Only 16% new hires have skills to meet current, future roles

Organisations are struggling to hire quality talent as only 16 per cent of new hires possess the needed skills for both their current role and the future, according to a new Gartner report.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced employers to rethink how to best get work done and what skills their employees will need to adapt in this new context.

"Candidates are scrutinising organisations' responses to the pandemic, looking to see how companies have treated employees during this time," the report mentioned.

To hire quality talent, recruiting leaders must shift their strategies from replacing the workforce to instead shaping the workforce by defining needs based on skills, sourcing talent more broadly and creating responsive employment value propositions (EVPs).

"Traditional recruiting methods are unable to compete with the large-scale shifts to the workplace and the labour market," said Lauren Smith, vice president in the Gartner HR practice.

Today's current environment of economic instability due to Covid-19 has made traditional talent pools less viable for sourcing talent as high-quality candidates with traditional qualifications are unlikely to leave their current positions, the report said this week.

Existing roles may require up to 10 new skills by 2021, it added.

Leading organisations have shifted their focus from replacing the workforce to shaping the workforce through strategies based on the realities of the new recruiting landscape.

"The best recruiting functions that excel in these workforce-shaping behaviours see a 24 per cent increase in quality of hire," Smith said.

"High-quality talent can have a significant impact on business outcomes, including individuals who successfully perform in their roles 20 per cent faster and teams that get a 19 per cent boost in their ability to meet future challenges."

The Gartner research showed that 43 per cent of candidates today are self-taught in one or more of their role's requirements.

In addition, organisations are increasingly developing high-value skill sets in employees through accelerated training programs.

The research also found that 65 per cent of candidates have cut short the hiring process because they found certain aspects of the job (work-life balance, development opportunities, company culture) unattractive.