Good Egg Recruitment is here for employers and candidates. We’ve delved deeply into the recruitment market for employers, but it is time to look at the other side of the coin and see how hard the recruitment market is for candidates? And is there anything you can do to make it easier when applying for jobs?
The recruitment market for candidates is harder than before the pandemic
It might be nearly five years ago that we were in the midst of the pandemic, but the recruitment market for candidates still hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels. For candidates, we’re seeing:
- High levels of competition
- AI/Automated issues influencing the application process
- Amalgamation of jobs or employers wanting ‘unicorns’
- Poor recruitment processes, including ‘ghosting’
- A mismatch in expectations
All of which are making the job application process more challenging and longer than in previous years.
High levels of competition: what can you do?
There are many reasons why there is a high level of competition for job roles. Businesses have had a tough time since the pandemic and have been affected by the cost-of-living crisis, general elections, and budgets, and that’s before taking into account the overseas impact. This has all led to employers being more cautious about creating roles. And fewer roles means higher competition amongst applicants.
The other issues making recruitment hard for candidates (AI, poor recruitment processes, amalgamation of jobs etc) also increase competition. When jobs are amalgamated into one, such as an Administrator also being required to do social media can lead to two applicants who wouldn’t previously compete finding themselves in the same process.
AI/Automated issues influencing the application process: Are we seeing the truth?
It has been a relatively recent innovation to show how many people have applied for a role on LinkedIn or ratings on Indeed for ‘popular’ roles. For a lot of candidates, this can be incredibly off-putting as to why bother investing your time when there are already over 100 applicants? Even if you’d be perfect for the role?
It’s making it hard for candidates as it puts barriers in place even before they apply. Our advice is to remember that these figures might not necessarily be true. Job sites, for example, gathers these figures from:
- Account clicks as well as full applications
- Figures from previous postings
- Bots, spam accounts, and multiple applications
Meaning the actual figures maybe different. If you strongly match the role, we’d recommend that you contact the company personally. While it might be difficult to find a contact name, this approach shows your motivation and drive for the role.
Employers wanting ‘unicorns’: do they exist?
While we’d love it if this mythical beast did actually exist, it isn’t the case, but that hasn’t stopped employers from combining multiple functions into one job. We highlighted that amalgamating roles increases competition, but it also makes it hard to tailor your CV or application form throughout the process as well. Not only that but it can lead to a lack of clarity on what you will be expected to do and what it says about the culture of the organisation.
Our advice is to be selective about the roles you are applying for, if possible. And for those roles that feel like they require ‘everything’, rate them against your own criteria to understand how much time to invest in preparation.
Poor recruitment processes: Are you being ghosted?
We’ve heard of ‘ghosting’ from both sides of the market, employer and candidate. Unfortunately, it is on the increase from employers, with the competition levels making it difficult to notify prospective candidates when a role has been filled. While not hearing back prior to the interview stage has been relatively common across all sectors, it has increased to happen at the interview stage too. Only adding to the frustration, disillusionment, and more for candidates. Our advice is to keep track of the jobs and dates you’ve applied for and after a certain time period remove them from your ‘waiting for next stage’ pile.
A mismatch in expectations: Is it all on the employer?
From Uber to Google, there is an increase in employers wanting employees back in the office. However, for employees, this is a mismatch in expectations with the Guardian reporting that a third of employees would quit if they had to work full-time in the office. Additional benefits that candidates would like to see, such as competitive pay, wellbeing support, the right company culture, and further training, might not always be the easiest for every employer to provide.
Our advice is to focus on finding a role that provides the majority of the benefits you are expecting. Similar to how employers might be seeking ‘unicorns’ it can be that candidates can also fall into the trap of expecting a role to provide everything from the outset. Finding and getting a role that can meet most of your expectations can show your flexibility and compromise to an employer.
How else can Good Egg Recruitment help?
At Good Egg Recruitment, we’re here for employees and employers. Our advice isn’t biased to employers, we want to find ‘good eggs’ on each side of the jobs market. For employees, this can range from career advice, to helping you with your application. We also offer interview advice and guidance before an interview. Have a look at our jobs or email nicola@goodeggrecruitment.com or annette@goodeggreruitment.com to find out more.