GCA survey points to changing attitudes in recruitment

A survey undertaken by automotive and engineering recruitment specialist, Glen Callum Associates (GCA), indicates a massive sea-change in the world of recruitment for both employee and employer.

The specialist, which has led the automotive aftermarket in the introduction of new initiatives such as video interviewing in a post-covid 19 world, has conducted a series of surveys to reaffirm its belief that recruitment is undergoing its biggest change in a generation and that employers must be prepared to change their culture and hiring strategies to attract the best talent.

Building on from GCA’s survey conducted with IAAF members at the 2020 conference, in which ‘job security’ was the biggest career choice for industry personnel, the latest 2021 survey asked people “what is the most important element for considering a career move?”

“Culture and flexible working” scored the highest vote with 37 percent, while career stability recorded 24 percent of votes. Career prospects received the lowest number of votes with just 18 percent, while “salary and package” received 21 percent of votes.

Looking at the data recorded, GCA then asked the industry if they would take a lesser paid role to join a company with a vibrant culture, built-in flexibility and a people-focused ethos. Seventy percent of respondents said “yes” to a lesser paid role, while only 16 percent said “no”, with the rest undecided.

GCA director, Glen Shepherd, said: “We’re proactively preparing employers for a shift in demand in the way candidates search for jobs, whilst also understanding candidate behavioral trends and candidate expectations. It’s quite clear that employees strive for a happier work-life balance following the pandemic and the automotive aftermarket will need to adapt in order to attract the best talent.

“If you can understand the data and trends behind what drives the candidate market, you can improve your proposition, hiring strategy and continually improve your chances of making great hires consistently.

“It’s also extremely clear that the best way to continually attract great talent is to include recruitment as part of your marketing and overall business strategy that enables candidates to naturally have your organisation on their radar.”

The GCA survey then looked at hiring trends, with vacancies across the sector at their highest but applications from candidates down. When asked about how people learn about new career opportunities, 32 percent said they spoke with recruitment specialists like GCA, and 30 percent said they look at social media for updates. So, combining social media with an industry recruitment expert will cover 62 percent of passive potential candidates.

Finally, 73 percent of respondents said that a lengthy interview process deters people from applying and also accepting a role, proving that a robust, dynamic recruitment process, supported by a recruitment specialist, was an optimum and cost-effective way to attract top talent in a candidate focused marketplace.

For more information on Glen Callum Associates, please visit www.glencallum.co.uk