Businesses look to shape post-Covid workforces with Santander’s virtual careers fair
Pam Ayres stars in Santander advert to read a 'Scam Sonnet'
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Some 23 per cent of businesses are signalling how they are now viewing hiring differently, with the ability to adapt and embrace change is the most sought-after skill (51 percent), followed by adaptability complemented by the willingness to do more than one type of job (47 per cent), and practical thinking the third most sought after skill (44 percent). For more than a third of businesses digital skills are now more important than pre-pandemic and over a quarter say that experience matters.
Susan Davies, Santander UK’s head of business banking, said: “From our daily conversations with businesses, we know that the shape of their workforce needs and the skills they’re looking for in employees have been changed by Covid-19.
“That’s why we’ve hosted our first virtual Careers Fair – to connect job seekers who have a wide range of experience, with businesses who have changing skills needs and employment opportunities.
“Almost 3,000 people joined the Careers Fair and participated in sessions, now available online, with a range of experts on topics ranging from interview skills to the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workforce.”
For many businesses, the most immediate impact of Covid-19 was the change to where they operated. One in five small businesses report that they are more likely to change their business premises because of the pandemic, with 34 percent of these planning to move their business to their home.
Among those planning to move from premises to home, the change is most popular with businesses in Northern Ireland (67 percent), the South East (44 percent) and North West (44 percent).
The shift to longer term remote working means employers are less restricted by geography when looking for new talent. Of those surveyed, one in 11 are more likely to hire people from outside their local area or region. In London nearly one-in-five businesses say they are more likely now to hire people to work remotely.
For nearly a third of small business owners and decision-makers surveyed safeguarding the jobs and livelihood of their employees was the main driver for keeping their business operating during the pandemic.
However, many still had to make difficult decisions withnearly a quarter reporting that they have made redundancies and entry-level employees most likely to have been affected.
As nearly one-in-five of those businesses who made redundancies say that their employee numbers will not return to pre-Covid-19 levels. Santander UK sees its online Careers Fair sessions helping to support job hunters to understand what employers are looking for.
Sessions focussed on green jobs and those with purpose, diversity and inclusions as business as usual and apprenticeships. Content from the event is available as part Santander UK’s Survive and Revive programme.
for more details visit: https://careersfair.
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