The myth of "British people wont do the jobs"

"We simply can't find the talent we need"

There seems to be a bit of a myth prevailing in this country, that British people can’t or won’t do the jobs on offer. That we are an unskilled people devoid of the talent needed for the jobs of today. I not only believe that to be profoundly wrong but also ignoring the reality of why there isn’t more interest in positions that are advertised.

Now I should start this by saying that yes, there are certain skills we may be in short supply of and that companies should be looking to the domestic workforce before ever considering overseas workers. This should also not be framed as “anti immigrant” because frankly immigrants have children too and their kids are just as affected by this as the rest of us.
I’ll be talking about my industry, as that’s where I have the most insight and what ultimately brought me to write about this. But we know of it being a similar story in industries where the skills or people are in short supply, such as care for the elderly. However, is it actually in short supply? Or is it (as I would argue) that salaries are simply too low for what the work commands, and in some cases so low that to accept the role would leave you in an unlivable state today.

I’ve seen article after article after article from the mainstream press, parroting the line that somehow less immigration will be a disaster for the sector, because its hard enough as it is to find the talent needed. Okay, I’ll concede that in terms of senior positions, there is some truth to this. However, that is simply because companies have failed to take on and cultivate the graduates who will eventually become those very people the industry needs.

https://www.standard.co.uk/business/rishi-sunak-new-visa-policy-will-sabotage-gaming-sector-b1130739.html

It is simply untenable to argue that there is a shortage of skills. Yes it is true that the average graduate in this industry is lacking the experience necessary to slip in to the role and seamlessly handle the job. But companies must accept that some level of training is necessary to rectify this. We have hundreds (if not thousands) of people across the universities of this country graduating every year with degrees related to various disciplines in film/VFX/Animation/Games, many of these skills are transferable. But there has for years now (even pre covid) been a drought of Junior positions on offer. I can’t recall personally seeing more than a few handfuls worth of positions directly advertised as graduate or Junior over the last 2 years for my discipline. Even if we conceded that at best 10-20% of those who graduate had what it takes for a job, we would still see supply outstrip demand. Shortage of skills? Please…

Let me move on to another issue that I referred to. Salaries. We seem to have a trend in this country where job listings simply list “competitive” as their salary only for candidates to discover the real figure is far lower than you would expect for a job demanding a degree and specific software experience.

Now consider that most companies at best offer hybrid work, and therefore require you to be in a commutable distance from their office. Combine that with them in all likelihood being located in some of the most expensive parts of the country: London, Guildford, Cambridge, Oxford etc etc. You would think that with that in mind they would want to compensate their staff fairly. Well you would be wrong! Here is an example of what I see all to often.

Yes you read that correctly. A fairly lengthy and specific set of software requirements. (not all of which are unfair). But add on to that a 7 stage hiring process, additional application questions and a salary of 25000. Below is a very apt statement from a recruiter I follow on Linkedin that really says all that needs to be said about that.

Whether you are right or left wing, we surely must all be able to agree that this is truly an absurd situation to be in. The UK creative industries are absolutely booming, record profits are being recorded every year and the growth shows no signs of slowing down. This is fantastic, but if the people who make it happen are not fairly compensated then I don’t know how long this will last. Brain drain is already starting to happen. Comparable jobs in the USA are often far higher than the UK (and that’s after taking in to account things like health insurance).

Whether you are a native brit or are of immigrant background. This affects us all. The downward pressure on wages from what is frankly unfettered and near open door immigration is not a net benefit. If, as we all surely want - to live in a fair and equal society, that equal treatment will apply to both the positives and negatives.