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17 June 2009

New research from the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) has revealed that recently redundant workers only have a six month window to get back to work before the stigma of being unemployed kicks in.

Bouncing back – attitudes to unemployment, based on a survey of over 1,000 managers, shows that unemployment doesn’t initially carry the stigma that those losing their jobs might fear. 84% of managers responding said the employment status of applicants is irrelevant as they don’t consider it an indicator of ability or performance in the current climate of redundancies.

However, after six months out of work the picture changes, with over a quarter (28%) of employers becoming less likely to hire someone they consider to be long-term unemployed. With more people chasing fewer jobs this limited shelf-life will come as a concern to anyone recently made redundant.

The research identified a number of positive initiatives individuals can undertake to boost their employability including:
• studying for a relevant vocational or academic qualification
• keeping up-to-date with industry developments
• undertaking voluntary work
Unfortunately, those considering jetting off to escape the doom and gloom should think twice, as taking a gap year to go travelling or volunteering overseas were rated as unattractive to potential employers.

Penny de Valk, Chief Executive of ILM, who commissioned the research, said: “Unemployment isn’t necessarily an indicator of ability, especially in the current climate when hundreds of talented individuals are being made redundant through no fault of their own. The good news is that most employers will treat unemployed applicants exactly the same as other candidates.

“The research shows that it is important for job seekers to try and get back to work as quickly as possible. They should use their time not only job hunting but finding ways to put themselves in front of the competition.

“The most effective way for job seekers to boost their future employment prospects is to play to their strengths, freshen up their knowledge and skills and keep up to date with developments in their sector.”

Richard Osborn from Lincolnshire was made redundant from a manufacturing firm in March this year. He says: “It is a tough jobs market; you have to really sell yourself to get noticed now. Although it is difficult it is vital to remain positive and remember that the knockbacks are due to the hundreds of people all applying for the same vacancy, not because you can’t do the job. It is a hard slog but I am confident that I will get back into employment soon”.

Last month, ILM launched a free launched a free support package to help unemployed managers get back to work www.i-l-m.com/freesupport.

Free to out of work managers in the UK, it includes:
• access to current vacancies through Jobs Boards;
• practical help with getting a job through CV support, letter writing and interview techniques;
• networking and professional development events
• an online resource (Harvard Manage Mentor) of 42 learning modules on skills such as budgeting, negotiation, strategic thinking and innovation;
• a series of discounts on lifestyle products from parking and insurance to hotels and holidays; and
• a free subscription to Edge magazine, packed full of information and advice for managers.

Ends/..

For further information or interviews with Penny de Valk, Chief Executive of ILM, or unemployed manager case studies, please contact:
Amy MacLaren, Rebecca Griffiths or Ellie Backhouse at Colman Getty:
020 7631 2666 amy@colmangetty.co.uk / rebeccagriffiths@colmangetty.co.uk / ellie@colmangetty.co.uk

Notes to editors:

ILM is the UK’s leading organisation for leadership and management; over ½ million of the 4.5 million practising managers in the UK have gained an ILM qualification in the last eight years and 30,000 are members, committed to their own continuing professional development. ILM wanted to ask its members, and the managers in training organisations offering ILM qualifications, what their attitudes and expectations were in relation to unemployed applicants for jobs in their organisations.

The research was carried out in May 2009; some 1,007 managers responded to the survey, one quarter of whom have leading roles in the recruitment process, as HR specialists (7%) or as recruitment decision-makers (17%). Just under a half (46%) are actively involved in recruitment as members of selection panels (or in a similar capacity), and a further 20% get consulted on recruitment decisions. 11% of the sample had other roles in recruitment, usually in an administrative capacity.

The age distribution of the sample reflected the management population in the UK, ranging from early twenties to late sixties, but predominantly clustered around a mean age of 43. The male respondents (44) were marginally older than the female respondents (42), but this difference is not statistically significance. This age distribution means that many have had experience of working during periods of high unemployment - nearly three-quarters of the managers we spoke to were in the workforce at the time of the last recession (in 1992) and around 40% were working during the previous recession, in the early 1980s. It is no surprise that over half (54%) have themselves been unemployed, and we were interested to explore if this affected their attitude to unemployed applicants.

We also asked respondents their sex and used this to examine attitudes to discover if men and women treated unemployed applicants differently. The sample split more or less equally between males (52%) and females (48%).

The Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) is Europe’s leading management organisation. ILM partners with more than 90,000 individuals and organisations each year to help them fulfil their potential and achieve success through its wide range of flexible leadership and management development solutions.
 
From industry-leading qualifications and membership services to specialist learning resources, all ILM products and services are built on in-depth research and benchmarked against best practice standards. Supporting a fast-growing community of over 30,000 practising leaders and managers, ILM’s membership services are designed to provide ongoing continuing professional development throughout every stage of a manager’s career.
 
Backed by an in depth programme of thought leadership research, ILM operates internationally, improving leadership and management skills, knowledge and outputs across all sectors, from financial services to the armed forces. www.i-l-m.com