As a result of a recent YouGov poll of 2,000 employees and 1,000 senior HR decision makers - when 38 per cent of workers said their workloads were now unmanageable - experts are urging businesses to focus on reducing hiring time.

Over a third of those surveyed reported that their mental health is being adversely affected and 46 per cent of workers want to see additional staff hired to ease the pressure of their workloads. More than three-quarters of workers stated that they had experienced one form of burnout since the beginning of the year and that the recruitment of extra staff would greatly assist them.

However, 22 per cent of people professionals said they had not recruited in the last three months - but 53 per cent of HR professionals polled stated that they could recruit the workers needed within the next three months - leaving 27 per cent saying that skill shortages would be a challenge during that time.

According to the latest Hiring Trends Index reported by Totaljobs, the top two issues facing businesses at present is staff retention at 28 per cent and skills shortages at 27 per cent.  This was followed by labour shortages at 26 per cent, staff absences at 22 per cent and replacing staff following resignations at 22 per cent.

Of HR professionals polled, 25 per cent said the mental wellbeing of their staff was a concern and 23 per cent said that in the next three months they would encourage staff to take time off for their mental wellbeing. In addition, 17 per cent said they were training mental health first aiders and 16 per cent were introducing wellbeing initiatives for the first time.

Jon Wilson - Chief Executive of Totaljobs Group - said:

“It’s clear that the number of open vacancies is starting to be felt by workers – with many feeling the impact of an unmanageable workload. This, combined by the ongoing anxiety and strain caused by the cost-of-living crisis, means that the wellbeing of workers is a priority, and businesses need to do their bit to create an environment where people feel their voices are heard and their mental health cared for. While employers are making good strides in offering wellbeing initiatives, skills shortages mean that many workers will continue to feel the pressure of empty seats in their teams. As a result, employers will be focused on shortening their time to hire, while supporting existing staff who may be taking on higher workloads in the interim.”