5 biggest challenges for Recruitment in 2024 and how we can overcome them

In today’s world recruitment is becoming increasingly competitive, demanding, and in some cases leaner with their team and budgets expecting high performance results. We have summarised a top 5 list of the biggest challenges in recruitment and how we can solve them for you.

Our team of Technical & Professional recruiters in our Head Office shared their daily challenges which can be headaches, but with the right process, tools, and systems can be solved effectively.

Challenge 1: Attracting the right candidates'

Recruiter’s POV: “Yes, this candidate here is the best person I can find at the time…” as time passes, they were not the best fit for the job

Challenge

“Attracting and sourcing the right talent is a challenge that happens a lot more than it doesn’t. It can be hard when a client is very specific in regards to experience/knowledge for the role and can be hard the understand the correct candidate for the role.”

Molly Emm, Recruitment Consultant, The Recruitment Group

Attracting your target audience is key. There may be difficulties knowing how to present the role via the phone or when creating a job ad, but when providing these messages tone of voice is crucial.

Solution

The best way to resolve/avoid this problem is to have a meeting with the hiring manager to discuss the details of the role and to understand right and wrong candidates.

It’s great to understand the nature of the business and how the company works when discussing the role with the candidate, making it easier to attract the right talent knowing what they will be doing and who they will be working for.

Re-assess the job descriptions. Make slight changes so only qualified candidates apply. Our job ads at The Recruitment Group are clear and give a concise view of roles from various sectors.

Include yes/no questions (knock-out questions) which will provide clarity, filter out those who do not meet the requirements, and speed up the application process. Let’s take an industrial role for example, currently, we have a Minibus Driver role in Oxford on The Recruitment Group website. Therefore, featuring a yes/no - ‘Do you have a clean driving licence?’ - will screen out those who reply ‘No.’

Challenge 2: Lack of response from clients and candidates

Recruiter’s POV: “This candidate was very passionate on the phone and had the personality to be a good fit, but I have not heard from them since”

Challenge

Attracting the right talent becomes a very refined search, they may seem the right fit but once in the role they are lacking the skills in the environment. However, in this case, you could be the right fit with the personality, skillset, and experience, but they simply ‘ghost,’ and do not respond turning a promising situation into a frustrating one.

In a competitive space, a candidate could have a lack of transparency during the process around location, salary, and benefits - they will disengage without notice. Similarly, with clients who may have better rates elsewhere. How to prevent this? Build stronger relationships and candidate experience.

Solution

There are a few ways in which we invest in the process of understanding candidates. However, the focus which gives us the most success is sending personalised video messages.

Engagement Boost: Personalised videos we notice capture attention, but engage your target audience who are provided with information clearly and concisely.
Relationship Building: Sending personalised messages helps establish a more meaningful connection and builds trust.
Different from your competitors: Engaging with those through video messages is a different approach to what they are used to receiving from other recruiters. Ever thought about Hintro? Tailoring messages to candidates' preferences and interests tends to generate higher response rates, leading to more successful interactions.
Enhanced Conversion Rates: Personalised messages, addressing specific needs or pain points, contribute to higher conversion rates by delivering relevant and compelling content.

“Attracting them by discussing roles/candidates that match their experience/company to ensure we are offering them something that interests them. Offering them flexible times to discuss further to really understand what they are looking for and how we can support them.”

Amy Large, Permanent Recruitment Specialist - Technical & Professional Division

Challenge 3: Managing data

Recruiter’s POV: “I am not receiving accurate insights from this pool of data and few of these data boards just relying the same information”

Challenge

In today's competitive job market, companies face challenges in finding qualified candidates due to difficulties in the hiring process, slow interviews, and potential biases.

A slow process can deter candidates, leading to higher drop-off rates and increased costs for employers. Specific job requirements or a saturated market can also hinder finding the right match. Data-driven hiring, utilising machine learning algorithms, offers a solution to automate the recruitment process, mitigating these challenges.

Solution

“Learning what is the best place to find suitable candidates for your role depending on what market you’re in. Using our system with current candidate data on there, using job boards and there recommended for candidates that are online and actively looking for work. Creating different and learning searches to find the best suitable candidate.”

