Talent Growth Is on the 2018 Business Agenda for UK CEOs
Attracting and retaining talent is high on the agenda of many UK CEOs, which comes as no surprise. According to PWC’s 20th CEO Survey, almost two-thirds of UK business leaders expect their headcount to grow over the next twelve months. That’s higher than in the US (54 percent), China (60 percent), and Germany (44 percent). Interestingly, UK CEOs are also more likely to invest in digital training for their workforces as they recognise the changing nature of work and evolving roles within organisations.
Good news for recruiters
The good news for the recruitment sector is that CEOs are also worrying about how to find and attract key skills for their business. In fact, well over 80 percent said they were concerned about it. That’s up from 71 percent last year. Consequently, candidate engagement programmes and recruitment marketing are going to become even more important in order to build up that pipeline so recruiters can provide clients with not just the talent they need today, but also the talent they may need tomorrow.
The future workforce
According to the report, digital skill sets are most in demand. Technology is completely changing the face of work and it’s likely new roles we haven’t even thought of yet will emerge. The same report talks of the future of work as being one where people are trying to understand the impact of the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) on jobs and where the responsibility should lie in terms of employers reskilling their people for this ‘brave new world’.
The top three in-demand skill sets
But alongside the harder skills of tech and digital, it’s the softer skills that CEOs find most difficult to find. Well over 80 percent of CEOs felt leadership skills were the most difficult skill to source and attract. In Germany, the figure was only 45 percent which perhaps suggests that either the training is better or that UK firms need to look at Germany as a talent-rich market. Over three-quarters of UK CEOs said they found it difficult to find skills around creativity and innovation while just over 70 percent said adaptability was the most difficult trait to find.
A globally mobile workforce?
While there’s no doubt the UK workforce is still dominated by skill shortages, the globalisation of business has, arguably, made it easier to source talent that’s internationally mobile. But with increased legislation on the horizon in the form of the GDPR regulations, it’s vital that recruitment agencies ensure their data is clean, up-to-date, and compliant so they can hopefully help those CEOs recruit and onboard the talent they so desperately need.
Looking to learn more about GDPR regulations? Join us at Bullhorn Live on 11th October and hear Garreth Cameron from ICO, the authorities on GDPR, discuss practical strategies to prepare for GDPR in 2018, common myths and misconceptions, and the specific elements that must remain top-of-mind for recruiters.
We hope to see you there! Learn more about Bullhorn Live and register here.
