Global → United Kingdom
Talent Market Drivers Since the Start of COVID: United Kingdom Report
LinkedIn data on what talent wants, what employers need, and what we’re learning in the Great Reshuffle
The global talent market has never changed this much, this quickly. Call it the Great Reshuffle: a time when everyone is rethinking everything.
As employees reconsider where they work and why, employers are recalibrating their talent needs and company culture. It’s a learning process for all involved. This report is here to help you understand the biggest changes since COVID-19 began.
What talent wants from employers
Candidates are rethinking how they choose an employer.
Today's top priorities when considering a new company (UK, June 2021):
1. Good work-life balance
2. Excellent compensation and benefits
3. Colleagues and culture that inspire employees to do their best
Priorities growing most in importance since COVID-19 began (UK)
1. Inclusive workplace for people of diverse backgrounds +39%
2. Flexible work arrangements +22%
3. Open and effective management +11%
In the UK, the biggest change in candidate priorities is inclusion and diversity in the workplace; the happiness this creates translates into success. Flexible work arrangements are a key focus, as over half of UK workers want to work from home in the future.
The last 18 months has also highlighted the importance of open and effective management, as this enables the balance to be happy and productive.
Global data shows companies are falling short where it matters the most.
This may be because companies aren’t delivering what employees want. Work-life balance and compensation scored low on employee surveys over the past year, according to global data from Glint.
Also, while flexibility is important it doesn’t always mean better work-life balance. Global data from LinkedIn and Glint showed employees at remote-friendly companies were 32% more likely to struggle with work-life balance.
What employers need from talent
Employer demand for certain roles is rising fast.
Click through the tabs below to explore hiring demand trends.
Jobs with the fastest-growing demand
Q2 2021 vs. Q2 2020 (UK)
1. Delivery Driver +37x
2. Customer Assistant +17x
3. Javascript Developer +12x
4. Sales Executive +6x
5. Cloud Engineer +6x
Jobs with the fastest-growing demand
Q2 2021 vs. Q2 2020 (UK)
1. Delivery Driver +37x
2. Customer Assistant +17x
3. Javascript Developer +12x
4. Sales Executive +6x
5. Cloud Engineer +6x
6. Account Executive +5x
7. Sales Development Representative +5x
8. Customer Service Advisor +5x
9. Account Manager +5x
10. Warehouse Operative +5x
Most in-demand jobs in Q2 2021
April 1 - June 30, 2021 (UK)
1. Customer Assistant
2. Delivery Driver
3. Software Engineer
4. Project Manager
5. Javascript Developer
6. Business Analyst
7. Account Manager
8. Business Development
Businesses need help delivering
As the skyrocketing demand for delivery drivers indicates, the last 18 months have impacted the online retail landscape, as lockdown measures put a greater emphasis on online shopping, creating a rising demand for people with the skills to enable this. This is also evident from the 5x increase in demand for both warehouse operators, and customer service advisors.
IT career prospects remain strong
The rising demand for cloud engineers has highlighted that there are a number of roles that have always been in high demand, and over the last 18 months have remained somewhat ‘pandemic-proof’. While there has been a surge in roles within sectors that grew during COVID-19, there is still strong demand for highly-skilled tech and IT professionals.
A human face for online sales
The rise in demand for sales roles such as customer assistants and sales advisors has shown that even as retail and shopping habits have shifted largely online over the last 18 months, the human element of buying remains an important part of the process.
Top skills being learned by talent
People are learning skills to meet market demands.
Click the tabs below to explore how these skills connect to market demands.
Most popular courses on LinkedIn Learning
July 2020 - June 2021
1. Unconscious Bias
2. Strategic Thinking
3. Excel Essential Training
4. Speaking Confidently and Effectively
5. Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
6. Communicating with Confidence
7. Learning Excel 2019
8. Delivering an Authentic Elevator Pitch
9. Agile Foundations
10. SQL Essential Training
Creating an inclusive, equitable workplace for all
The single most popular course over the last year was Unconscious Bias, taught by Stacey Gordon. It was one of many popular courses that aim to promote a workplace culture of diversity and inclusion.
We’ve already seen how an inclusive workplace is increasingly important to candidates. The fact that over 44,000 learners have watched this course signals that people are investing time and taking action to foster belonging at their organisations.
Sales Skills
Q2 2021 vs. Q2 2020
Soft skills like speaking confidently and effectively, and delivering an authentic elevator pitch are important to have, and can benefit those working in nearly any role. However they’re especially important in sales, as demand for this talent has grown in the last year.
Tech skills
Q2 2021 vs. Q2 2020
Hard data skills also cropped up often in the most popular courses, from mastering Microsoft Excel to learning SQL to deal with databases. Since the pandemic only accelerated trends of digital transformation, businesses need talent to translate the ever-growing stores of raw data into actionable insights.
Communication Skills
Q2 2021 vs. Q2 2020
Communication is another skill being developed across many of the top courses. Effective communication skills is particularly important for in-demand jobs in customer service as customer assistant and customer service advisor are the #2 and #9 most in-demand jobs respectively.
Looking forward to a post-pandemic future
With the great reshuffle among us, and likely to continue for the foreseeable future, these figures show that the more human side of the workforce the pandemic has brought out is something that candidates will look for to ensure their happiness in the workplace. Not just passively, as so many actively seek training to ensure more diverse and inclusive workplaces as well.
And whether that’s in the office, at home, or a hybrid of the two, this is a trend that looks to carry on in the post-pandemic future, as a happier and more balanced workforce has proven to be a more productive one. It’s in everyone’s best interests to make the most of this change, by communicating the core values that line up with this, and taking steps to ensure a supportive, and more diverse workplace.
Methodology
For the full methodology, see the notes on the global edition of the report. All insights on this page are specific to the United Kingdom, with the exception of the graphic comparing top candidate priorities against company performance, which is based on global Glint and LinkedIn data.