Recruitment Difficulties Continue

July 1 2018 - Potential candidates are being put off using recruitment agencies because of concerns about receiving details of irrelevanr jobs.

This finding comes from a survey of 600 professionals by professional recommendation platform hAnyGood?. 41% of survey respondents said they were worried about recruiters putting them forward for jobs they were not interested in or suitable for. Other key concerns about using recruitment agencies were:

• receiving insufficient feedback about applications (19%)
• lack of direct contact with potential employers (19%)
• having control taken out of their hands (12%)

Juliet Eccleston, co-founder of AnyGood? argues for a shakeup of the hiring process to:

• alleviate candidates' concerns
• provide HR teams with more efficient ways to access talent

She commented:

"Although many businesses use recruitment agencies to find talent, our survey shows that the professionals they seek don't find this method particularly effective. The fact that so many of the respondents said they'd be more willing to consider a role if someone they knew suggested it to them than if a recruiter presented them with the details means that HR teams need to rethink their use of agencies.

"Our research indicates that having a recruiter acting as an intermediary creates additional problems for many jobseekers. It's now time to turn the traditional method of recruiting on its head and use an approach that works better for talent pools and companies alike, increasing the chances of a successful hire. Today's candidates are well-connected and digital networking has made it easier than ever before to keep in contact with our peers. In fact, our survey found that the majority of individuals - over 71% - connect with their professional network at least once a week. Businesses need to harness the power of these networks to not only create a process that truly works for candidates but also ensure that they are speaking to the right people at the right time. After all, nobody knows an individual's suitability for a role better than the people who have worked with them before."

Recruiters point to UK skills shortage

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies' (APSCo) 2018 Market Survey shows that three quarters of recruitment leaders expect skills shortages their target sectors over the next two years. This figure increases to 87% for highly skilled workers and 47% expect a significant rise in skills shortages for graduates.

Roger Tweedy, Director of Communications at APSCo commented:

"It's no surprise that recruitment leaders today are anticipating further skills shortages over the next few years. Competitive job markets, coupled with growing demand for specialist skills, means we are seeing firms struggle to make the hires they need.

"This scarcity of skills is increasingly becoming a risk to business growth, and with Brexit on the horizon, there are widespread fears that access to talent could become even more squeezed. While employment trends seldom remain consistent, businesses must put measures in place to ensure they remain attractive to skilled talent to guarantee they can access the expertise needed to underpin growth and thrive. While there is no quick-fix to the challenge of sourcing the right skills long term, promoting an effective employer value proposition during recruitment and beyond is vital."

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