UK – Over half of employers receiving more applications from reskilled candidates
Posted 24th January 2022 • Written by staffingindustry.com • • • • •
More than half, or 60%, of employers in the UK, are receiving more applications from candidates who have reskilled or come from different industries, according to research from Reed.co.uk.
Despite the wider range of talent available to businesses, some employers remain rigid about their expectations of applicants, Reed added. Over half, or 60%, of hiring decision-makers still believe it is important for applicants to have a university education, shrinking the potential talent pool from which they can recruit.
Hiring managers within the construction and technology sectors, who reported more labour shortages than those from any other industries in the survey, are also the most likely to believe a university education is important for candidates. Whereas employers in ‘real estate’ (17%) and ‘creative industries’ (33%) placed the least importance on applicants having a university education.
Alongside a university education, the research also finds that employers increasingly value soft skills, such as teamwork and interpersonal skills, as a result of the shift to remote working. The majority (64%) of hiring decision-makers agree.
The study also found that 55% of businesses surveyed report labour shortages in their sector.
Simon Wingate, Managing Director of Reed.co.uk, said, “In 2021, the UK economy started its long road to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Shops and restaurants reopened, we pulled ourselves out of a recession and now we are in the middle of a jobs boom where there are more opportunities than ever. If businesses are to find the candidates to sustain the economic recovery and workers are to find new opportunities in alternative sectors, then both will need to find creative solutions to improve their recruitment prospects.
“It’s encouraging to see that many workers are already learning new skills to improve their career opportunities. However, employers should be more flexible when it comes to hiring, by looking at workers who haven’t got qualifications but who are willing to learn and have useful transferable skills for a modern working environment,” Wingate said.
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