Get ready to meet your new co-worker…in seven weeks’ time
Good news: if you've been using the empty desk next to you as extra storage space for piles of paperwork, a study out today suggests you have a while before you'll need to tidy up.
A survey of financial services executives by recruiter Robert Half discovered that it takes an average of seven weeks to fill a permanent role, thanks to a heightened level of competition for talented individuals.
Those working in risk can procrastinate on their attempts to clean up for a new colleague for even longer, with these roles taking 8.2 weeks on average to fill.
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"’In a competitive marketplace, financial services firms are eager to avoid having vital roles left vacant for crucial functions, such as risk and compliance, for extended periods," explained Luke Davis, vice-president of Robert Half Financial Services. "During the hiring process, it can be challenging to keep this a priority while managing the day-to-day activities of the function, coordinating schedules, booking interviews and screening interviews.
"As a result, this extended hiring process could result in businesses missing out on skilled candidates to their competitors."
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Earlier research by recruiter Barclay Simpson has also found that bosses' hopes of finding the perfect staff member are often dashed by skills shortages. In particular, 75 per cent of managers believed that seeking out a worker with top notch compliance skills was difficult.
Meanwhile, a survey from the start of this year by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills discovered that nearly one in four current job listings is empty because those recruiting for them are unable to find somebody with the right set of skills.