In July this year, the Open University published its Business Barometer revealing that Welsh organisations are investing 15% less in recruiters’ fees this year than in 2018. At the same time, it found that 74% are struggling with a skills shortage and finding it difficult to fill roles.
As we wrote in our previous blog on how to identify your workplace skills gaps, much of the skills shortage crisis is related to the ongoing uncertainty around Brexit which some reports suggest has diminished the number of qualified job seekers. In this respect, it makes sense that instead of looking to recruit externally, nearly half of Welsh organisations are increasing their training budgets to improve the skills and retention of existing employees.
But we have mixed feelings about the redistribution of funds.
On the one hand, we are hugely in favour of identifying and upskilling ‘untapped’ potential internally and commend their investment. One of our first steps when working with a new client – alongside understanding the role – is helping them to assess their in-house talent. It may seem counter-intuitive for a recruitment agency to do this but, in our experience, it is far more beneficial when it comes to building a long-standing recruitment partnership.
On the other hand, we would urge employers to be mindful of the time and effort required to upskill their staff and ask themselves whether the means justify the ends. It depends on the role of course, but external candidates can often bring a ready-made and more diverse range of skills and industry experience with them which can have a real, positive impact on the organisation’s profitability. This is particularly true when it comes to managerial positions, which the survey identified as having the shortest supply of candidates.
With the skills shortage expected to worsen after Brexit, our concern is that by restricting their recruitment techniques, Welsh organisations could severely limit their pool of candidates and take a financial hit as a result; the OU’s report found that skills shortages cost Welsh organisations an average of £13,740 over the year. In our view, this figure would be much better spent on a more comprehensive recruitment process to find a professional with the right skills, not just to undertake their role, but to get the best out of other existing employees too.
Our deep-dive approach to recruitment is designed to support organisations to achieve the best outcome to support their growth. If you see the value in expanding your recruitment externally, we can work with you to find out whether you have anyone suitably qualified in-house before we begin a more extensive, targeted search and if you do, we’ll be more than happy to support you the next time you need help.
To find out how we can work with you, please drop us a line
Everything about Sitka’s approach is a breath of fresh air. I have worked with Sitka on both the candidate side and recruiter side and I have never had a better relationship with an agency. I trust them implicitly to provide a service that is above and beyond what you would expect a recruitment agency to do and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.
Easy, efficient and successful – Ita was great from start to finish, she helped us find a candidate quickly and sent a good, high-calibre set of CV’s through for review. The best part was how easy it made my recruitment process, Ita was great at searching out the right candidates with the best experience. I am grateful for the smooth recruitment process and clear communication and would highly recommend Sitka to anyone looking for candidates.
This was the most professional recruitment processes I have experienced as a candidate. I felt really well prepared for the hiring process. Ita took the time to understand my experience and align my skills and values with those of role that I was applying for. This meant that I felt really prepared for the interview process and confident that I understood the role, culture and values of the organisation.
I would recommend Sitka and I would also consider using them as a client in the future. Having experienced their service as a candidate I have seen the effort that is made to ensure there is a good fit between candidate and client. Thank you Ita!
The experience of working with Sitka has been fantastic. They provide an excellent service with a professional and friendly approach. Karen kept me informed every step of the way, even sending through interview technique tips.
Ita took the time to understand my objectives and needs as a candidate also – something unusual for a recruitment agency.
Information was provided quickly, in full and was very clear. Ita also took the time to follow-up post interviews to understand how things went and confirm next steps/timeframes. She has also gone the extra mile of checking in with me since starting in my new role.
Ita approached every stage of the recruitment process in a professional, honest and open manner. It was clear she was committed to finding the right candidate for her client
My experience was excellent. From the outset, the support I received was both professional and highly personalised. Ita was knowledgeable about the market and the role and took the time to really understand my experience and ambitions and especially listen to what I didn’t want! I felt well-guided and supported throughout the process.