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3 ways working with a trusted recruitment agency can help minimise your candidate shortage dilemma.

Wote Street People contributes data to The Jobs Report, issued monthly industry by KMPG & REC.  Last month’s findings made for interesting reading for HR Managers and Directors currently trying to recruit new staff. Here’s a few snippets:

• Job vacancies up, candidates down

In June 2021, the supply of both temporary and permanent fell at the quickest rate on record. Recruiters noting that increased hiring, Brexit, pandemic-related uncertainty, and the furlough scheme all weighed on candidate numbers.

• Sharpest permanent salary increases for 7 years

Not surprisingly, in a candidate led market, companies are utilising pay to encourage staff to take their position rather than choosing another role. The Jobs Report highlighted that permanent salaries rose the sharpest since 2014 whilst the hourly rate for short-term work increased at the fastest pace since 2004.

• Permanent placements hit record high

The steady return to more normal business operations and improved market confidence has fuelled the need for more staff. Permanent staff appointments expanded at the quickest rate since 1997.

Record beating rates of vacancies, permanent placements expanding at the quickest rate since the late 90’s.   Our business world has sprung back to life post Brexit and following the initial pandemic crisis – the issue now is finding the right people to employ to take advantage of this opportunistic period.  The candidate shortage problem is also a current media story with The Guardian reporting in July about the problems facing specific industries.

Jobs, jobs everywhere…. but where’s all the candidates?

At present most industries are having difficulty placing staff. From accountancy to engineering, construction and clerical to nursing and warehousing. Companies looking for staff are bidding for the same candidates.

So, how does working with a recruitment agency help HR Managers and team find candidates to fill positions?  Here’s three ways we can help support you find and win the right employees for your business.

1. We save you time

Your conundrum is that whilst your remit is to find new staff, you need to be retaining the staff you already have.  And let’s face it after the last 18 months, you have your hands more than full supporting your existing workforce. Returns to work, flexible working, updating contracts, resolving employee grievances…your to do list go a whole lot longer.

To cap it off, the candidate search process has got a whole lot harder and much more time consuming. Candidates are out there but there is a higher probability that they will be ‘tempted’ away by other companies (possibly your competitors) during the recruitment process, so expect to substantially increase the level of communication to ensure you retain the candidates’ attention and desire to work at your premises.

Relinquishing the recruitment responsibility to a trusted recruitment consultant ensures that you don’t miss out on candidates due to your time constraints. We keep in touch with your candidates every step of the way to elevate the probability of them retaining interest in your position and accepting your offer.

2. Gain access to a wider pool of candidates via our collaborative ways of working

Our TEAM membership is invaluable to us, but also your business.  The rise in popularity of flexible working, for example, can mean that if you’re having trouble finding candidates in your local area, why not look further afield?  The stumbling block could be you don’t have national connections (or time) to spread the word about your job vacancies.

Choosing Wote Street People as your dedicated recruitment consultants means you gain access to the entire team network comprising over 450 recruitment agencies across the UK. Some will be general recruiters and other industry specialists.  Whatever your need, we’ll tap into agencies that we know can help you – there’s no extra charge to you for this collaborative way of working.

3. Get access to wider candidate searches

No longer can you rely on candidates purely applying for your positions.  We have access to professional search tools which allow us to find candidates who fit your criteria and reach out to them.

Now for a bit of sauce….do you always buy the same ketchup?

Naturally as humans we are creatures of habit and can be judgemental (even if we try not to be). In today’s candidate led jobs market where candidate shortage is becoming a real issue (and will continue), you need to become more open when it comes to candidate selection.

Using ketchup as an analogy, Maxine Hart, managing director at Wote Street People says:

“Go to any supermarket and there will be a wide variety of ketchups you can choose from.  From sugar-free, to organic and chilli-infused. Being a creature of habit, you may always choose the same brand or type of ketchup.  But what if you took a chance and tried a ketchup you’d never had before?  It might not look or taste the same as your staple ketchup – but you may like it equally or even more and appreciate it has other attributes over your favourite.

“The same goes for candidates.  They obviously need to have the credentials to undertake the role, but being more open to diversity, people from other industries with transferable skills or may be pay more?

“If you’re struggling to fill a position then go back through your criteria and assess what’s the non-negotiables and what is the nice to haves.”

If this last 18 months has taught us anything is that change can be good and more productive.

Working with Wote Street People

Please call Maxine Hart on 01256 236 007 or email Maxine@wotestreetpeople for an informal chat about how we could support your business find the right candidates.