Tag Archives: manufacturing jobs

Hays Reports Tunnel Vision Trapping Workers And Hindering Growth

The Hays Career Outlook Survey has revealed that workers are being trapped in career silos because they don’t believe they can cross sector or industry boundaries, according to new data from the Hays Career Outlook Survey. The survey also highlights that employers in both sectors are often unable to recognise the transferable skills that might help them to identify potential candidates who are capable of supporting their growth plans.

The survey reveals the vast majority of employers believe that previous experience in the same sector is important. Whilst only just over a third (38%) of public sector employers say previous public sector experience is important, over half (56%) of employers in the private sector deem previous private sector experience to be important in potential candidates. 15% of private sector employers say that experience in commercial work is an essential competence of any prospective candidate. Over half of private sector employers (51%) say a lack of direct experience would prevent them from hiring someone from the public sector, while over a third (39%) cite a lack of transferable skills.

Charles Logan, Director at Hays, said: “These findings highlight that workers believe they cannot move between sectors and that employers aren’t always able to understand or give credence to transferable skills. By over-emphasising the value of previous same-sector experience, employers could be missing out on talented people and motivated workers. It is particularly concerning in industries where there is a shortage of skilled professionals and employers may need to consider candidates who have the necessary competencies but may not at first glance be the perfect match.”

Public sector workers confessed they also struggle to move into different areas of the public sector, although this is disputed by their employers. Over three-quarters (78%) of candidates say it is difficult or impossible, and 75% say they have not been encouraged to consider this as an option despite the job cuts. However, 62% of public sector employers say they have encouraged workers to look elsewhere in the sector, either through official training routes like secondments or through the application process itself. Over half (51%) cite a lack of transferable skills as the main reason why they would not hire someone from another part of the public sector.

The survey also shows the career destinations of UK workers. Around a third of private (33%) and public (35%) sector workers would prefer to continue their careers in a mix of the two sectors and not restrict their career options. Over a third (36%) of public sector employers say people in their organisation view the private sector as a more attractive career option, and private sector workers report that people are keen to stay in the commercial world when they move on. However, the vast majority (81%) of public sector workers say they are quite or very well-equipped for a career in the private sector.

Via EPR Network
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Hays Reveals UK Procurement Job Vacancies Rise By A Third In The Past Year

Figures compiled by Hays Procurement, the leading recruiting expert, and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) show that there has been a significant increase in demand and reward for procurement and supply management professionals during the course of the past year.

Data from Hays Procurement shows that the number of procurement and supply chain job vacancies has risen significantly, with 33 per cent more jobs advertised in Q2 2011 compared with the same period in 2010. Vacancies for Procurement Officers increased most sharply (200%) followed by Senior Buyers (110%) and Procurement Managers (75%).

The highest concentration of job vacancies is in the South East (22%) and London (18%), followed by the Midlands (12%) and the South West (12%), with growth strongest in the automotive manufacturing jobs sector, up an average of 73% per quarter in the first half of the year.

Whilst overall five out of six available procurement jobs remain within private companies there was a notable increase in the number of public sector vacancies, with an average 29% increase in the first two quarters of 2011. This is despite otherwise high rates of job cuts in the public sector, which are predicted to reach 610,000 by 2014/15 at current rates, but also perhaps because of increased pressures within the public sector to reduce costs.

These increases are also reflective of an on-going trend of procurement becoming recognised as a high-level strategic function within organisations during the past decade, shown particularly in terms of salary increases. According to Hays Procurement the number of senior procurement jobs with advertised salaries of between £75,000 and £100,000 per annum rose by 35% in the first half of 2011.

Similarly, 60 per cent of respondents to the CIPS/Supply Management Profile of the Profession Survey earlier this year, reported that their salary had increase in the past 2 years. An overwhelming 86% said their procurement department was doing more than it was 5 years previously, and 39% said they report to a higher level of the company than they did 5 years ago.

David Noble, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply said: “The financial crisis and continuing uncertainties weighing on the global economy, have led many companies to review their business strategies and to expand parts of their operations that ultimately help them to reduce costs and ensure the sustainability of future growth. Meanwhile, recent scrutiny of government procurement strategies has led to more strategic employment in the sector.”

With an average twenty (19.65) applicants per procurement and supply chain job, compared to an average thirty (30.40) for human resources jobs, and thirty-one (31.09) for non-qualified finance jobs, the data from Hays also suggests that there may be comparatively attractive opportunities as well as higher demand for candidates, particularly those who may be looking to switch careers.

Meanwhile, 94% of procurement professionals surveyed for the CIPS/Supply Management survey earlier in the year, said that they would recommend purchasing and supply as a career.

Via EPR Network
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