- Over half (55%) of HR professionals are aware of skills shortages in their teams and 48% believe this will be detrimental to their organisation.
- Almost 50% of employees aren’t doing anything to develop skills for the future.
- 50% of HR professionals claimed restricted training budgets were a barrier to developing their skills, yet only 22% of employers felt the same way.
Research from Hays Human Resources, the leading recruiting expert, revealed that over two thirds (67%) of HR professionals are concerned that their skills would not be needed by employers in the future, but many are not taking steps to develop their skills in the right area.
53% of the respondents were taking steps to ensure their skills remain in demand but 14% of employees, despite having concerns, are yet to turn this awareness into action.
The survey findings show that 58% of UK employers and 73% of HR employees believe that industry and professional knowledge will be the most critical for their organisation, but despite this only 42% of employees are actually taking steps to develop their skills in this area.
Soft skills in communication and leadership are thought to be most critical for the future by both employers and employees, but still almost 20% of HR professionals are not doing anything to develop their soft skills.
Employees must stay up to date with technology, build strategic partnerships and increase their industry knowledge in order to keep one step ahead and ensure their skills remain in demand.
Barney Ely, Director at Hays Human Resources, says:
"Employers and employees alike need to focus on developing the right skill sets in order to ensure HR professionals are equipped with the skills that will be needed by employers in the future. Receiving regular feedback from employers is one way to help employees to understand their proficiency levels and develop relevant skills, which will enable them to overcome some of the most prominent capability gaps we found in our research.
Organisations are struggling to recruit intermediate level positions and upskilling new entrants in the short term will help to fulfil the increasing demand for HR expertise.”
The HR function plays a central role in any organisation therefore this investment and focus on development will quickly have an impact, enhancing performance within the wider organisation.”
The Hays Human Resources Skills Capability Gap 2015 report is based on survey responses from over 460 employers and over 270 human resources professionals across the UK.
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For further information
Yasmin Thompson
Hays
0207 200 3760