Does anyone know where all the jobseekers are? This is the question that governments and businesses alike are asking. While job vacancies have been rising fast, companies are struggling to find the staff to fill them.
IT and computing has been particularly hard hit, as has hospitality, with trade body UK Hospitality estimating that there is currently a shortfall of nearly 200,000 workers.
According to professional services firm KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), at the start of the third quarter of 2021 “Permanent staff appointments and temp billings both rose at near-record rates, while growth of demand for staff hit a fresh series high as coronavirus restrictions eased further and economic activity continued to pick up.”
The two organisations’ recent report noted, meanwhile, that, “the availability of candidates continued to decline rapidly in July, driven by concerns over job security due to the pandemic, a lack of European workers due to Brexit, and a generally low unemployment rate.” As well as pay increases, Kate Shoesmith, deputy chief executive of the REC, has called for a more flexible immigration system.
As a result of this squeeze, companies are having to work harder than ever to get the staff they need. Here are some of the ways in which to recruit new employees in these challenging times.
- Use social media. If you don’t already have a Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or even a Tik-Tok account then now is a good time to start. A remarkable 79 per cent of job seekers use social media, with freelancers the most likely to choose this option. LinkedIn is a particularly good way to reach and recruit professionals while Tik-Tok is more appropriate for younger workers and those looking for a job in the hospitality industry, for instance.
- Use your network. Asking around friends, family, clients and suppliers is a fast and cost-effective way of recruiting. It can also signal to some of these audiences that your business is growing and that your products and services are in demand.
- Think local. Depending on the nature of your business and the position that you’re looking to fill, focussing on your local community could be a useful means of finding the right person. Post-coronavirus, many of us are looking to avoid long commutes and to stay within our local areas if possible. Landing a job that’s near to their home is increasingly likely to appeal even to those higher up the earnings, experience and skills scale.
- Put together a workforce development plan. A number of different organisations, many of them with a regional base, such as Business West, can help you create a strategy for your recruitment. Rather than taking an ad-hoc approach to recruiting staff as vacancies come up, a strategic approach will enable you to plan for the future.
- Consider offering positions as contracts and short-term roles rather than demanding that candidates accept a long-term commitment. This can be particularly useful for industries such as IT, project management and hospitality which are particularly hard hit by the current shortage of workers.
- Explore online job boards. According to a recent survey by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters and website totaljobs and Jobsite, when it comes to IT and technology professionals, nearly eight in ten (79 per cent) search for roles on online job boards, whereas less than a third (28 per cent) of employers advertise directly on these platforms.
SMEs have been particularly hard hit by the shortage of workers, often because they don’t have the HR support and the brand recognition of larger companies. However, by making the most of these platforms and emphasising the benefits of working for a smaller company, such as team spirit, hands-on training and experience plus the opportunity to grow with the organisation, they’ll be in a good position to weather this particular storm.
