Pictured: Nikki Duggins

The jobs market will only improve if more effort is put into matching the skills of would-be employees with the needs of employers, according to a Midland recruitment agency.

Nikki Duggins, branch manager at the Alcester offices of nationwide Talent Recruitment, is concerned that unemployment levels will remain in the doldrums as long as companies have to deal with increasing numbers of unsuitable candidates for jobs.

A survey from the resourcing and talent planning department of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, found that 73 per cent of employers were worried about being swamped with inappropriate applicants for vacancies.

According to the survey, 75 per cent of organisations had experienced difficulties in recruitment over the last year, while finding jobs for people had been made more difficult by those in work being reluctant to voluntarily leave in the present unpredictable market.

Nikki said: "Although we have been unusually busy in the last couple of months, there is still an underlying problem for employers looking to recruit the right person with the right skills.

"Employers and human resource staff are finding that from the CVs they receive for a particular vacancy there are quite often no candidates whose skills fit the criteria laid down.

"There are two reasons for this. One, the high levels of unemployment and uncertainties about the economic future of the country mean a reluctance among the skilled workforce to voluntarily change jobs, and, two, there are so many chasing so few jobs that companies are being sent a whole range of candidates.

"The reason why we are achieving results among employers is that before we recommend anyone for a vacancy we make sure their skills match the job available.

"That is made all the more important when it is realised that, because of the problems of recruitment and budget cut-backs, employers are now turning to in-house training and development".

Recruitment agencies, said Nikki, will feel the pinch from such a change in direction if they do not take care in matching the skills of their candidates to the job.

"As public sector cuts begin to have an effect and private sector growth remains as low as it is, there are difficult times ahead, but they can be overcome through building trust among employers that they will not be wasting their time by interviewing inappropriate people".