Clarissa Hinman, Senior Permanent Recruiter - Technical & Professional Division

Managing data effectively in recruitment is crucial for streamlining processes, enhancing decision-making, and improving overall efficiency. Here are some strategies for better data management in recruitment:

Our centralised database is constantly updated and organised storing all relevant details from candidate information to CVs. We keep everything organised as it reduces data being stored in different locations - reducing data fragmentation.
Implement an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) - tracking candidate progress and managing communication. ATS systems should be at the forefront as it helps organise and analyse applicant data efficiently.
Utilise analytics: Some of the most beneficial data based insights; Google Analytics and Indeed Analytics. Leveraging analytics tools to gain insights into recruitment trends, manage market data, and assess the effectiveness of your hiring strategies.

Challenge 4: Counter offers

Recruiter’s POV: “Our candidate is interested in the Warehouse Manager position in Leicester, but has received a matching salary offer from their current employer.”

Challenge

Picture this. You have interviewed an ideal candidate, you offer them the job, and everybody is happy. That’s the ideal scenario. A counter offer is when the candidates existing employer reacts to their resignation by offering them something seemingly better.

These offers comes in three forms:

More money – The most common. It is easy to forget the issues you’re having at work when you’re offered an attractive pay rise package – at least temporarily.

Promotion – An offer for a promotion can be on the cards, as they do not want to lose a ‘valuable’ member. This promotion can be very appealing.

Benefits – Complete the tasks you've planned for yourself; avoid letting things build up after planning ahead. Implement a daily routine to clear down tasks and emails for effective time management.

So taking all of this into account, these types of counter offers can be frustrating for the new employer and recruiter, as it's tough to compete with higher pay or promises of promotion.

Solution

“At The Recruitment Group, we have detailed conversations with our candidates to really push on the reasons for them wanting to leave.

We put scenarios in front of the candidates. For example, if your manager was to present you with a higher salary how would you feel about this? And would this sway you to stay?”

Emma Welsh, Head of Technical & Professional Permanent Division

Placing these candidates in these scenarios would help understand and ascertain where they stand. Also, the more of these scenarios that we put forward to candidates, the more we can gage which type of counter offers are the most common.

Challenge 5: Keeping candidates engaged during the interview process

Recruiter’s POV: “My candidate has pulled out of the interview process, their reason was the whole process was too long.”

Challenge

So you’ve found your candidate and believe they can smash the interviews coming up. There is a good chance that it will be positive news for all involved. The main question is, so how can I make sure they remain focused and engaged during the interview process?

To maintain candidate engagement, it's crucial to stay engaged yourself. Respect their time, simplify the application process, and improve your interview skills. Approximately 65% of candidates indicate that a negative interview experience alone can lead to a loss of interest in the job. A negative reputation can also raise concerns and deter potential candidates.

Solution

“More often than not, interview processes can be quite a long process. It's key to keep candidates engaged to reduce the risk of losing interest or most commonly being offered another role.

We do this by building up a relationship with each candidate from the initial 1st conversation. We do this by having in-depth conversations, asking the correct questions regarding there situation and ensuring candidates are kept in the loop during every step.

Having Teams calls with all candidates pre-interviews is also an important factor this makes the whole experience more personable and keeps the candidate engaged – Communication is key!”

Jordann Brown, Permanent Recruitment Specialist - Technical & Professional Division

Conclusion

Facing recruitment challenges head-on is our specialty at The Recruitment Group. Our tailored solutions include:

Attracting the Right Talent:

Solution: Refine your strategy in a personalised meeting and redefine job ads for optimal candidate attraction.

Lack of Response from Clients and Candidates:

Solution: Boost engagement with personalised video messages for vibrant connections.

Managing Data:

Solution: Implement a centralised database and ATS for streamlined processes and efficient data management.

Counter Offers:

Solution: Navigate counter offers effortlessly with our strategic insights and scenario planning.

Keeping Candidates Engaged:

Solution: Stay connected with insights on relationship building, clear communication, and engagement strategies.

Ready to conquer recruitment challenges? We’ve got the solutions and prioritise making candidates' future our focus! Give us a call on 01332 318 711.