New data commissioned by Expert Market reveals many of us think our colleagues are not right for the job.

The survey of 2,031 workers in the UK found that 66 per cent have wondered how their colleagues were able to get their job and 24 per cent reported that they felt their own manager was not qualified for their job.

Michael Horrocks of Expert Market said “It is interesting to see in a tough job market people are applying for jobs where they might not tick all the boxes in terms of qualifications and skills, but are relying on learning on the job.”

More News

London mayoral candidate Tessa Jowell pledges new ‘gold standard’ apprenticeships 

Towards Maturity data reveals a growing skills crisis in L&D

Sixth form colleges ditch science and maths courses over budget cuts 

Over half of UK workers pull fake ‘sickies’

Of those surveyed, 79 per cent of respondents felt that factors such as looks, age and gender played a part in whether or not someone was given a job or not.

Despite complaining that their colleagues were under qualified for their roles, interestingly, 47 per cent of respondents thought it was completely fine to apply for a job that they may not be quite qualified for.

“While people seem happy to volunteer themselves for roles they are not necessarily fully qualified for, it seems that many respondents did not have the most faith in their superiors which would be a bit of a concern for most companies,” added Horrocks.

With businesses in the UK looking to hire the best talent where possible, the survey also highlights a strong need to invest with up-to-date training for staff to remain competitive.

The majority of workers (64 per cent) felt less motivated at work if they felt that their employer was not investing in their training. Furthermore, 72 per cent of workers believed in order to further develop their skills they needed access to external specialist training courses.