‘As you were’ – fear of change holds back the UK workforce

UK workers have been warned that they are too slow to change, and enjoy their comfort zones rather too much. And who are the guilty parties? Well, apparently, women, older employees, and public sector professionals are particularly prone to ‘why change culture’.

Recruitment experts have cautioned that this culture of … er, caution … is contributing to a productivity plateau that the UK “can no longer afford”, with a fear of change among UK workers emerging as a critical barrier.

The data, from recruitment firm Right Management, following a survey of 2,000 employees, suggests almost a third (31%) of British workers would rather stick with what they know than embrace change. This had clear implications for productivity and innovation, said the research authors.

When raised in the Personnel Today office this was loudly poo-pooed by one colleague who then looked at their watch and pronounced they were off for lunch – as they are at exactly 1pm every day.

Nearly four in 10 public sector employees (38%) said they feared change — compared with 25% in the private sector. This failure to embrace new ways of working, coupled with underinvestment in workforce development, risked embedding inefficiencies, said the study.

Conservatism (with a small “c”) was also more prevalent among women, researchers claimed. Women were more likely to resist change than men (34% vs 27%).

Unsurprisingly, over-45s were significantly more cautious (37%) than Gen Z (24%).

“Staying in your comfort zone may feel secure, but it’s quietly eroding productivity across the country,” said Jacques Quinio, talent management solutions director at Right Management.

“If the UK wants to close the productivity gap, it must start by enabling people to grow, adapt, and contribute in new ways,” he said.

He added that the IMF’s downgraded growth forecast, labour market stagnation, and increasing long-term sickness rates all pointed to a nation underperforming its potential.

However, the issue was not entirely the fault of reticent staff fond of their daily routines, despite the calls for agility and upskilling, support from employers was falling short, the study found. Fewer than half (47%) offered coaching, and only 43% provided access to professional assessments that help workers identify and pursue growth paths. Alarmingly, one in 10 organisations offered no support at all.

What’s more, just 33% of employers actively used data to guide investment in people – while 42% admitted they saw it as “nice to have,” not essential. The result was that 57% of employees believed their performance was valued more than their potential, added Quinio.

At this point the previously mentioned colleague returned from lunch looking disturbed. “The sandwich bar’s shut”, he said, “it’s never shut on Fridays, I don’t know what to do.”

“Let’s try a new one,” said an older female colleague who had previously worked entirely in the public sector, and was taking a break from her task evaluating AI programmes.

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