Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Economics, government & businessLatest NewsSkills shortages

More than 40% of UK firms believe a skills shortage represents a significant threat to their competitive edge

by Gareth Vorster 14 Nov 2007
by Gareth Vorster 14 Nov 2007

More than four in 10 UK firms believe that a skills shortage represents a significant threat to their business, new research indicates.

A survey of more than 560 businesses commissioned by Barclays Commercial Bank found that nearly one-third of respondents believe new talent and skills would have the biggest impact on their competitive edge going forward.

The need for talent and skills beat off the need for business expansion via merger/acquisition (27%), additional cash flow (21%), and trading overseas (13%).

The survey also found that people strategy is the most difficult part of a business plan to get right for 79% of respondents, ahead of marketing and sales, financial forecasts, risk management and environmental and corporate responsibility policy.

And firms have already begun to react to a possible skills shortage, as 42% of businesses have already invested more in recruitment and employee development over the last 12 months.

Alexander Baldock, commercial director at Barclays, said: “It’s revealing that people-related issues such as the skills gap, retention and succession planning are seen by businesses as the hardest thing to get right when planning for the future. Business leaders have been talking for some time about ‘the war for talent’ and this research shows just how tough it is to develop a successful people strategy.

“However, despite clear thinking about the impact these issues may have on a business, it’s not always translating into solid, strategic action. For example, four in 10 businesses have not given thought to a comprehensive succession plan for their managing director or CEO, and this could cause major disruption in the case of a sudden departure,” he added.

Avatar
Gareth Vorster

previous post
Independent Police Complaints Commission says complaints against the police rose by 10% last year and now at a record high
next post
Workstation launches Jobshout recruitment tool

You may also like

MP demands timeline on carer’s leave legislation

13 May 2022

Employment tribunal: use of word ‘bald’ can amount...

13 May 2022

Rees-Mogg under fire from civil service leader over...

13 May 2022

Prime minister steps up calls for 90,000 civil...

13 May 2022

Spain plans menstrual leave for painful periods

13 May 2022

‘Small spike’ in minimum wage underpayment among 20-24...

13 May 2022

Tesco to pioneer office space in local stores

13 May 2022

How employers can support women during the HRT...

13 May 2022

What it really means to be mentally fit

13 May 2022

What is employee wellbeing? Gethin Nadin talks to...

13 May 2022
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more
  • Why now is the time to plug the unhealthy gap PROMOTED | We’ve all heard the term ‘health is wealth’...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

TOPICS

Economics, government & business
Employee Relations
Employment law
Equality & diversity
Global HR
HR practice
HR strategy
Learning & training
Occupational health
Pay & benefits
Recruitment & retention
HR Tech
Wellbeing
All HR topics

WHAT’S HOT

Apprenticeship levy
Brexit
Covid-19 coronavirus
Gender pay gap reporting
Gig economy
Holiday pay
HR tech
IR35
Immigration
People analytics
Zero-hours contracts

JOBS

Post a job
Why advertise with us?
Change Management
Compensation & Benefits
Diversity & Inclusion
Employee Relations
Employment Law
Health & Safety
HR (General)
HR Business Partner
HR Director
HR Consultant
HR Shared Services
HR Systems
People Analytics
Learning & Development
Training
Occupational Health
Organisational Development
Payroll
Performance & Engagement
Recruitment & Resourcing
Talent Management
Wellbeing
Workforce Planning

ABOUT

About Personnel Today
Contact us
Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022
RSS feeds
Advertising specifications
Email Newsletters
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards

Employee Benefits
Employee Benefits Awards
Employee Benefits Live

Forum for Expatriate Management

OHW+
OHW+ membership

Whatmedia

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+