricky and unpredictable nature of the economic climate in the UK is not helping, plus the changes brought by Brexit, and the 'watch and wait’ vibes around the new government are all creating a technical skills gap that can’t simply be bridged.
It’s clear that the pandemic-led move to remote working comes into play here, especially when people are sitting in salary brackets of around £30k-40k. Understandably, the recent rises in all costs related to travel, particularly into major cities such as London or Manchester, outweigh the appeal of a new role. Many technologists left the big smokes during the pandemic and set themselves up for hybrid working out of the commuter zone. As the global workforce is now called back, they simply can’t afford or don’t want to return to the cities. As a female dominated industry, family commitments, children and schools often come in to play, and moving back becomes far too complex.
We can see that remote working is being reduced across the board, with many companies now requiring staff to be working on-site three or more days per week. Permanent roles are also scarce. Increasingly, Fixed Term Contracts are being offered at 12 or 18 months, across all levels from admin to senior roles. Companies are not able to commit to giving permanent contracts and need more flexibility. Which is all well and good, but candidates aren’t likely to switch from their hybrid or remote permanent roles for an FTC with less flexibility. This is particularity true for more junior candidates at around £25k-30k. FTCs are less appealing, this group needs stability.
Some retailers are mandating full-time presence in the office for product based roles, which includes fashion and fabric technologists. There is strong resistance from candidates to give up hybrid working patterns for the same salary package. The nature of the work itself has changed too, moving away from creative and ‘hands on’ towards AI, digital and admin based work. A number of candidates have left the UK, moving to industry hubs in Spain and Portugal, where roles are more plentiful and work /life balance and cost of living are better.
These issues have created a paralysis in the fashion industry, through lack of movement and circulation of people. So what can be done? Our approach to this dilemma is to encourage good communication and flexibly on both sides. We are uniquely placed to navigate this unfamiliar territory with expertise and help find solutions and compromises that can work well for both businesses and people.
Please get in touch if you are looking for a move or need some advice on progressing your technologist career. There are lots of opportunities available, it’s now more about creating the right pathway and talking to the right people.