New research reveals that companies looking to recruit the highest calibre candidates need to offer competitive relocation packages in order to attract the best talent. 

The findings revealed that 92 percent of employees would be happy to relocate from their hometown if they were offered a relocation package, however only 17 percent have ever been offered a relocation deal when searching for a job out of their catchment area. Digital marketing recruitment specialists, The Candidate, undertook the research to discover how significantly widening talent search areas has become a necessity, in order to overcome the digital skills crisis many companies are facing.

The research showed that the rapid growth of the digital sector in the UK, means that talent is not always available and in close proximity to job vacancies and relocation packages will attract suitable candidates. The results also revealed that 60 minutes was the maximum time most employees would be happy to commute, with 49 percent confirming that this was the tipping point. Only 9 percent of people surveyed said they would spend an hour and a half or more traveling to their place of work. “The digital skills gap is a huge concern for many companies, with many struggling to recruit suitable candidates and from our research, relocation packages seem to be the key pull factor when it comes to attracting a fresh wave of talent into companies,” says The Candidate’s managing partner, Brian Matthews. “The fact that people are only prepared to commute to work for an hour, further shows the importance for employers to start searching a wider area in order to find the best candidate for the job. The survey results showed that 91 percent of people are not afraid of moving to a new area, meaning it is an ideal time for employers to begin deploying ways of attracting the best talent to their business.”

“There are many jobs available in the digital sector in digital hubs around the country but it is the responsibility of the employer to make the move as attractive as possible in order to bring the best talent to their territory and to begin tackling the skills shortage,” added Brian.