Day One
Helping you hire better
Emerging talents' role in ending the tech skills gap
In the dynamic landscape of the United Kingdom's job market, a complex interplay of factors shapes the opportunities and challenges facing both emerging talent and employers. For young people seeking their first opportunity, there is a lack of clarity around the skills they will need in the workplace, and employers struggle with knowing whether applicants for roles possess the attributes they claim to have. This is often leading to a situation where emerging talent lack confidence in themselves, causing talent seekers to discard applications from young people, assuming they are simply unprepared and ill-equipped for their first job. Another phenomenon which is present in the UK market is that of unconscious bias. Too often, perceptions cloud the judgement of recruiters, whether that is a conscious action or not. This makes it difficult for emerging talent to be judged based solely on their talents and characteristics and can lead to a tech workforce which lacks diversity.
A first point to focus on is that of the skills gap. It is becoming widely accepted that there is a growing gap in the UK market, with skills in demand changing rapidly in line with the constantly shifting industry. However, if we take a step back and assess this, is the skills gap as large as many of us believe? If we reframe our mindsets on this issue, it could be that there is a confidence gap rather than a skills one. It could easily be seen that emerging talent have all the necessary skills needed for their first opportunity but lack self-belief to apply for roles they are more than prepared for, and employers choose to underestimate these career starters, minimising risk for their organisations.
Another hugely prevalent issue within the UK tech industry is that of the lack of diversity. Whilst steps are being taken in order to make the workforce more representative of the wider population, it is undeniable that more work must be done in order to correct the disparity. According to the Tech Talent Charter, just 28% of workers are gender minorities. This fact is astounding, especially since it has been estimated by CFG that achieving gender parity in the tech industry could add £2.6 billion to the UK economy. Just 25% of the industry are from an ethnic minority background, and only 3% of tech employees are neurodivergent. These facts are confronting and striking and should serve as a constant reminder that our industry has plenty of room for improvement when it comes to achieving a diverse workforce. With enhanced diversity, the industry would see an increase in innovation and creativity, alongside several other benefits.
Linked closely with the lack of diversity within the industry is the topical concern of unconscious bias. Defined as the attitudes, stereotypes and beliefs that influence our understanding, actions and beliefs in an unconscious manner, unconscious bias affects each and every member of society. Within the HR world, 82% of hiring managers admitted that this phenomenon plays a role in hiring decisions, indicating just how widespread this issue is. Furthermore, 71% of UK employers said that diversity and inclusion were important to their businesses, but only 28% had taken steps to remove bias from their recruitment processes. These statistics clearly show just how great of an issue this is, and yet not many steps are being actively taken in order to combat this issue. If we were to minimise unconscious bias within the industry, it is undeniable that there would be a significant improvement in terms of diversity. Individuals would be recognized based on who they are, rather than factors which lie outside of their control.
It is undeniable that these are some of the large issues affecting our industry at the moment, and the question remains- what can we do to minimise these phenomena and hire in a better way? A starting point would be to verify the skills of emerging talent, helping to close that confidence gap we talked about earlier, making sure that young people can demonstrate their skills, and employers can be confident that their new employees will fit seamlessly into office life from day one. The issue of unconscious bias is undeniably a little harder to eradicate, as a large societal issue. However, in the world of job seeking, it might be beneficial to anonymise the recruitment process, providing only the skills and attributes of talent to recruiters, ensuring that these are the sole reasons for a candidate’s progression within a company, promoting fairness and diversity within the industry. It is the responsibility of everyone to make small changes to the way we view emerging talent, the effect will be profound.
Want to hear more about how you can hire better? Contact us at www.dayonework.com
Author: Sian Wilson, Executive Director Commercial, Day One
techUK and TechSkills at London Tech Week
techUK is proud to once again be a strategic partner of London Tech Week. The event is a fantastic showcase for UK tech, and we’re pleased that techUK members and colleagues are represented on the agenda.
We are excited to be working with 20 techUK members at London Tech Week to highlight the positive impact of the tech industry in the UK.
You can find more details on the author of this blog, below:
London Tech Week: Fringe events
techUK is leading several fringe events across the week on topics as varied as Justice and Emergency Services, Local Public Services, Digital ID, and international trade. Visit the pages below to register:
