challenges Archives - Planet Recruitment

Challenges and Opportunities Facing IT Graduates

April 26, 2024/in business, business trends, challenges, Graduates, it, leadership, management, people, recruitment /by Alex Walker

The recruitment world frequently engages in discussions about the challenges and opportunities facing IT graduates, given the persistent demand for skilled professionals in the Information Technology sector.

However, despite the growing number of IT graduates entering the workforce, many of them seem to experience stressful times, especially when transitioning from academia to the professional world of work, according to some sources.

In this blog, we explore the cultural shifts, skills gaps and strategies that can empower young graduates to thrive in the IT industry and help businesses leverage the graduate talent pool.

Navigating the Cultural Shift: Transitioning from Campus to the IT Industry.

Recent surveys show that University grads often find themselves feeling “exhausted,” “lost,” and “anxious” as they step into the workforce. Contrary to popular belief, these struggles are not solely generational but cultural. The shift from education to the professional world involves three critical dimensions: Feedback, Relationships and Accountability.

Empowering IT Graduates: The Crucial Role of Feedback

In academia, feedback is an integral part of the academic program and fundamental to the successful completion of the course. Frequent and structured feedback is usually initiated and led by educators to address areas of concern and move forward.

In the workplace, it becomes more sporadic and nuanced. Graduates must adapt to receiving constructive criticism and learn to use it for growth. Especially IT Graduates should take ownership of their learning and development progress, actively seeking opportunities to demonstrate the application of the feedback in practice. This approach is often overlooked and underestimated but helps form positive relationships in the workplace that are fundamental to success.

Meaningful Connections: Building Relationships as IT Graduates

As previously mentioned, building professional relationships is essential. Networking, mentoring, and collaboration are vital skills in the early stages, especially in highly technical fields such as IT. IT Graduates should embrace opportunities and connect with colleagues, managers and industry professionals. One way to address this could be through community or work-based projects, showing enthusiasm and showcasing aptitude and accountability. This is critically important when you try to establish yourself in a professional environment.

Accountability And Personal Development

The transition from a structured academic environment to a more autonomous work setting can be daunting. Graduates must take ownership of their tasks, meet deadlines, and demonstrate reliability. This often goes together with a skill gap assessment and making a provision for ongoing learning. While degrees provide foundational knowledge, the rapidly changing technical landscape necessitates continuous learning. Employers seek candidates with relevant skills, regardless of their educational background.

Opportunities and Adaptability

This shows the importance of seeking further training and investing in personal development. In doing so, graduates demonstrate adaptability and suitability especially when choosing a career in an ever-evolving field such as IT and Engineering.

Perhaps the best advice, naturally, is to stay curious, explore emerging technologies, and seek professional development opportunities.

Some examples of areas of further development for IT graduates include:

Programming: Proficiency in programming languages (Python, Java, C++) is crucial. Graduates should work on real-world projects to hone their coding skills.

Cloud Computing: Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) are integral to modern IT. Familiarity with cloud services and deployment is advantageous.

Cybersecurity: Protecting digital assets is paramount. Basic knowledge of cybersecurity principles and practices is valuable.

Conclusion

To summarise, entering the workforce can be daunting, but with the right mindset and continuous learning, recent graduates can thrive. Smart companies should foster a supportive culture, and young employees should invest time and effort in mastering the necessary skills. The journey from campus to cubicle is a transformative one, and graduates have the opportunity to shape their own success stories.

If you are looking for an employment opportunity in the IT and Engineering field, reach out to our friendly team at Planet Recruitment. Start your new journey with us.

Read more about The Recruitment Skills Shortage..

Delving on the shortage of talent and what can be done to bridge the gap? An insightful blog exploring the key issues surrounding recruitment.

The Recruitment Skills Shortage: Mind The Gap

February 23, 2024/in challenges, construction, leadership, people, recruitment /by Darren Fuller

The recruitment skills shortage poses a significant challenge for businesses of all sizes. HR professionals and hiring managers must remain vigilant, keeping pace with industry trends and understanding the obstacles they face. As the demand for skilled workers consistently outpaces the available supply, strategic efforts are essential to address this ongoing issue.

Industry Insights Analysis

Across all industry sectors from IT, Engineering and Construction to Hospitality and Healthcare, businesses find it extremely difficult to fill their vacancies. This multi-faced and complex issue is a result of a combination of reasons namely the baby boomer generation retiring; the pandemic and Brexit are all to play.

Drilling down into sectors, IT and Technology, the rapid pace of digital innovation has led to a scarcity of developers, data scientists, and cybersecurity experts. Similarly, the healthcare industry is grappling with shortages of nurses, physicians, and medical researchers.

The engineering sector also experiencing a dearth of qualified professionals across various disciplines due to a lack of trained and skilled staff. According to many sources, many qualified and experienced staff on the managerial level are at or nearing retirement age. They are either staying put or have decided to end their careers with no prospects of being replaced.

What is causing your skills shortage?

When thinking of the world of recruitment challenges, important questions spring to mind: Firstly, why do we need to know all about the industry insights and trends; what can be done about it, and more importantly, how best to move forward?

The answers depend on the businesses’ individual circumstances as well as strategy. Some will have a greater impact than others. Nevertheless, understanding the drivers of change in the size of the workforce is important to identify the sources of vulnerability and resilience to future shocks. Also, staying abreast of the trends can help you navigate an unpredictable economic environment which has a direct financial impact on product and service delivery, affecting your business growth.

Do something about it.

To address the current challenges in the recruitment industry, organisations must strategically utilise technology, cultivate employer brands, and allocate resources to offer a comprehensive training and development initiative. Training and upskilling not only improves the ability of your existing employees, but well-executed training plans and courses are a major factor in attracting fresh talent.

It is also important to ask for help when needed. If you are struggling to fill vacancies, why not to speak to a quality recruitment agency for advice. Any reputable agency will be more than happy to offer free advice to struggling companies.

Thinking short-term can also help

Have you considered hiring contractors, or temporary staff to fill the skills you are missing? Every day without the right people is costing your business in loss of productivity and earnings.

As the workforce landscape evolves, staying ahead of the trends is paramount for businesses to maintain competitiveness in today’s dynamic and ever-changing job market.

If you’re facing recruitment challenges and need assistance, please reach out to one of our experts at Planet Recruitment. We specialise in connecting great employers with talented temporary and permanent candidates who are ready to make the impact. Whether you’re hiring for your company or seeking your next job opportunity, we strive to take the headache out of the process. Our personalised services, specialist teams, and accessibility ensure that you’re never left talking to a machine. Let’s find your next appointment together.

Meet Ieuan Morgan – Part of the Planet Family for 1 year!!

August 24, 2023/in challenges, construction, leadership, people, recruitment /by Barry OBrien

Ieuan Morgan joined the Planet Recruitment family one year ago… in that time he has become a key member of our industrial team – probably the busiest desk in the business.

Ieuan is a great guy so we thought you’d like to get to know a little more about him…

So Ieuan, let’s start with an easy one… tell us a little about yourself..?

My name is Ieuan Morgan. I’m from Didcot. Relatively new to recruitment. I have come from a football coaching background previously. I’ve been married for 18 months, and my wife and I are expecting our first child in December! It’s both exciting and very nerve-racking… but we can’t wait!!

What brought you to Planet?

I knew our Director, Graham Cole, previously having coached two of his sons. Also, Ollie Thomas & I went to the same school. I saw they were looking for a trainee recruitment consultant. I messaged Ollie and here I am!

Did you come across anything that surprised you when you joined?

Obviously coming from a ‘non-recruitment’ background, I came in with no preconceptions. Not many surprises so far, which is good.

Tell us about your role

I work on the industrial desk at Planet Recruitment. My main role is to find candidates for jobs and then get them out to work.

Planet Recruitment – What’s it like to work there?

It’s great! Every day is different. There’s a good group of people here. The office has a good feel about it. The team we have on our desk is great, it feels like you’re working with your mates and not just work colleagues.

Favourite Planet Memory?

There’s been a few good moments at Planet. Within my first month here we did Tough Mudder, which was a good achievement, so I would probably say that!

The biggest challenge at Planet?

This job can be ruthless at times. Especially when you’ve worked hard to get someone a job and they then don’t show up 🤦‍♂️. Thankfully that hasn’t happened very often!

What makes you tick outside work?

Like I said, I’m a football coach away from Planet. I’m in with the u16s at Oxford United three evenings a week and matches on a Saturday morning, so that keeps me pretty busy!

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I’m not sure I have a guilty pleasure; not one I want to admit here anyway! I would have to come back to you on that… 😆

So… I came across this photo. Please explain…?

My first Christmas party with the company. Too many beers, too early and not enough water! Very rooky error!

If you were to give advice to a 14-year-old you – what would it be?

Work hard in school. Do what makes you happy and follow any dreams with a passion and the desire to be the best at what you do.

If you were to give advice to a young person thinking of entering the world of recruitment, what would it be?

Do it! It’s a really rewarding job. Be prepared for stressful and long days though.

Challenges And Opportunities Facing The Construction Industry Today

July 27, 2023/in challenges, construction, leadership, people, recruitment /by Kris Blaszko

Yes, the UK construction industry faces challenges over the next 12 months and beyond, as it continues to fight back against the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising interest rates, and other rising costs. However, the industry also has some big opportunities to benefit from the government’s infrastructure plans, green initiatives and innovation as well as the increasing demand for private housing and improved infrastructure.

Economic Recovery

The construction industry in the UK is expected to shrink by 0.7% in real terms in 2024. But that’s an improvement following a 1.2% contraction in 2023. The main reason for the decline is rising interest rates and a blip of confidence in the residential sector. However, we are beginning to see signs of light at the end of that tunnel. Inflation is being reigned in and most experts predict that interest rates have now peaked.

The industry is expected to return to growth sooner rather than later, as the economy recovers from the threat of recession and consumer confidence improves. The government’s fiscal stimulus measures, such as the £100 billion National Infrastructure Strategy and the £4 billion Levelling Up Fund, will also support the construction industry’s recovery.

Green Transition

The UK construction industry has an opportunity to contribute to the global efforts to tackle climate change and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

To achieve these goals, the government has announced various green initiatives. These include the £9.2 billion Green Homes Grant Scheme, the £1 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, and the £5 billion Project Speed Programme.

We need to adapt to new regulations and standards and set minimum energy performance requirements for new buildings from 2025. As a sector, will also need to invest in innovation and digitalisation, offsite manufacturing, and smart technologies, to improve efficiency and quality.

Recruitment Opportunities

The industry still faces the significant challenge of recruiting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce. It is predicted that an extra 225,000 construction workers will be needed by 2027 (45,000 workers per year), with the major sectors in demand being private housing, infrastructure, and repair and maintenance.

Construction will also need to address the shortages of both skilled and unskilled labour, which are likely to be exacerbated by Brexit and an ageing construction workforce. We need to attract more young people, women and ethnic minorities into construction careers.

To help meet this challenge, the Construction Division here at Planet Recruitment strives to attract a diverse range of recruits for the industry and will work alongside our construction partners to deliver the candidates they may struggle to source themselves.

Embrace The Challenge

Yes, we are facing some challenges, but our sector has massive opportunities ahead. By recruiting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce, who are ready and able to work with new technologies and standards to improve efficiency and quality, the industry’s resilience and adaptability will be key to future growth.