87% of UK organisations are struggling to recruit
A recent study by The City and Guilds Group¹ reveals that 87% of UK organisations have problems recruiting people to meet the needs of their business. Despite managers, directors and senior officials being in high demand with 47% of businesses saying they will recruit for these roles in the next 12 months, they are the hardest job roles to fill.
In fact, 38% of organisations state they have the most difficulty filling manager vacancies – higher than team leaders (31%) and senior leaders (27%).
Tackle recruitment issues – train existing employees
If the recruitment of new managers is so difficult, expensive and time consuming, the training and personal development of existing personnel provides a viable solution, especially as funding may be available for this. The Apprenticeship Levy also allows for an employee to be re-trained in management skills, irrespective of their age and length of service.
Leading management training provider and ILM-approved training centre, Impellus, saw an increase in the first quarter of 2017 of 78% in the number of delegates attending its open courses who have been in their current roles for ten years or more – compared to the same period in 2016. This increase illustrates that organisations around the country are realising the benefits of developing existing and long-serving managers – not only for the individual’s career path but also for the productivity of the business.
Positive impact of management training
When employees experience management training there are notable benefits to their organisation and their team. Here are just a few of the changes clients have seen in their managers after Impellus training:
- Increased confidence and motivation with eagerness to take on responsibility
- Improved efficiency and productivity within their teams
- A greater understanding of how their roles affect the overall results of the organisation
- An increased feeling of empowerment and being valued by the organisation
- Better awareness of different communication styles and when to use them
- Realisation that their everyday challengers are not necessarily unique to their business.
It is also motivational for close colleagues of those who have attended the training, as one cannot fail to feel encouraged when loyalty and length of service is rewarded by an employer investing in a colleague’s professional development.
Compare this to the nervousness that often surrounds the appointment of a new manager, who irrespective of their qualifications, experience and knowledge, will need time to learn about the business, and engage with their team and others around the organisation. In the long run they may well need to attend management training as well to acquire new skills to fulfil their new role. So, on top of the time and fees involved in recruiting them, there are the training costs.
Do your own calculations, but many organisations are finding that training existing employees, who demonstrate the right aptitude for management roles, brings immense rewards to the business.
¹The City & Guilds Group polled 500 senior decision makers from large companies across the UK in December 2016 to gain a better understanding of their current recruitment challenges, their knowledge of the forthcoming changes and their thoughts about the likely impact on their businesses. More details here.
