The UK faces a shortage of cyber staff, a trade body suggests. The staff appointment survey data for May 2017 highlighted a sharp and accelerated increase in permanent staff placements across the UK, according to research firm Markit and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). Temp billings also rose at a steeper pace, and recorded the strongest rate of growth since March 2015. The availability of staff to fill vacancies continued to decline.
What they say
Tom Hadley, REC Director of Policy says: “The challenges facing the next government are stark. Demand for staff is the strongest in almost two years, but the number of people available to take those jobs has plummeted. Official data shows unemployment has dropped to the lowest level since 1975, and EU citizens are leaving the UK in droves. Employers seeking to fill vacancies are running out of options.
“Skill shortages are causing headaches in many sectors. The NHS for example is becoming increasingly reliant on short-term cover to fill gaps in hospital rotas because there aren’t enough nurses to take permanent roles. Meanwhile, the shortage of people with cyber security skills is a particular concern in many businesses in the wake of the recent high-profile WannaCry attacks.
“Whichever party forms the next government must focus on improving the employability of our young people and boosting inclusion for underrepresented groups. Alongside this, these figures clearly show that in many sectors we need more, not fewer people so that businesses can grow and public services continue to deliver.”
Comment
Neil Owen, Director, at IT staff recruitment firm Robert Half Technology, said: “With healthcare systems being shut down and organisations being held to ransom by savvy cyber criminals, IT security continues to be at the forefront of organisations list of priorities. Yet the lack of available talent is holding businesses back. Our research shows that only every third CIO is confident that their teams have the skills to manage emerging threats.
“The evolution of cyber threats and the current skills shortage in cyber security is responsible for the chronic shortage of skilled IT talent. In total, 90% of IT directors say it’s challenging to find skilled technology professionals today. And the problem doesn’t end there. Even once businesses have found someone to fill IT security roles then holding on to them is even more of a concern with 83pc of IT directors equally concerned about losing top IT performers to other opportunities.
“In an increasingly competitive labour market, the best talent won’t hang around for long. It’s important not to take too long deliberating over a hiring decision by setting a clear timeframe for interviews, only shortlisting the best candidates and ensuring that top choices match the job requirements.
“It’s also important to consider that candidates with the required skill set might not always be available. Organisations need to look internally – nurturing talent and keep their current workforce engaged by seeking out opportunities to train their existing employees on cybersecurity practices to avoid being a victim to the next cyber-attack.”
Earlier this year, Robert Half found that nearly three-quarters (74pc) of UK CIOs and IT directors are frequently faced with IT candidates who are not able to meet the skill level required for the role they are applying for.
