Beyond ‘Oven Baked’

Are You Prepared?

The Workforce Challenge

Recently, I heard a business leader describe the type of employee many organisations are looking for as “oven baked”. Someone who can walk through the door, contribute from day one and require very little support.

The phrase perfectly captures one of the biggest workforce challenges facing employers today.

Businesses are under pressure to deliver. Customers expect the same service, vacancies leave teams stretched, productivity suffers and managers find themselves carrying more than they should. When an experienced candidate appears to offer the quickest route back to full capacity, it is understandable why employers compete for the same people.

The difficulty is that every other employer is doing exactly the same thing.

Although the labour market has eased since the record highs seen after the pandemic, finding people with the right skills remains a significant challenge. The Office for National Statistics estimated there were 712,000 UK job vacancies between April and June 2026, while the CIPD continues to report that many employers experience hard-to-fill vacancies.

For many organisations, recruitment has become the default solution to a capability problem.

• Need a new skill? Recruit it.
• Need more experience? Recruit it.
• Need stronger leadership? Recruit it.

That approach worked when experienced candidates were easier to find. Today, employers are competing for the same limited pool of talent at greater cost, with no guarantee that the appointment will be successful.

At the same time, employment legislation is placing greater emphasis on making good recruitment decisions, providing effective onboarding and supporting employees well from the beginning of their employment. The organisations that get these fundamentals right will be better placed to manage risk and build resilient workforces.

Rather than asking, “Where can we find more experienced people”?, organisations may achieve better long-term results by asking “How do we become better at creating capability ourselves”?

Recruiting for potential, developing managers, creating progression opportunities and investing in existing employees are no longer initiatives reserved for large organisations. Increasingly, they are becoming practical commercial responses to a changing labour market.

The businesses most likely to thrive over the next decade will be those that become best at recognising potential, developing capability and retaining the talent they already have.

Five Questions Every Employer Should Be Asking

Employment legislation will continue to evolve, the labour market will continue to change and skills shortages are unlikely to disappear overnight. These five questions provide a useful starting point for any leadership team.

1. Are we relying too heavily on recruiting experienced people?

If every employer is competing for the same people, how sustainable is our recruitment strategy? Could we recruit for potential in some roles and develop capability internally?

2. Are our recruitment processes helping us make good decisions?

Are we clear about the skills, behaviours and values we need? Do our interviews assess future potential as well as past experience? Are we giving ourselves the best chance of making the right appointment?

3. Are our managers equipped to help people succeed?

Managers play a critical role in setting expectations, supporting performance and developing capability. Investing in manager capability is often one of the most effective ways to reduce recruitment risk.

4. Are we making the most of the support available?

Many employers are unaware of the opportunities available through colleges, apprenticeship providers, Skills Bootcamps, grants and local business support organisations. Building capability does not always mean doing everything yourself.

5. Are we preparing for the workforce we’ll need tomorrow?

Business success has always depended on people. The organisations that prepare for future workforce challenges today will be better equipped to respond to whatever comes next.

A Final Thought

Looking for an “oven baked” employee isn’t wrong. Every organisation wants people who can make an immediate contribution.

However, the organisations that will have the greatest competitive advantage over the coming years are likely to be those that become just as good at building capability as they are at buying it.

Preparing for changing employment legislation is important and preparing your workforce for the future is essential.

If these questions have prompted discussion within your organisation, I’d be pleased to have an informal conversation.