Nearly half of UK managers (45.1 percent) are ill-prepared for the role, and a quarter (25 percent) of employees say their manager does not have the right skills for effective management, claims new research by Bridge by Instructure. The study, based on interviews of 1,000 managers and employees across the UK on their attitudes towards both management and learning and development, revealed that more than half of those who responded (53.4 percent) think managers need more training to perform as a manager and, almost half (45 percent) think managers need to be given time to operate as a manager rather than having those responsibilities ‘bolted on’ to their existing role. More →

As the UK continues to navigate a period of uncertainty ahead of its exit from the European Union, new research published by the City & Guilds Group and Emsi claims that nine in 10 employers already struggle to recruit the skilled staff they need. With most industries expected to grow between now and 2024, a significant number of skilled workers will be needed to meet demand. However, People Power, a study based on City & Guilds Group interviewing over 1,000 C-Suite employers in the UK and work with Emsi to undertake extensive economic modelling, has found that two thirds of UK employers think that the skills gaps in their businesses are likely to get worse or remain the same in the next three to five years.

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As employment levels rise, employers are facing stronger competition to attract and retain staff. Now the latest research suggests there is an escalation in the ‘war for talent’, as nine out of 10 new hires admit they would leave a job that fails to meet expectations within a month. According to research commissioned by Robert Half of 9,000 candidates in 11 countries across four continents, nearly half (47 percent) admit they decide whether they would or wouldn’t accept a position straight after the initial meeting. Highlighting that first impressions count, a further one fifth (20 percent) know if they are interested after the first communication (call/email), while 17 percent typically decide within the first five minutes of the interview.  Less than one in 10 (9 percent) wait until they have completed subsequent interviews to decide and merely 7 percent decide during contractual negotiations. Even once candidates have accepted a role, 91 percent admit they would consider leaving a job within their first month and 93 percent during their probation period.

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Alongside the challenge of finding the right people to fill roles is keeping them there, according to a survey from Korn Ferry which claims that the majority (93 percent) of employers agreed that the retention of new hires in their organisation is becoming an issue.  New recruits individuals agree, with 26 percent admitting they’d leave a job if it wasn’t a good fit, even if they didn’t have another position lined up. The top reasons new hires leave, according to the survey, is their specific role isn’t what they expected and working for the company was different than they thought it would be. Respondents said a desire for more money was not a primary reason a new hire would leave. More than half of the respondents (55 percent) said that offering more money to a new hire who wanted to leave would not make them stay and more than three quarters, (82 percent) said that if they personally accepted a job that they ended up not liking, even though it paid well, they would leave as soon as they found a new job.

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Figures published yesterday showed that the jobless rate has fallen to 4.2 percent, the lowest since 1975 according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). While good news for the economy, the challenge for employers will be recruitment. On average, over 40,000 job vacancies are left unfilled for over six months according to research by Robert Half UK. The figure doubles to 80,000 for roles left vacant for more than a month. The findings come following research into the UK job market looking at trends in the modern workplace which confirmed that high employment coupled with an ongoing skills crisis is leading companies to face a war for talent which is leaving many positions unfilled. A lack of skilled candidates (51 percent) tops the list of challenges, whilst difficulties in finding the right talent follows close behind (30 percent). Even when the right person has been found, many firms aren’t hiring fast enough and end up missing out on their preferred candidate (28 percent). UK organisations clearly recognise the detrimental effect that unfilled roles can have on their business. Reduced productivity (42 percent), increased stress (42 percent) and limited business growth (38 percent) are cited as the main consequences – all of which can cripple a firm’s performance.

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