Recruitment and hiring can be complex and headache-inducing.
The influx of Gen Z candidates, the transformational impact of Artificial Intelligence, an impending talent crunch brought on by the pandemic-induced early retirement of baby boomers, and difficulty in accessing the right fit for the job, recruitment challenges can quickly outweigh many of the other stressors of your job as an HR or TA professional. !
It’s time to step up your game!
It’s not just recruiting talent; the whole process, from recruitment through to onboarding and relationship management, is part of the candidate experience, and must be taken into consideration.
Navigating these recruitment challenges means understanding them inside and out.
8 Common recruitment challenges employers face
Let’s get our feet wet with some common recruitment challenges shall we?
1. Sourcing the right talent
As per Guidance Talent’s article on Hiring Challenges Statistics, 76% of the hiring managers feel that getting the right talent candidate is the greatest challenge they face.
Indeed, finding the right candidates with the right skills can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. It takes time and effort to pinpoint those who fit the role perfectly.
2. Dealing with the fierce competition
Everyone’s on the lookout for top talent. This means you’re competing with other companies for top-tier, and in-demand candidates. It’s like a game of numbers and understanding how to play it to your advantage is crucial.
3. Resume and application management
When you post a job on any number of recruitment sites, you may very well end up with hundreds, if not thousands, of resumes. Sifting through them all to find the ones that match your requirements is a seemingly endless task.
4. Long hiring processes = Uninterested candidates
If your hiring process is long, you’re likely to lose out on great candidates.
According to Digital Specialist Lucy Crookes article , 25% of potential candidates lose interest in a company if they do not get an answer within a week.
Yes! That’s true! Lengthy hiring processes can lead to candidate drop-offs.
5. Candidate ghosting
Zippia’s study reveals 60% of candidates stop midway through the job application.
It’s a real challenge that candidates might suddenly go silent during recruitment. It’s like being left hanging in the middle of a conversation. It’s a nightmare for every recruiter!
6. Working with unfamiliar AI tools
The recruitment landscape is evolving constantly. From social media recruiting to AI-powered tools, as a recruiter it’s your job to keep up with all the new ways of finding talent, especially considering automation tools, which may not be fine-tuned to consider some soft skills, thus eliminating a potential candidate.
7. Ensuring Diversity and Inclusion
Making sure your workforce is diverse and inclusive, requires extra effort. You need to look for skilled candidates who fit your company culture perfectly. Focusing some of your recruitment efforts on diversity and cultural inclusion helps truly build your global workforce, and has been shown to actually increase productivity.
8. Negotiating Compensation
Figuring out a salary that satisfies both the candidate and your budget can be delicate. Negotiation is a skill; you need the best strategies to bring top talent without toppling your budget.
Remember, this is all part of the recruitment journey.
By staying open to new strategies and keeping communication clear, you’ll be better equipped to tackle salary negotiations head-on.
Ready to Overcome Recruitment Challenges? Us too.
While we’ve said time and time again that challenges are a natural part of the hiring process, the fact is, they can be better managed with the right tools and solutions.
Let’s dive into some best practices to help you overcome challenges and streamline recruitment efforts.
1. Proactive Sourcing
Rather than waiting for candidates to come to you, take a proactive approach.
You can reach out to prospective candidates on LinkedIn through DMs. This will help you get hold of the best candidates in the industry and thus, make impactful hiring decisions.
Another benefit of proactive reaching out is that it will reduce competition in the hiring market (Isn’t it good to have reign on the spending budget?)
2. Employer Branding
Now more than ever, and while everyone searches for hard-to-find talent, your company’s reputation matters.
Developing a strong employer brand by highlighting your company culture, values, and unique selling points is an investment, but an investment that will pay off exponentially when done correctly.
Showcasing employee testimonials and success stories can also provide insight into the positive experiences candidates can expect.
3. Streamlined Screening
For in-demand roles, it’s not uncommon to see XXXX amount of resumes cross your desk.
By implementing an applicant tracking system (ATS) to automate initial screenings based on the specific criteria you would like to incorporate, you can save much-needed time, and ensure you’re focusing on candidates who best fit the role.
4. Speedy decision-making
Zappia reveals that the ideal time to fill a vacancy is 42 days. To stick to a timeline, you need to establish a clear set of time for each stage of the recruitment process. Also, implementing streamlined interview rounds and panel interviews also helps to gather diverse perspectives quickly.
5. Personalized candidate experience
Treat candidates like the unique individuals they are.
Keep them informed about their application status, provide constructive feedback, and communicate meaningfully.
A positive experience, regardless of the outcome, leaves a lasting impression on the candidates.
6. Diversity and Inclusivity
Mckinsey’s study reveals that organizations with cultural diversity at board level are 43% more likely to observe higher profits compared to others. This is because diversity opens the door welcoming talents beyond borders, thus outranking the competitors.
As a business with a global presence, you must promote diversity and inclusion by ensuring your job descriptions are free from biased language. Also, encourage a diverse interview panel to ensure fairness in the different stages of hiring.
7. Compelling Job Descriptions
Ensure the job descriptions go beyond a mere list of responsibilities.
Clearly outline the impact the role has on the company and emphasize growth opportunities. This will help the candidate to have a better understanding of the job. Use engaging language to spark the candidate’s interest.
8. Flexible Compensation Discussions
Be open to discussing compensation early in the process to ensure alignment.
Stay updated on industry standards and offer a competitive package. Highlight additional benefits like remote work options or professional development opportunities.
By incorporating these best practices into your hiring strategy, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle the recruitment challenges that arise.
A proactive, personalized, and inclusive approach will not only attract top talent but also establish a strong foundation for a thriving team.
Compliance and Legal Challenges in Global Recruitment
Managing compliance and legal complexities pose a slew of recruitment challenges.
As more organizations seek global talent, labor regulations and legal intricacies they may encounter demand the utmost consideration and a careful approach.
Failing to comply with the various labor laws and regulations that differ from country to country can lead to costly legal disputes and damage to an organization’s reputation.
Cultural nuances and language barriers also play a significant role. Misinterpreting cultural norms or using inappropriate language in job advertisements can inadvertently lead to discrimination claims or a negative perception of your company.
How do we address these difficulties?
For starters, having an expert global employment partner who can swiftly untangle the labor laws and ensure compliance will help ease any burden you may be feeling.
That’s where we come in.
When you hire a skilled employee from a country outside your existing locations, we help you bypass the need to create an entity in that country while at the same time ensuring the required regulations – benefits, taxes, leaves – are met without fail.
Stop worrying about trying to understand various labor laws across multiple countries, or breaking the budget by creating new entities in every country you have employees. Instead, we will handle all of that for you—along with timely global payroll options, allocation of benefits depending on the individual national labor laws, and compliance to tax regulations.
Ready to take recruitment challenges off your plate?
