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Recruitment challenges 2024: six ways to smarter hiring

 

Almost every industry is facing recruitment challenges in 2024. With more roles to fill than there are workers to fill them, it’s a candidate-driven landscape that means employers need to take a different approach to their recruitment processes. For many organisations, this will mean reinventing the recruitment process from the ground up.

In this article, we are looking at 6 ways that employers can rise to the challenge of finding workers in 2024. We’ll look at some alternative approaches that could help you to overcome your staffing challenges.

Navigating a candidate-driven landscape

The first step is to understand what it means to hire in a candidate-driven landscape. It means that the candidate is now in control, and you need to be ready to sell the benefits of working for your company, not just assume that every candidate you meet is ready to accept any role they are offered on the spot. Candidates have the luxury of looking around for a role that best suits their needs and requirements. 

Reinventing the interview process

Instead of treating the interview process like an opportunity to grill the candidate on their skills and experience, try turning this thinking on its head. By approaching interviews more like a conversation, you’ll give the candidate an opportunity to see if this role could be right for them. You’ll need to be prepared to answer questions about the role and sell the benefits of working for your company.

Upskill and reskill

If you are struggling to find the talent externally, it could be time to promote internally. If your team members don’t currently have the skills you are looking for, identify which members of the team would be more receptive to ongoing training and development. Some individuals will be more open to expanding their CV than others. This can result in a more engaged workforce that is designed to meet the demands that your industry is currently facing. 

Focus on retention over new hires

In many ways, staff retention will become just as important as finding new hires in 2024 and beyond. Employers are waking up to the widespread benefits that an employee with experience can bring to the company. It’s no longer just about finding an enthusiastic new candidate who promises to hit the ground running – now it’s about focusing on the employees that are already running the race.

Explore perks besides salary

A candidate-driven market means that salaries are on the rise. Candidates are more willing to try to negotiate higher starting salaries, but some are more interested in other perks you have to offer. Don’t forget to sell the other benefits that your employees can enjoy, and don’t assume that you know what makes an attractive perk for your employees. Regularly check in with your teams to discover what is an enticing benefit and what they want to see more of.

Never switch off recruitment

Even if you aren’t actively looking to fill a role, you should still keep the recruitment engine running. This will allow you to actively gather CVs from the best candidates so you’ll be ready to start making calls when the time comes to fill a role. 

Even if those candidates have since found employment elsewhere, they might be willing to explore opportunities with you if the offer is right. So, rather than waiting until you need to fill a role to switch on your recruitment efforts, keep this ticking away in the background so that you’ll be one step ahead when the time comes to fill a role.

Final thoughts

It might not be the employer-driven market that you are used to, but this shouldn’t be a reason to shy away from recruitment. 

Embrace the opportunities to have open and meaningful conversations with candidates about what they are looking for and what makes an enticing role. It’s also a good opportunity to check in with your current employees to find out what they are looking for in a role and how you can improve their working life.

Employers that rise to these recruitment challenges by upskilling their workers and actively listening to candidates will be able to rise above their competitors and achieve incredible things.