Nearly three quarters of UK businesses will now hire candidates from anywhere in the country
Over the past year, remote working has proven to be less of a hindrance and more of a benefit to a lot of UK businesses. As a result, business decision makers are more flexible when considering candidates for employment, with new research revealing that nearly three quarters (73%) are open to hiring people from anywhere in the UK, rather than just those local to their business.
The study, conducted by The University of Law Business School, also found that more than a quarter (29%) of those businesses are open to hiring new staff from outside of the UK, as companies look further afield for talent.
This is hardly surprising, considering that more than a third (36%) of UK firms have seen an increase in productivity in their staff since working from home was introduced, while almost a quarter (24%) have also enjoyed a boost to their profitability.
Interestingly, female decision makers are the most likely to employ a candidate from outside the business’ local area, with more than half (51%) stating they would hire from anywhere in the UK, compared to just 38% of men.
With the demand for remote workers rising, this has also created increased competition in the job market, so what qualities will make people stand out as a candidate?
According to the decision makers polled, the top five most desirable qualities for a candidate in a remote working position are:
- Self-motivation (41%)
- Good communication (34%)
- Adaptability (24%)
- Organisation (23%)
- Teamwork (20%)
The data shows that businesses find self-motivation to be the most appealing characteristic when hiring a remote member of staff, with 41% sharing this view. Being able to communicate effectively while working remotely away from your colleagues is also a key asset, with a third (34%) of bosses seeking this as a key attribute.
By contrast, despite the challenges many UK workers have faced through the pandemic in the last 12 months, resilience is the least sought-after quality, with only 4% of employers looking for this in a candidate.
Speaking about the findings, Andres Perez, Director at ULaw Business School, commented: “It’s fascinating to see how well businesses have adapted to working remotely in the last year or so.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, companies and employers were thrown into a scenario where they had to adopt a working dynamic that would have made a lot of employers nervous to begin with, but many have found it beneficial.
“With remote working set to grow further in popularity, the job market is now more flexible and international than ever, however, also more competitive. We are confident our findings will help inspire the next generation of the UK workforce moving forward to be open to opportunities beyond their geographical area.”
