Unfortunately, great employees aren’t always easy to come by. While some recruits may seem like excellent additions during the interview process, performance issues or personality clashes may arise after they’re hired, bringing you back to where you started. Recruiting the right employees takes careful and thorough examination — and if done right, can bring long-term rewards to your entire workforce. Learn more about some of the biggest recruiting obstacles facing employers and how to develop a detailed and comprehensive hiring process.
Trends in Recruiting
According to a report by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 69% of organizations report recruiting for full-time, regular positions to be challenging in 2025. In the same report, the SHRM asked HR professionals to list the most difficult hurdles in the last 12 months. These challenges include:
- Supply-and-demand challenges — Low number of applicants (51%), competition from other employers (50%), and an increase in applicants ghosting, or suddenly ending all communications (41%)
- Skills challenges — Candidates don’t have the needed experience (39%), the right technical skills (33%), or the necessary credentials or certifications (19%)
- Compensation and benefits challenges — Salaries are not competitive for the market (38%), inability to offer flexible work arrangements (33%), and candidates reject compensation package (24%)
These obstacles indicate that traditional recruiting methods are no longer effective. So, businesses must rethink their strategies for bringing on new talent if they want to stand out in a highly competitive job market.
Recruiting Tips
Define Your Needs
What does the job entail? What are your expectations for this role? Don’t leave any room for interpretation — define clearly and explicitly the day-to-day work expected in a position and list specific skills and experience needed.
Tell a compelling story.
What story is your brand telling? Don’t just give a laundry list of menial tasks — paint a picture of what it’s like to work in your office. Place your work culture front and center to attract like-minded individuals who will fit right in.
Spread the word.
The days of quietly announcing your job opening in the newspaper want ads are long over. That said, don’t just limit your job posting to one online job board. Cast a wider net by posting to multiple job boards as well as social media platforms. You should also consider reaching out to your professional network to see if they know anyone looking for work.
Get to know recruits.
During each interview, find out who these applicants really are. Learn what they’re looking for professionally as well as what opportunities interest them, what they’re passionate about, and how they respond to challenges. Dig into their track record, too. Look into their successes and see how they’ve grown professionally. Talk to their references and see what they have to say. And when appropriate — i.e., when you’re more convinced they’ll fit in — introduce them to the rest of your team and even give them a tour of your facility.
Offer more than a paycheck.
Of course, compensation is a big deal to applicants, but dollars and cents aren’t the end-all be-all. Show recruits what makes your organization so special. Place employee benefits, growth opportunities, and work culture at the forefront to make your organization even more appealing.
Reduce your HR-related headaches — HR Fit can help. Learn more about our Recruiting & Hiring Services or call 309.863.1202!
