According to a survey of 626 businesses by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, three quarters of organisations have highlighted an increase in the number of unsuitable candidates for job vacancies over the past year.

The main reason for these recruitment difficulties is a lack of necessary specialist or technical skills reported (72 per cent compared to 67 per cent in 2010), with managers/professionals and technical positions the most difficult posts to fill.

Those who are in work are reluctant to leave in a volatile market. The median turnover rate has remained consistently low throughout the recession and beyond, with figures this year indicating slightly less will to leave than even at the height of the recession.

The rate of voluntary leavers has increased slightly in the private sector (8.7 per cent in 2011, compared to 7.4 per cent in 2010) but decreased in the voluntary (7 per cent in 2011, compared to 10.2 per cent in 2010) and public sector services (3.4 per cent in 2011, compared to 5.8 per cent in 2010).

Claire McCartney, CIPD resourcing and talent planning adviser says, ‘High levels of unemployment have boosted quantity, but employers are still struggling with quality.

‘Headlines focus on high levels of unemployment, but those stark statistics mask an ongoing struggle for employers to find the skills and experience they need to drive their businesses forward. Shortages of specialist and technical skills run the risk of slamming an unwelcome brake on the long-term competitiveness of the UK economy.’

Julie Waddicor, managing director of Hays Human Resources adds, ‘It’s crucial for organisations to communicate not only what skills they need now and in the future but also really sell themselves as an employer of choice in order to secure their talent pipeline in years to come.’