New research shows HR managers are struggling to recruit quality international candidates
46% of international HR managers say they are struggling to recruit quality global candidates according to new research by CEMS – the Global Alliance in Business Education. The survey interviewed 80 international HR managers (half of which were based in Europe), regarding the challenges of global recruitment and managing an international workforce.
Unsurprisingly 87% of the international HR managers surveyed said that foreign language skills are important for employability.
When asked about the major challenges for those relocating to work abroad the top three issues were;
- Understanding a new culture – 48%
- Cultural shock – 24%
- Language/communication – 16%
Other potential issues included visa issues and the high costs of relocation for the company.
When discussing the advantages of hiring employees globally there was a difference in response depending on whether the interviewee was based within Europe or not.
- 74% of European HR managers believe that an advantage of hiring employees from a different countries leads to a diverse working atmosphere.
- HR managers based outside of Europe (US & Asia), placed more of a focus on closing gaps that are hard to fill and meeting the expectations of graduate employees when working with international colleagues.
One in seven HR managers interviewed from larger organisations said that 30% of managers within their business work internationally. For those in smaller organisations 41% of interviewees said that less than 5% of the managers within their company work internationally.
IT CIOs believe their businesses will face more cyber security threats within the next 5 years
77% of Chief Information Officers believe their businesses will be up against more threats to cyber security within the next five years due to a lack of available talent within IT Security. According to a recent report by Robert Half Technology the top three IT security risks for businesses within the next five years are;
1. Data abuse/Data integrity (60%)
2. Cybercrime (54%)
3. Spying/Spyware/Ransomware (39%)
In order to help deal with these potential threats CIO’s are unsurprisingly looking to increase their number of IT Security professionals within the next year with 27% saying they will be doing so.
The positions most in demand are;
1. IT Security Analyst (junior level)
2. Information Security Officer (mid-level)
3. Security Operations Manager (mid-level)
Last year the average number of global security incidents increased by 38% and over two thirds of UK businesses have been the victim of a cyber reach or attack within the past year.
*Source PwC
With this increase in incidents cyber security professionals are high in demand but also proving difficult to find, which you can see from Robert Half’s research below.
|
Most in demand |
Most challenging to find |
|
1. Cloud security (32%) |
|
2. IT security technologies (29%) |
|
3. Security architecture (26%) |
|
4. Hacking/penetration testing (26%) |
|
5. Applications security (22%) |
The company also recommended that CIOs and IT leaders need to take 6 core steps when building their cyber security programme.
- Be proactive
- Treat IT security as a continuous enterprise-wide process
- Have necessary skills
- Support training
- Use big data and analytics
- Get everyone involved
To find out more about the Robert Half Cybersecurity – protecting your future report click here.
What candidates don’t like about recruiters
The recruitment industry has taken some flack over the years, with bad practice from some recruiters tarnishing the industry for some candidates. Below are some of the common complaints we’ve heard from unhappy candidates about other recruitment agencies.
- The job isn’t suitable to them
There’s nothing worse than taking a call from a recruiter about a great opportunity, hearing all about the role and the company to then find out the role is actually offering less than your current salary or is a lower position than you are currently in. A lack of relevance shows the recruiter most likely hasn’t actually took the time to properly read through your CV and experiences. It may also be a sign that the recruiter doesn’t actually know a lot about the industry they are recruiting for.
- Ring you about a job never hear off them again
So you’ve been contacted by a recruiter about a new role, expressed your interest and sent over your CV to be put forward for consideration only to never hear off them again. Unfortunately some recruiter’s signup candidates regarding a ‘job role’ merely to build up their candidate database and never actually had a suitable role in the first place.
- Go to an interview don’t get feedback
There’s nothing worse than going to an interview giving it your all and then not hearing anything for weeks or even worse not hearing from the recruiter again. Preparing for this interview will have taken time and effort on your part and you may have even had to schedule time off work. Not hearing from your recruiter after an interview is seriously unprofessional and as a result a candidate is unlikely to want to work with that agency again.
- They don’t offer any advice
A good recruiter will help you prepare for your interview, giving you helpful tips to give you that edge over other candidates and hopefully secure you a job offer. However some recruiters will simply send you on your way with an address, which isn’t helpful to anyone. A recruiter and a candidate should be on the same team, after all you both want the same thing – for you to get the job!
At ESA we are aware of the negative reputation that recruitment can have due to incidents like the above which is why we strive to provide both our client and candidates an excellent customer service experience. Our consultants are specialists in their field and take the time to learn about the nuisances of their industry to ensure candidates are only contacted about roles which are suitable to them and their skills.
ESA Group make sure you are updated throughout your candidate journey and even if we don’t have a role suitable for you at the time we ensure we stay in touch with you and keep you up to date on any industry developments.
