10 MILLION WORKERS IN THE WRONG JOB  

Over 9.5 million UK employees are frustrated and unable to reach their full potential in their current role, according to research by global recruitment agency Randstad. More still complain that their company culture prevents them from performing to the best of their ability. Most worryingly, bosses are failing to bring out the best in almost 12 million staff, according to UK workers

In line with this, employers themselves admit that millions of employees are not right for their role, or even their company. The findings, from the 2009 Randstad Employment Trends Survey, reveal an alarming mismatch between candidates, job roles and company culture. They will make worrying reading for UK firms struggling to maintain workforce productivity as the recession takes hold.

Employers are not blind to the issue, the report finds – especially in the current climate: almost half (47%) state that part of their downturn strategy is to ensure future recruits are 100% right for the company.

Commenting on the findings, Di Hartley, Randstad’s UK Head of Strategic HR, said: “Engagement doesn’t just happen by finding someone with the right qualifications and experience. Personality, culture and company objectives all have a huge impact on the success of each employee.” 
 
Key findings from the research include:

• One third (33%) of British workers – equivalent to 9.7 million of the total UK workforce* – told Randstad that they feel unable to achieve their full potential in their current roles.  
• Younger employees are much more likely to express frustration with their jobs: 25% of those aged 55-64 are unhappy in their role, compared to 40% of those between 18 and 24.
• Over a third – 34%, or some 10 million staff – complained that their company’s culture prevents them from performing to their best.
• Female employees are most likely to approve of company culture: 70% of women feel they can perform to their best in their current firms, compared to 62% of men. 
• Those working for smaller businesses (less than ten staff) are most contented with their company culture, 77% giving it the thumbs up, compared with 64% among companies with over 250 employees.
• Some two fifths (40%) of staff – 11.75 million workers – complained that their boss does not bring out the best in them. 
• Even employers admit that their own staff may not be in the right place, estimating on average that 20% of staff would be better suited to a different role within the company.
• More shocking still is their estimate that one in six (16%) would be better suited to a different company entirely.  
• In addition, some seven in ten employers (69%) admit that employees leave them due to a poor ‘boss fit’.
• This lack of alignment is hitting productivity at the worst possible time: employers estimate that staff could be almost 10% more productive on average given improved job alignment.

Hartley concluded:: “Keeping employees motivated to help maintain productivity is critical as we head further into recession. Yet UK firms are failing to engage their workforce, by placing people in the wrong role, with the wrong boss or even in the wrong company, damaging productivity by up to 10%.
 
“At this stage of the economic cycle, this is rather too much baggage to be carrying.”

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