When considering hiring a new member of staff, two-thirds of UK small businesses value experience over qualifications, research from online HR consultancy Reabur.com has shown.

The study also found that interviewers value cleanliness more than politeness, and that 9% of businesses would not hire a candidate with no experience regardless of their qualifications.

Of the quarter of respondent firms who offered internships, 47% said that they had hired someone as a result of their performance as an intern. 

Kirsty Burgess, co-managing director of Reabur.com, says: “The advantages of ‘growing your own’ shouldn’t be overlooked, and although investment in training and developing a qualified but inexperienced member of staff can be significant, the return on that investment is often seen much earlier than expected.”