We believe candidates are more than just a voice at the end of the phone and as a company we endeavour to meet all our candidates to find out their skills, experiences and future career aspirations to ensure we find the right role for them.
To find out more about how ESA Group can help you with your job search you can read here, or alternatively give us a call on 0121 210 5100.
Research shows 62% of IT leaders expect to see an increase in non-tech people joining the industry
According to recent research IT leaders believe the most valued skills are leadership (93%), understanding business objectives (95%) and project management (92%). The top three skills for IT workers were web development (90%), mainframe management (90%) and database administration (87%). Interestingly 62% of the 1000 IT workers and 200 Senior IT Managers surveyed by Experis, said that they expect they expect to see an increase in people from non – tech background entering the workplace within the next 2 years. As a result it is no surprise that 90% of IT leaders asked said that the ability to learn new technology skills is as important as existing knowledge.
Geoff Smith, Managing Director of Experis, commented: “The prevailing narrative of the IT skills crisis is that we need more skills in specific tech areas in order for businesses to embrace emerging technologies, innovate and remain competitive. However, our research suggests that the problem is growing. IT leaders and HR must become more agile and identify candidates and existing team members that possess wider business skills and leadership qualities as well as those able to learn new tech skills.”
Training is a running theme throughout Experis’s research, which showed that 97% of IT leaders believe the most successful IT teams of the future will be those that support continuous learning and that have a training strategy responsive to emerging technology trends.
However despite this 48% of IT workers say their training programmes are reactive and a shocking 15% say they have no training provided at all.
When making investments towards staff training for the next two years mobile apps and devices topped the list at 59%, followed by big data management (52%) and virtualisation (48%). IT Managers recommend that new training investment should be aimed at new and emerging skills.
You can read the full report from Experis here.
Source: Onrec.com
UK STEM graduates earn nearly 20% more than peers
Research has revealed that science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) graduates in the UK can earn nearly 20% more than their fellow peers. The research also suggests that those graduates who don’t want to relocate to London to find a well-paid role should consider looking further North to find higher graduate salaries.
The Hay Group study which looked at the salaries of 42,500 entry level positions across 770 organisations, sampled 25 jobs across multiple industries and showed that the average university graduate can expect to earn £26,023 in their first role. The study also showed that those within customer service roles could earn up to 30% less than their peers.
Graduates in a STEM career such as software development or engineering could see their salaries increased by 19% to £30,973 and 17% to £30,370 which would make them the highest earning entry level roles in the country.
The study also saw the UK ranked fifth in the world for average graduate salary. Topping the list was Germany with an average graduate salary of £40,272, the United States (£36,255), Australia (£35,599) and the Netherlands (£34,269).
London topped the list of locations with the highest graduate salary with an average salary of £27,845, whilst those graduates in the West Midlands have an average pay check of £24,462. Graduates in Scotland can expect to earn over the UK average at £26,543.
Vivienne Dykstra, global graduate practice leader for Korn Ferry Futurestep, said: “With the digital sector now making up ten per cent of the UK’s GDP, we’re seeing a far greater demand for graduates with STEM qualifications.
“This demand is being reflected in the salaries that newly-qualified students can command. With digitally savvy talent at a premium, the graduate recruitment market is a competitive place. Employers need to look at ways to differentiate themselves. Alongside providing opportunities to develop and grow, it’s critical businesses offer strong starting salaries to really stand out from the crowd.”
Why team work makes the dream work
With the Euro’s and Wimbledon ongoing and the upcoming Rio Olympics, our summer will be filled with those on the cusp of sporting success. One thing all of these athletes will have in common is that they have a dedicated team behind, all with the goal to succeed. Just like in sports, team work is vital to a company’s success.
We’ve complied some sports inspired tips to ensure your team is in top form.
- Set an example
If those higher up in the company are unmotivated and not willing to engage in team work then you’ll probably find the rest of the office will follow suit. Just like a team captain, those in higher management need to ensure they are setting an example for the rest of the employees within the company.
- Team unity
As the title says ‘team work makes the dream work’! A team that is united in their goals will undoubtedly work better together than a team that doesn’t feel like they have anything to work towards. It’s also a good idea to get those team members who may not necessary integrate in their day to day business working together, so that people can get to know each other and see how other departments contribute towards the business.
- There’s no ‘I’ in team
Although many see Gareth Bale as the sole driving force behind Wales’ Euro success, it is important to remember that a team is bigger than one individual. This is the same within the office, individuals need to know the positive impact they are having in the office. Not only will this prove motivational but will also help boost productivity within the office.
- Set goals
Every business will have goals but it is important that you set goals for both the team and individuals to work towards. Just like an Olympic athlete aiming for gold, having concrete goals to work towards can be a great motivation to the team.