The impact of the skills gap and how recruitment agencies can help

The skills gap can have a huge impact on businesses and existing employees. A recent survey conducted by British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and the Open University has revealed that 63% of businesses in London and the South East are struggling due to a lack of qualified workers. The survey also shows that 65% of firms reported increased workloads on existing staff, while 47% shared that there has been a reduction in output due to the skills shortage.  

So, what does this mean for businesses? As the report found, skills shortages can put extra pressure on existing teams, impacting their ability to complete their day-to-day duties. In turn, this could lead to employee stress and burnout.  

The skills gap could mean less capacity to adopt new technologies and processes. As you likely already know, AI is a huge topic of late, and organisations are keen to implement AI tools and AI-led processes to streamline workload and increase productivity. But this can’t happen without sufficient staff in place.  

While skills shortages are undoubtedly stressful for companies and their employees, working with a recruitment agency could help. Here are just some of the ways partnering with a recruitment agency could help you fill those skills gaps to enable you to increase the productivity and success of your business.  

Work with a recruitment agency for access to larger talent pools 

The role you need to fill is niche, and you are finding it impossible to find candidates who fit the bill. Say no more! When you work with a recruitment agency, you gain access to a larger talent pool, often including candidates with unique skillsets and experiences. Recruitment consultants are well connected and have a large network of candidates spanning across different industries. This makes them best placed to support you to find the right candidate for the role, no matter how niche!  

Recruitment consultants can offer expert advice and invaluable market insights 

While you know your company better than anyone else, a recruitment consultant understands their market inside out. You may think you need a specific role, but recruitment consultants can advise you on whether a slightly different role or specification may be more suitable for your business needs. You may then find it easier to find the right candidate having adjusted the role slightly.  

Consultants can also advise on factors such as salary and seniority to help you decide whether your job specification is right for what you need and is appealing to potential candidates.  

Recruitment agencies can support with the onboarding process 

Data suggests that 1 in 10 candidates have left an employer within the first month due to a bad onboarding experience. Don’t underestimate the importance of onboarding for a new employee. It is essential that they feel welcome and comfortable in those first few weeks. If they feel overwhelmed and unsure of the expectation, it’s unlikely that they’ll stick around, and you’ll then be left with the same skill shortage as before – not good! 

When you work with a recruitment agency, they can support with the onboarding process. They can offer you useful advice and strategies to ensure your business successfully settles in new employees. Recruitment consultants will often check-in with their candidates ahead of their start date and once they have started, so they may be able to feedback if they feel the new starter needs some more support. 

Work with a recruitment agency if you are time-poor and need a role filling fast! 

If you’ve got skills gaps in your business, then chances are you’ll be short of time already. Finding a new employee can be time-consuming, so why not partner with a recruitment agency? They are well connected, with strong networks of candidates who could be the right fit for your role. If you have a niche role to fill that requires a specific skillset, you could partner with a recruitment agency on a retained basis – this means they work exclusively on the role at an agreed service level to ensure you find the right candidate, fast!  

There's no denying that recruitment agencies can help you fill those skills gaps, but there are many other benefits of partnering with an agency to support your talent acquisition. Here, we share some of the reasons your business could benefit from working with a recruitment agency like Gleeson Recruitment Group.

Once you've built a working relationship, you'll want to know how you can get the most out of your partnership - here, we explore the ways clients can work with a recruitment agency to get the best results.