UK
workers overwhelmingly believe success at work has more to do with background
than ability.
A
survey of more than 1,000 people by business psychology specialist OPP reveals
more than 75 per cent believe it is more important to be from the
"right" school than to have relevant experience or to perform well in
their current job.
Being
overlooked for promotion also breeds resentment. Half of those questioned think
their employers fill vacancies with external candidates, despite competent
people being employed internally. More than four in 10 people believe these
outsiders are often less competent that their internal counterparts.
However,
companies don’t appear to promote less able staff over their more competent
colleagues, with only 29 per cent of respondents believing this to be true.
John
Hackston, managing consultant at OPP, said the research shows that employers
should think twice before recruiting someone from outside their organisation.
He
said: “Great people exist within all organisations, it’s just a matter of
finding them. With many rigorous tools available to assess skills and
potential, there is simply no excuse for organisations to overlook or
misunderstand their employees or to recruit people who are less competent than
existing staff.
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“At
a time when many businesses are being forced to make people redundant or to
freeze recruitment, the challenge is to recognise and develop the talents of
the people they already have.”
