Nepotism still rife in the workplace

Eleven million Brits have landed a job through a friend or family member –provoking the question ‘Is who you know more important than what you know?’

New research has revealed one in three people are either working with a relative who gave them the role, or in a position which a family member helped them secure.

It emerged a further thirty four per cent of people sitting at their desks this morning will have dodged the interview process after receiving a nod from a friend.

The study did highlight however that working with friends or family doesn't always mean you are in for an easy ride. Half of those surveyed have found it hard to live up to expectations while one in ten have left soon after they started amid bad feeling among other staff about nepotism.

The research commissioned by Aldi Graduate Recruitment surveyed 3,000 Brits and found nearly two thirds of us think that good contacts and networking is of equal if not more importance when it comes to getting a job than having the right qualifications.

Head of Graduate Recruitment at Aldi, Richard Holloway said: "Recent graduates are having a tougher time than ever with the job market becoming more and more competitive.

“At Aldi we have always said that having the right qualifications is part of what we look for in new graduates but it’s better to be a strong all rounder with extra-curricular activities and interests. In this tough climate it’s essential to develop contacts and relationships in your chosen field whilst also bringing other skills to the work place such as self motivation, dedication and leadership qualities.

“Through our Retail Placement Scheme, undergraduates have the opportunity to establish themselves within our business and develop relationships, with a view to achieving a full time position on the Area Management Programme once they have graduated. We are seeing more and more successful candidates through this route who are looking for a challenging career in retail.”

It seems graduates are a lot savvier now when it comes to using networking and social skills as it emerged that more than a third of people keep in touch with former bosses or colleagues purely because they hope they may one day be able to help their career.

Nearly half of those surveyed said they had got a job after staying on good terms with people they had interned for, done work experience with or met in a business setting, similar to the principles of the Aldi Retail Placement Scheme.

Most agreed they would trust someone they know to do a better job than someone else and three quarters said that in the current climate and with high unemployment they would prefer to hire someone they know or have worked with previously, considering a complete stranger to be a 'gamble'.

More than half have said that since the recession they are much more likely to rely on contacts and relationships they have had with people in the past to find work and more than two thirds said they would turn to their former colleagues and family members to help them if they suddenly found themselves out of work.