08-11-2007
Questions raised over value of qualifications for SMEs
News by Adfero for Simply Business - independent providers of business insurance, business finance, landlord insurance, buy-to-let mortgages & commercial mortgages.
The value of formal qualifications for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in recruitment has been queried.
Given the absence of formal qualifications in a number of SME owners, Simon Briault, a representative from the Federation of Small Businesses - an organisation with more than 205,000 members - believes that a majority of entrepreneurs will consider it more important for the candidate to gel with culture of the business.
"Once you get passed the key stages … what they are looking for is people that will fit into their business," said Mr Briault. "A lot of small business owners don't have formal qualifications themselves, so for them it's not such a hang-up," he added.
For Mr Briault, the key stages refer to the ability of a candidate to present themselves well and be punctual. The term also encompasses a number of other qualities, including good communication skills and an ability to read and write, in addition to performing basic mathematics.