Employing individuals with the desired skillsets can be difficult.
And, with a dire skills shortage currently shrouding the UK jobs market and the uncertainties of Brexit continuing to prevail, employers are finding it more complex to find people with the correct skills match.
New research conducted by Michael Page has found that the new favoured skill of 2019 is candidates yielding ‘adaptable’ traits.
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Despite this being such a key skill that should be on every candidate’s radar, a whopping 85% failed to include this on their CVs.
The study found that less than half of the 2,000 workers polled viewed adaptability as a skill that they have themselves, while even less than 15% admitted promoting this highly desired trait on their CVs.
But, perhaps the reluctance to include this skill on a CV is down to common confusion of its definition?
According to businessdictionary.com, adaptability is defined as an ability for an individual to alter themselves and respond to changing environments. “Adaptability shows the ability to learn from experience and improves the fitness of the learner as a competitor,” the definition states.
Nick Kirk, UK Managing Director at Michael Page, anticipates the January jobs market to be incredibly busy – particularly with huge activity in latter months of 2018 which saw one in 40 workers seeking new work.
He said: “As adaptability is often a hidden skill, candidates should leave their comfort zones and try new things, to showcase the skill that will help them get ahead in their search for a new job.
“As January is one of the most competitive times for both clients and candidates, it becomes even more vital to stand out during this busy period.”
“Job seekers would certainly benefit from communicating how adaptable they are during the application process, to promote the qualities that employers’ value most and better align with their needs,” he said.
According to the survey, the vast majority (96%) of respondents agreed that the current employment climate demands more skills than ever before.
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Despite this, just nine per cent strongly agreed that they are aware of their skills competencies and just six per cent know how to highlight their desirable skillsets to prospective employers.
Kirk explained that their research highlighted a potential disconnect between an employer’s expectations and a candidate’s self-belief.
Additionally, 32% of people are still unaware of which skills employers are looking for which presses the need for employers to be articulate about their candidate requirements.
“We know that employers are increasingly looking for specific skillsets in candidates. It’s why, at Michael Page, we are committed to helping our candidates hone and articulate their skillsets in a way that makes them stand out in a very congested market. The demand for more skills also demonstrates how adaptability will be an incredibly powerful skill for candidates to identify in 2019,” he added.
