Transferable skills: recruiting from compatible industries
Table of Contents
- Maximise transferable skills
- Plugging skills gaps in the future
- Retaining talent
- The most compatible industries
In a changing job market, businesses hiring as a result of high demand can look to recruit people from outside of their current industry, by understanding which transferable skills are the most relevant. Totaljobs research has found the most compatible industries when it comes to skills, so employers can recruit staff with these in mind and find people who can hit the ground running.
Following the Covid-19 outbreak, the UK market has had to shift to quickly adapt to the ever-changing situation.
For some people, this has meant being displaced from their job and finding a new role in a different industry out of necessity – from former airline staff working in hospitals, to hospitality workers finding temporary work as delivery drivers.
Totaljobs research shows that of those who have started working in a different industry following Covid-19, 67% believe the skills they already had were of use. This is promising given that many employers are having to adapt or shorten their existing recruitment process and ensure staff can hit the ground running.
Other UK workers are using this time to re-assess their careers, with 70% now more likely to consider working in a different sector, while a quarter expect to change industries within the next year.
Opportunities for employers to maximise transferable skills
For employers, particularly those facing increased demand at this time, there’s opportunity to build talent pools of candidates who might not have previous experience within their sector but have picked up relevant transferable skills elsewhere.
These in-demand sectors include social care, logistics, retail, IT and engineering. Find out more about compatible industries employers in these sectors can recruit from.
Plugging skills gaps in the future
For businesses who have had to pause recruitment or furlough staff, they can consider what matters to their workforce and what can keep staff engaged once working life begins to move back to what we were used to before Covid-19.
69%
of workers want to see a greater focus on work life balance when work returns to ‘normal’.
With this, previous research from Totaljobs and the British Chambers of Commerce showed that 72% of firms face skills or labour shortages, even before Covid-19.
For this reason, employers recruiting in the future can overcome longstanding skills shortages and increase the chances of a long-term successful hire, by looking for candidates in different industries.
40%
of candidates believe that potential employers will now be more open to hiring someone who has experience from a different industry.
Retaining talent
Businesses concerned about workers looking to make a change and leave their industry and their company, they can consider the following factors to retain talent.
Workers said they could be persuaded to stay put and not move industries (or employer) if they were offered:
- An increase in salary – 45%
- Better work-life balance – 34%
- Increased job security – 33%
- More training and development opportunities – 29%
- Clearer career progression – 22%
- Remote working opportunities – 14%
The most compatible industries
According to our research, the below are the top ten best matched industries in terms of transferable skills:
View the complete press release
Totaljobs surveyed 5,364 respondents between 20th and 27th April 2020. Separately, Opinium surveyed 2,000 respondents on behalf of Totaljobs between 21st and 24th April 2020. Totaljobs also commissioned analysis of 273,000 job ads and over 1 million skills to obtain compatibility scores for key UK industries. The analysis identified the top skills associated with each industry and calculated compatibility by comparing the number of overlapping key skills between two industries as a percentage of the total number of skills listed in the primary industry (i.e. the industry in which an individual works).
Recruiter’s FAQs
How can I identify which transferable skills are most relevant for my vacancies?
Start by breaking down the core tasks of the role and mapping them against skills commonly used in other industries. For example, customer service skills from hospitality can translate well into retail or care roles, while project management experience from IT may be applied in engineering or logistics. Using skills-based job descriptions rather than focusing solely on industry-specific experience helps widen the talent pool.
Which industries are most compatible when it comes to transferable skills?
Totaljobs research highlights strong compatibility between sectors such as social care, logistics, retail, IT and engineering. Candidates from these industries often share overlapping skills in communication, problem-solving, teamwork and adaptability. This means employers can confidently recruit outside their sector while still finding candidates who can hit the ground running.
What steps can I take to retain talent who might be considering a move to a different industry?
Retention goes beyond salary alone. Workers say they are more likely to stay if offered a better work-life balance, greater job security, clearer career progression, or more training and development opportunities. Providing flexible working options and transparent communication about career growth can also help keep employees engaged and reduce the risk of losing them to another sector.
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