“Employment at UK small businesses with one to nine employees increased by 1,300 jobs in March compared to February – that’s 0.03% growth month-over-month.”
– Intuit QuickBooks Small Business Index, UK, April 2026
Stats from the latest small business research by QuickBooks reveal that employment rates in smaller UK businesses increased slightly in March 2026. This continues a slow but steady rise in employment over the course of 2026.
So, if employment levels are getting back on course, what does this mean for the resourcing of your current business strategy and company growth plans?
Find the talent to power your business strategy
Having spent so long stuck in ‘survival mode’, it’s a refreshing feeling to move your thinking from survival to stability, growth and expanded opportunities as a business.
But to bring these plans to life, you will almost certainly need to expand your workforce.
Here are five tips for locating the best talent:
1. Look for hidden skills and talent.
Don’t base your hiring solely on traditional CVs. Give job applicants practical assessments to test and identify their hidden talents. Make your decisions based on culture fit, valuable skills and their ability to problem-solve and think outside the box. This broadens your candidate pool by focusing on capabilities rather than formal qualifications or specific industry backgrounds.
2. Focus on staff retention
Set up informal, 20-minute chats with your team to find out which non-financial motivators will help retain valued staff in their roles. Focusing on proactive engagement is the easiest way to stop employees from becoming disengaged. It also stops the churn of vital workers leaving the business for other opportunities.
3. Offer competitive benefits packages
It’s easy for corporate competitors to lure staff away with the promise of increased staff benefits. The key is to compete with these larger companies by offering specific, stability-focused benefits like group income protection or private medical cover. In uncertain times, employees prioritise safe, dependable employers over those that offer higher salaries.
4. Make sure you’re compliant with employment law
‘Day One’ employment rights are now in effect, so it’s important that your recruitment, probation and employment processes are in line with these changes. It’s also important to keep your employment documentation processes and performance tracking up to date. This helps you mitigate the employment law risks associated with potential unfair dismissal cases, etc.
5. Train and upskill your staff in AI
A 2026 workforce needs to be tech-literate. Think about investing in technology and AI training for your team so they can automate your workflows and find key efficiencies. This allows you to increase your operational capacity without increasing headcount, while also giving your team training they will value.
