Skills gap means employers are hiring people without full skills

Half of employers say they are concerned with the growing skills gap in Britain and more than a quarter of employers say they currently have open positions that they cannot find qualified candidates to fill, according to a new survey.

Half of employers say they are concerned with the growing skills gap in Britain and more than a quarter of employers say they currently have open positions that they cannot find qualified candidates to fill, according to a new survey.

Many are taking on people who don't meet all the skills they need and are training them up, according to the survey of 500 managers for CareerBuilder UK.

It found that three in five employers currently feel that the skills that workers have are not matching the available jobs – and 23 per cent of employers have positions that stay open for 12 weeks or longer.  

Nearly half of employers say they are concerned about the negative impact the skills gap is having on their business due to extended job vacancies.  Employers also reported compromised work quality, loss of revenue and a rise in voluntary employee turnover among the consequences:    

– Lower morale due to employees shouldering heavier workloads – 25 per cent

– Inability to grow the business – 17 per cent

– Loss in revenue – 12 per cent

– Higher turnover of employees – 10 per cent

“The skills gap in Britain is an issue that is not going away anytime soon,” said Scott Helmes, Managing Director of CareerBuilder UK. “There is a growing disconnect between the skills employers need and the skills that are available in the labour market today. This causes workers and companies to miss out on realising their full potential and creates multiple negative consequences for businesses. As a result, we see more employers investing in training programmes that will allow their business and employees to be more competitive not only today, but in the future.” 

The survey found 63% of employers have hired someone who didn’t meet all of their job requirements, helping that person to grow into the position.  Two in five employers plan to train workers who don’t have experience in their industry or field and hire them in 2014. Thirty per cent of companies say they spend more than £50,000 a year on training, while 11 per cent spend £200,000 or more.

The majority of employers somewhat or strongly agree that employers should do more to train for hard-to-find skills or offer opportunities that will contribute to a more highly skilled staff. Nearly half of employers say they provide academic reimbursement (either partial or full) to employees.

 





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