77% of Companies Struggle to Fill Jobs so Start with a Solid Recruiting Strategy
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
It might sound like we have this conversation every year, but recruiting is going to be tough in 2024. In fact, for some employers, it might already be a significant challenge. I saw an article on LinkedIn saying that 77% of companies said they struggled to fill open jobs in 2023.
The same article mentioned that 53% of employees are likely to leave their current employer in the upcoming year. It reminded me of a new term that’s making the news called “job cuffing”. Like the term “ghosting”, job cuffing originated in dating and relationships. The idea behind cuffing is that you have someone to hang out with during the winter months when there are lots of festive events and parties. Because you don’t want to go to those events solo. Then after the New Year … the relationship will be over.
Now the concept of job cuffing is making its way to the workplace. You hang out with your current employer until the holidays pass and then it’s time to find a new opportunity.
Even if organizations don’t believe they’re subject to job cuffing, they should recognize that turnover happens. People find new jobs, retire, or opt to stay home and care for family. Bottom line, recruiting will continue to be a challenge.
I wanted to share with you some of the recruiting related articles we published during the year, because I think they reflect things we need to review and consider in our recruiting strategy. The articles are organized by topics to consider before, during, and after the interview.
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
How to Conduct a Job Analysis – A job analysis is about figuring out how the work is getting done in the organization and determine if it is assigned to the right job title. Organizations can take the information and possibly shift some responsibilities for greater effectiveness and efficiency.
The 4 Key Elements of An Effective Recruiting Strategy – The workforce is changing. HR and talent acquisition professionals need to be prepared for a strategic response.
4 Reasons for Organizations to Consider Second Chance Employment – A growing number of organizations are developing second chance employment programs. Because it’s the right thing to do. And it makes good business sense. When you can do both, it’s a win for all.
The Pros and Cons of Using Ghost Jobs in Your Recruiting Strategy – Organizations need to examine the rewards and risks to determine whether a ghost job strategy really works for them. The question becomes are they effective? They might have been at one point in time. Then, the question is are they still effective today? And do the rewards outweigh the potential downsides? That I’m not so sure about.
DURING THE INTERVIEW
Cover Letters Need a Purpose to Be Useful – This article isn’t designed to sell anyone on writing (or not writing) cover letters. if you’re a candidate using cover letters then make them good ones. Don’t just rehash your resume in a letter format. And if you’re a recruiter evaluating a candidate based on their cover letter, have solid criteria for doing so.
Use CARL as a Behavioral Interview Alternative to the STAR Method – Regardless of what’s happening in the labor market, organizations will need to find and hire the best employees. That requires a solid recruiting strategy and asking good interview questions. You can use STAR and CARL to design interview questions that will allow the candidate to showcase their experiences.
Make Interview Questions Relevant to the Job – The purpose of today’s article isn’t to say don’t get to know the people you work with. Because work is better when we have positive working relationships with the people around us. But maybe we need to become more cognizant of how we go about building those work relationships.
AFTER THE INTERVIEW
Non-compete Agreements Should Not Be a Retention Strategy – The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently introduced a proposal to ban non-compete agreements. It’s still in the proposal stage, so there haven’t been any final rulings, but this has huge potential for the workplace. If you’d like to read what’s in the proposal, check out the Fact Sheet on the FTC website.
E-Verify: What Organizations Need to Know – If the company hasn’t adopted E-Verify as part of a good recruiting strategy, now is the time to have a conversation. Services like E-Verify are designed to protect employers and employees. Employers know that they’re hiring someone who is authorized to work. And employees know that the organization is following the law by hiring individuals who are authorized to work.
Workplace Inclusion: Organizations Must Choose to Take Action – According to a LinkedIn study, 76% of candidates and employees say that diversity is important when considering job offers and 80% said that they want to work for an organization that values DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion). There are also several studies that show how companies that place an emphasis on DE&I outperform their competition. However, these outcomes are predicated on organizations not simply talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion but also doing something about it.
Organizations: Your Social and Political Views are Part of Your Brand – As we’re starting to talk about the 2024 U.S. election cycle, this could be a good time for the organization to have an intentional conversation about their views. Because the organization’s social and political views are a part of their brand. Even if the company’s view is “We’re not going to comment on social and political matters.”, that becomes part of your brand. Because in today’s business environment, “no comment” is not a neutral statement.
In my work experience, I found that when the recruiting process wasn’t optimized, it became the target of the organization’s problems. Meaning that when recruiting is broken, hiring managers will use that as the excuse for not getting things done.
“We don’t have enough employees.”
“We don’t have enough qualified applicants.”
“HR isn’t getting us candidates in time.”
…and the list goes on.
We don’t want to be in that position. The organization doesn’t want to be in that position. Now is a great time to review your recruiting strategy and make sure it can deliver.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby at the SHRM Annual Conference in Orlando, FL
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