Partner Article

Skills, experience and behaviours ranked higher than qualifications

• Skills, experience and behaviours were the three most important attributes when recruiting
• Over half of respondents stated that recruitment had increased in the last year
• Over one third stated that growth and expansion were the main driving forces behind recruitment
• Hiring businesses are primarily looking to recruit for junior and trainee roles
• Nearly two thirds find it difficult to hire staff with the right skills and attributes
• Nearly half of respondents are investing in apprenticeships to develop and build their workforce
• Almost nine in ten respondents believe that affiliations between business and education bodies are a beneficial way to increase the skills needed

UK, 2016 – Skills, experience and behaviours are the top qualities Thames Valley employers look for when recruiting staff according to a new report published today. The second edition of the Thames Valley Skills, Education and Recruitment Survey 2016 found that over one quarter (28%) of respondents place skills above qualifications (15%). Skills were closely followed by experience (26%) and behaviours (23%). When the same report was first undertaken in 2014, 38% considered qualifications important versus only 15% this time around.

Parkside Recruitment, Activate Learning and C8 Consulting commissioned the online survey which looked at how educators and employers can work together to meet the needs of businesses across the region. The survey of nearly 80 companies ran from November 2015 to January 2016 and asked participating organisations questions on the importance of skills, education, recruitment and connecting educators with employers. This is the second report commissioned by the group on this topic. The first Thames Valley Skills, Education and Recruitment Survey was published in March 2014.

When survey respondents were asked whether recruitment had increased, decreased or remained the same nearly half (57%) stated that it had increased. The results were almost exactly the same in 2014, with 56% stating that it had increased. 28% stated that it had remained the same compared to 31% in 2014 and 6% advised that recruitment had decreased compared to 7% in 2014.

All three statistics therefore confirm how much the region is growing and how recruitment continues to be key to businesses growth.

The survey findings also revealed that companies looking to expand (either into new markets, products, services or to new locations) are the ones that are hiring the most at present (38%). Over half (55%) of those surveyed are looking to recruit junior and trainee roles rather than fill mid-manager roles. However nearly two thirds of businesses surveyed (64%) admitted they found it difficult to find staff with the right skills and attributes.

Nearly half of the respondents (41%) stated that they are investing in apprenticeships to develop and build their workforce. Over half of respondents (56%) consider that a university degree is an important requirement when recruiting staff. However almost three quarters (71%) consider that apprenticeships are the right way to get skills into organisations. This statistic has increased from 60% in the 2014 survey.

Almost nine in ten respondents (88%) believe that affiliations between business and education bodies are a beneficial way to increase the skills needed. That said over half of the respondents admitted that time and resources (54%) and the lack of formal meetings (32%) are the main barriers that prevent them from working more closely with educators.

The survey report also features a write up from a roundtable discussion on the top-level findings from the second Thames Valley Skills, Education and Recruitment Survey 2016, which was attended by twenty-two figures from education, business and politics. The roundtable event was hosted by Sally Dicketts, Group Chief Executive, Activate Learning, Pablo Lloyd, CEO and Co-Founder, Activate Enterprise and Brian Poxon, Divisional Manager, Parkside Recruitment. The roundtable discussion was chaired by Paula Elliott, managing director of PR and marketing consultancy C8 Consulting.

Brian Poxon, Divisional Manager, Parkside Recruitment commented: “We are talking to hundreds of companies on a daily basis and one of the things that we have noticed more in the past couple of years is that companies are looking for the right behaviour in candidates rather than focusing on qualifications. Our candidates don’t necessarily need a degree - we look at anyone regardless of qualification as long as they display the right behaviours. The job can be taught once they are in employment.”

Sally Dicketts, Group Chief Executive, Activate Learning added: “The results of this survey highlight the vital importance of educators and employers working together to develop work-ready young people who combine high-level technical skills with the right attitudes and behaviours. We have structured our own schools and colleges to ensure we have this outward focus. We are building strong relationships with businesses in key industries to ensure that our students have a direct line of sight to meaningful employment.”

To access the full report, visit Parkside Recruitment website http://www.parksiderec.com/ , Activate Learning http://www.activatelearning.ac.uk/ or C8 Consulting http://www.c8consulting.co.uk/ or email sonia@c8consulting.co.uk to request a printed copy.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Activate Learning .