As millions of young people across Edinburgh await their exam results and prepare to enter the world of work, new research from Scottish Gas has highlighted that soft skills and personality are top attributes the majority of Scottish business leaders look for when hiring.
· Nine in ten employers in Edinburgh believe job-seekers should focus on soft skills just as much as their grades
· More than a quarter of businesses look at a candidate’s social media profile to gauge their personality
· Yet 52 per cent of young people across Edinburgh think businesses only care about academic grades
· Most employers say candidates who volunteer are more likely to develop soft skills and make great hires
Three in five bosses surveyed in Edinburgh look for volunteering experience as evidence of these skills and almost all (93%) say a business can get great results from employees who have volunteered. Almost half of employers in Edinburgh say they have turned down candidates because they lacked soft skills and personality.
Employers are also scouring the internet to get clues on a candidate’s social skills. More than a quarter (26%) say they look at a candidate’s social media profile to gauge their personality before meeting them in person. Despite this, more than four in ten young people admit their social profile online is not ‘potential employer-ready’.
In Edinburgh, more than half of 16-25 year-olds think businesses only care about academic grades when hiring. However, nine in ten employers say candidates should focus on soft skills just as much as their grades.
Despite soft skills and volunteering being top priorities for employers, almost half of young people have never volunteered, and more than a fifth do not believe that it will help them get a job. A third admit to being too busy concentrating on exams to make time for volunteering.
Hugh Aitken, Director of CBI Scotland, which represents business leaders, said: “The value that individuals with well-honed soft skills bring to a business is indisputable. As this research and our own indicates, business leaders are very clear about wanting to hire people with the right behaviours and attitude.
“It’s fantastic to see companies like Scottish Gas highlighting the need for young adults to have soft skills, and should emphasise the truth to young adults that companies do want more than just qualifications.”
Eight in ten business leaders in Scotland say their company should invest more in offering volunteering opportunities to employees, as they believe it would have a positive impact on the company. This is borne out among candidates: almost a fifth of young people in Scotland say they actively look for volunteering opportunities when choosing a business they would like to work for.
Lesley Avinou, Head of Customer Service at Scottish Gas commented: “Whilst good exam results can boost opportunities for young people, our survey highlights that employers are also looking for evidence of soft skills and personality before making a final decision on who to hire.
“Most young people think that employers only care about their academic achievements – but that’s not the case. There’s a real opportunity for young people to boost their chances of employment through volunteering, which is a great indicator of soft skills.
“All of our apprentices complete the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, during which they spend time volunteering in their community. We find that this helps our employees to relate better to our customers and improve service.”
Scottish Gas also supports each of its employees to take two days paid volunteering leave in work time. Employees are encouraged to make a difference in their local community by not only sharing their time, but their expert skills as well. Last year, around 930 Scottish Gas people gave almost 10,500 hours of volunteering time to support good causes across Scotland.
When interviewing new employees, Scottish Gas asks candidates about their volunteering experience, to give them the opportunity to demonstrate skills they may have developed as a result.
Case study:
Tommy Nimmo, British Gas Engineer, Edinburgh and Lothians
Tommy Nimmo, 32, started his career with Scottish Gas in 2008 after serving in the army as a radio systems operator. He is a service and repair engineer covering Edinburgh & East Lothian.
During his Scottish Gas apprenticeship, Tommy achieved his Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award. He said: “Every apprentice on my programme has the opportunity to achieve their Gold Award. Over 18 months, I had the chance to learn so many new skills and I enjoyed every activity.
“For the residential element of the award we went on a week-long expedition in the forest. It was physically and mentally challenging and we had to work as a team with people we didn’t know. We really bonded as a group after plenty of team-building tasks. It was a great way to build confidence and trust and get to know each other. I gained a real sense of achievement from the challenge at the end felt I could do anything I set my mind to.
“I also volunteered as a youth football coach with young children at Salvesen Boys Club in Edinburgh. I love football, and coaching the kids was so rewarding. They loved it and so did I – it was great to be able to give something back to my local community.”
He added: “I use the skills I gained every day, and I know my colleagues do too. I grew in confidence through achieving my Gold Award and learned so much about working as team. I really benefitted from the volunteering and definitely enjoyed it as much as the children did.
“I’d encourage any young person to do the Award. It’s helped me personally and in my career. It’s so much fun, so rewarding and I’ll remember the experience forever.”
24
0
20
