Workhuman research finds a quarter of employees in Ireland are slowed down by under-skilled colleagues

Workhuman®, the company revolutionising the way employees celebrate, connect with and appreciate each other in the workplace, has announced new findings from its Human Workplace Index, which found that employees in Ireland are struggling to meet the demands of their jobs due to skills gaps. The research found that 70% of employees say they work with one or more people whose skill sets do not meet the criteria of the role. This is resulting in 24% of employees saying they are being slowed down because they have to provide a lot of support to those colleagues.

The survey of 1,000 full-time employees in Ireland was commissioned by Workhuman and conducted by Pollfish to gain insights into company cultures and the employee experience, including the impact of skills gaps on employees.

The research showed that while significant skills gaps prevail in Ireland, employees are proactively seeking to upskill. Some 86% of those surveyed said that they are aiming to learn at least one new skill this year. Almost half (48%) believe this will help them to uncover new job opportunities, while 47% are seeking a salary increase or promotion. A further 20% are motivated to learn a new skill because they are planning a career change.

As employees seek self-improvement, Workhuman’s research suggests that the majority of businesses are doing the same. The study found that 80% of employees report that their company is making efforts to foster a positive work culture. Of these, 64% say that they are succeeding but 36% say they are not. The survey showed that according to employees (cited by 40%) appreciation and recognition is most important factor that contributes to a positive workplace culture, followed by open and transparent communication (32%). Interestingly, just 11% said opportunities for growth and development influence their perception of their workplace culture.

Reflecting the widespread focus on company culture, almost three-quarters (72%) of employees say that their organisation has a defined set of company values. However, Workhuman’s research suggests that there is a disconnect between employers’ intentions and their employees’ experiences. Some 29% of employees who are aware of defined company values in their organisation say that these values don’t match the culture they experience day-to-day.

Niamh Graham, Senior Vice President of Global Human Experience, Workhuman: “Leaders across industries have noted the skills shortage and the potential ramifications for businesses. This data reveals that this isn’t just a concern for executives; individual contributors are feeling the effects of this as well and are being vocal about their desire to expand their expertise. 

“There has been an explosion of new technologies in recent years that are specifically driven by how we work, live, spend, and interact. In turn, roles and job requirements across artificial intelligence, eCommerce, information security, data, video communications, user experience, and more, have grown enormously and we are left to play catch-up. Companies need to rethink their hiring, skills, and talent development strategies, and adopting agile HR practices is key. In addition, platforms which give insight to where your talent pool is are now more necessary than ever.

“In addition, it’s encouraging to see that there is an increased emphasis among businesses on employee engagement, which is leading to greater investments in their cultures and their people. However, it is important that all strategies are regularly reviewed to ensure that they don’t just sound nice; businesses must be able to say definitively that they are having a real, positive impact on the workforce.”

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