According to a new study, a growing crisis of low self-confidence among young people threatens the future of UK workers. This is of great concern to businesses that depend on the pipeline of future talent.
The Listen Up Report by youth and education agency Hark revealed that 1 in 3 young people are lacking confidence. This should alarm employers. Around two million young adults are not confident enough to handle the workplace.
Victoria Millar said that “we all know the least confident youth put themselves forward the least, which means they get encouragement last, are overlooked for leadership roles and miss development opportunities.”
She continued, “Our research shows that young people are not building confidence gradually during their school years. This is why they don’t thrive in higher education or apprenticeships, and when it comes to employment.” It has huge implications for business, since these young people lack the skills necessary to foster the collaborative, creative, and dynamic company culture that is so important in today’s organisations.
As confidence falls, so do the employability skills.
The report revealed a strong link between confidence and employability. A lack of confidence in young people limits their willingness to collaborate or communicate. Seven percent of people with low self-confidence expressed their opinions frequently, while 67 percent said they never spoke to unfamiliar adults.
Employers who are looking for candidates with good communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills may be concerned about such difficulties. Many young people have the academic skills to succeed, but lack confidence in applying them to professional environments.
Tom Jewell said that if organisations want to reduce new hires and maintain productivity, particularly in light of GenAI adoptions, they will need to rethink the qualities they look for in candidates.
“This sharp contraction of recruitment isn’t only about fewer positions, but also tougher competition and changing expectations,” he continued. Candidates are increasingly using AI tools to write their CVs, cover letters and applications. This can level the playing fields, but it can also increase the risk of hiring the wrong people.
“For candidates who are navigating this tighter and AI-augmented job marketplace, the takeaway message is clear: Success depends less on checking boxes and more on showing the kind of value that a machine cannot replicate.
Business-led Action
Hark’s study also revealed clear differences between demographics in confidence levels. The report found that young people with lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to have low self-confidence, as 37 percent were affected, compared to just 27 percent for their more privileged peers.
There were also clear gender differences. 34 percent of girls said they had low or no self-confidence, while 73 percent of males described themselves as confident. Hark discovered that nearly half of confident girls hid their confidence for fear of being perceived to be cocky.
There were also regional variations. London reported the highest levels of confidence, with 87 per cent of young people saying they were very or quite confident. Northern Ireland, Wales, and certain parts of the Midlands had significantly lower confidence levels.
Hark’s study shows that confidence drops as students progress through secondary education. At age 11, 71 percent of students felt confident. By age 16, this number drops to 65 per cent, just as the students are about to enter employment or further study.
Millar stated, “Confidence Gaps are not personality traits. They’re broken social patterns that shape who is seen and supported. Their impact on the workplace of tomorrow is real.”
“Hark’s Listen Up Report” highlights the urgent need for business to take action. The workplaces should play a key role in implementing inclusive initiatives, celebrating all types of progress and investing in youth employability skills via education partnerships and community led programmes. Businesses must listen to future workers and empower them today.
