Skills Shortage in the UK

Skills shortage in the UK hampers business growth…

The ongoing national skills shortage means that business owners and employers are still struggling to attract the kind of talent they need to grow and succeed, according to a study by accountancy firm Ernst & Young. In a survey of 226 entrepreneurs, more than three quarters (77%) cited a skills shortage as a significant barrier to increasing headcount. According to 54% of employers questioned, they are struggling to attract the right talent – just 23% said that they are able to find the right people for their available roles.

“Over the past 12 months the UK’s economy has strengthened, and this is reflected in the confident mood amongst these businesses,” said Ernst & Young representative, Stuart Watson. “For entrepreneurs to sustain their growth plans, they need to demonstrate fresh thinking and an innovative approach to attracting talent from a global pool.”

Skills shortages put candidates at the centre of a successful recruitment process: “To gain traction in today’s competitive recruitment marketplace, employers will have to modernise their approach and adopt a long term vision to secure the best people,” explains Sam Holt of Norwich-based accountancy recruitment specialists, Big Sky Additions. In the past, a successful recruitment campaign was based upon gaining the attention of suitable candidates, but today’s savvy recruiters are increasingly focused on understanding the intentions of potential employees, long before they are ready to change jobs. “To secure the best talent, we need to learn from consumer marketing, because job seekers are behaving more and more like consumers,” continues Sam. “We need to understand their consumer behaviours so well that we can begin to predict their next move before they know it themselves.”

In a marketplace beset by skills shortages, today’s successful recruiter cannot afford to aim solely for short term goals: “Successful talent acquisition requires a blend of long term strategies focused on building relationships with talented people who have not even applied for a job, so that when they are just thinking about a career move, they contact us before anyone else,” concludes Sam.

For further information about accountancy jobs in Norwich contact Sam Holt today :-