Skillset/UK Film Council Feature Film Production Workforce Survey 2008

6.2 Recruitment methods

Respondents were asked how they had been recruited to the named production they were working on at or around the time of the survey.  The majority (87%) had been recruited by word of mouth (nearly two thirds had either been approached directly by the producer or director (23%) or by their Head of Department or Supervisor (40%)).  A further 20% had been suggested to the production by an individual or company who had worked with them before and 3% had been recommended by an agent or national or regional screen agency (1%).  Only 1% had responded to a job advertisement, compared with 27% of respondents to the 2005 Survey of the Audio Visual Industries’ Workforce who heard about their first job in the industry via an advertisement. 

Figure 6.2.1 How were you recruited for this production? (%)

As reported in the 2005 survey, there were few differences in recruitment method by occupational group, with the majority being approached directly by a producer, director, HOD or supervisor; or having been suggested to the production by a previous colleague or employer.

The most common methods of recruitment for workers from ethnic minority groups broadly fitted the pattern of their white counterparts. 40% were approached directly by their HOD or supervisor, 19% had their name suggested by an individual or company and 12% contacted the production company or HOD directly themselves. The most common recruitment method for workers with a disability was by having their name suggested by an individual or company (30%), followed by being approached directly by their HOD or supervisor (27%)

Over one in ten (11%) of those working in editing/post production/VFX had been suggested by their agent, which was a far less common recruitment route for others.  Those in production were the only group to have initiated the feature film project themselves, while a further 10% of this group were already employed by the production company.

Table 6.2.1 How were you recruited for this production? (by occupational group)

There were no differences between men and women in the way they had been recruited to the production, or in recruitment methods experienced by ethnic group and production stage (development, pre-production etc).  However there was some difference by age, in that the youngest age groups were less likely than their older counterparts to have been approached directly by the producer or director, and were more likely to have their name suggested by a previous colleague or employer (Table 6.2.2).

The youngest age groups were also more likely to have been recruited via a training organisation or scheme, while the oldest group (aged 55+) was more likely to have been approached by a producer/director than younger age groups. Hearing about a job via a ‘previous colleague/employer’ is in the top three recruitment methods for all age groups.

Table 6.2.2 How were you recruited for this production? (by age)