One of the UK’s top human resources specialists will shed light on how to recruit and retain the best talent at a seminar in Swindon tomorrow.
Richard Roberts, an expert in employee engagement, believes as few as 17% of the UK workforce actively engaged with their jobs – creating a huge headache for businesses. 
He will speak on the subject tomorrow at the event organised by Swindon specialist recruitment firm Outsource UK in the third event in the firm’s Thought Leadership series.
Mr Roberts, who has worked in HR for more than 20 years, said: “Employee Engagement refers to when staff are psychologically committed to their jobs and making a positive contribution to the organisation.
“Worryingly few employers really understand how to engage employees and how to create a positive culture. As a result some employers are finding it difficult to attract and retain good staff, which is having a detrimental impact on their bottom line.”
Outsource UK business manager Neil Hedges said: “We know this is going to be a really popular seminar, this is very topical at the moment.
“The UK has now returned to a candidate-led market and we are increasingly seeing situations where candidates have several jobs offers on the table at the same time.
“In order to recruit and retain the best talent employers must understand how to sell themselves, and how to engage their staff with a positive workplace culture.”
Outsource UK’s Thought Leadership breakfast event is at the STEAM museum, starting at 8.30am. The event is free to attend, but places must be pre-registered at www.outsource-uk.co.uk
Richard Roberts works with a wide variety of organisations and has recently been credited with helping the Forward Internet Group earn recognition, three years running, in the coveted Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For list. Before becoming a consultant and speaker Richard worked at Virgin Mobile where he established the HR function and became head of employee engagement and HR director.
