Less Than a Quarter of UK Tech Leaders Find Quality Candidates Easily, Survey Reveals
- 87% would like to see more university talent emerging and 85% would like to see more women applying for tech roles
- UK tech leaders look for attitude over experience, whereas US tech leaders prioritise experience
- Both UK and US report business and communication skills missing in applications
Less than a quarter of UK tech leaders find it easy to find quality tech candidates. That’s according to a recent survey by Talent Works, which surveyed 400 tech leaders in the UK and US to determine the state of hiring tech talent in both markets.
The survey found that the US tech graduate market is richer in the US with leaders more likely to find it easier to hire tech talent (47%) compared to those in the UK (23%). However, with both the UK (85%) and US (90%) wanting to see more female talent entering the industry, competition for diverse tech talent is growing in both markets. Ensuring that there is a strong next generation of talent was also a key focus for UK tech leaders, with 87% wanting to see more tech talent emerging from universities.
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Attitude vs experience
When asked what they are most likely to look for in candidates, there were very different perceptions in the UK compared with the US, with the demand for experienced tech candidates greater in the US. UK tech leaders are more likely to look for attitude over education (45%) or experience when hiring, whereas their US counterparts are more likely to look for education (57%). Competition for experienced tech graduates is high in the US, but 78% of these employers also prefer to hire who they know, favouring graduates who went to the same university or had worked at the same company previously, limiting their horizons.
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Although both UK and US tech leaders believe that talent has improved in the past five years (52% and 86% respectively), 79% of US tech employers say they receive applications from candidates who are missing the necessary communication and soft skills, compared to 64% of UK employers. This shows that UK employers are more adept at enticing candidates with the right soft skills.
Neil Purcell, founder and CEO of Talent Works, commented: “Many organisations believe that hiring from your previous organisation or university is best, but it actually limits the pool of talent you can choose from and can be antithetical to getting diverse talent into your organisation. Tech leaders are struggling to find quality candidates, and there’s a known shortage of tech skills, like full-stack software development, globally. However, by encouraging the next generation of university talent, or even those motivated individuals who have gained skills through non-traditional education like online courses and live-work experiences, tech leaders will open themselves up to a wave of new talent.”
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