UK business leaders are failing to capitalise on the IT skills that a new generation of employees are bringing in to the workplace.

A study of 1,000 school leavers and graduates conducted by database firm FileMaker highlighted just how tech-savvy the new generation of employees are.

“This generation has grown up IT savvy and educators have done a good job ensuring that they have the skills to take into the workplace,” said Tony Speakman, FileMaker, regional manager for northern Europe. “These new recruits are then shocked to find that once they actually gain employment they don’t have the opportunity to use all the skills that they have mastered.”

From the school leavers surveyed, 85 per cent had learnt to use PowerPoint software at school but only 39 per cent said they were given the opportunity to use it at work. Although 88 per cent of the respondents were taught how to use spreadsheet software at school, only 65 per cent used it once employed.

Speakman recommended businesses leaders need to tap in to this knowledge and enthusiasm, or risk loosing talented staff to competitors.

The firm suggested that businesses should audit new recruits, to ensure job roles are specifically tailored to each employee.