CHIEF executives across the UK have cited a massive skills shortage across the buoyant employment market.

Eighty-four per cent of those interviewed said the issue was a major concern for their companies, made worse as research shows that around one in five candidates expect to leave their current employment within the next 12 months.

The YouGov survey also suggested the top three priorities for candidates during the recruitment process were to gain feedback when unsuccessful, to be given more feedback throughout the whole process, and to reduce the time between interviews and appointments.

Jobshop UK director, Tracey Wood, said: “Realistically, a company with fifty employees could be looking to recruit ten employees to replace those lost, on top of the additional employees they might want to be hiring in-line with company growth.

"Businesses are spending more on employer branding and talent attraction, but, current data shows the candidate experience is getting worse, with a startling discrepancy between what employers and employees think the solution should be.”