There are few sectors in the UK that aren’t experiencing a recruitment challenge of some sort. In our current survey, over half of respondents said they were finding it: A struggle to find the right candidate. That’s not restricted to senior positions alone with a third of respondents saying they: needed to use different ways to attract entry-level candidates; whilst also facing: volume of candidates to pre screen; and a: lack of skills from candidates.

Our survey is still open for you to share your thoughts at: https://forms.gle/8LroQWphi8kZnBsP7. But while the issues are obvious what are the answers to solving current recruitment challenges?

Creating a recruitment strategy

It can be all too easy to go straight to posting a job advert when you are facing a recruitment challenge. Taking a proactive approach to recruitment and planning ahead can pay you dividends in the long-term. Our advice is to create a recruitment strategy that will help you plan ahead for expected vacancies for new roles you might be creating or expected retirements.

While it might seem time-consuming initially, creating a recruitment strategy alongside your business plan will help identify gaps but also understand what has and hasn’t worked in the past. Enabling you to plan more effectively for roles and understand where different positions should be advertised.

Thinking about your roles differently

When focusing on your recruitment strategy this solution might come naturally: thinking about your roles differently. Or, if you’re in the midst of a recruitment challenge, it can be good to step back and look at how you’re finding the process so far. If you’re finding a lot of CVs coming in but not necessarily the right candidates to interview then it might be time to look at the role itself. Looking at the job description again can help you see if training can be provided to a potential candidate, or if the job can be restructured to attract a different pool of applicants.

If your struggle is at the interview stage instead, it might be that asking for feedback can help you shape the role differently.  Whether that’s changing the structure of the role, working arrangements or looking at benefits that could add value to your company.

Making sure your company culture stands out

One way to highlight the benefits of your organisation to prospective candidates is through promoting your company culture. Marketing the benefits of your company can attract applicants that share your values and want to work for you before they even get to the interview stage. Talking about your employees and their experiences alongside your purpose can help you stand out against the competition. And in a tough recruitment market, reaching the right prospective candidates is important.

Investing in a consultative recruitment partner

Finally, investing in a consultative recruitment partner, like ourselves, can help overcome recruitment challenges. We can help with all the above solutions while adding value to your hiring process. A consultant, as opposed to an agency, takes time to get to know your business and objectives. This approach helps us focus on proactive recruitment, as well as traditional search and selection, to find those ‘Good Eggs’ for your business.

Talk to nicola@goodeggrecruitment.com or annette@goodeggrecruitment.com for a no-obligation conversation about how our consultative approach can help you overcome your recruitment challenges.