1. Lack of
Tech Professionals
OK, so whilst not all
recruiters operate within the tech/IT industries, skills shortages in some
shape or form continue to plague most sectors.
With an ever increasing demand for project
specialists and developers, “a lack of qualified staff and increased
competition for talented developers has long been the scourge of the industry”.
As demand continues to grow, those with experience with VMware in particular are
fast becoming veritable gold dust to recruiters in the technical space.
Elsewhere, the skills shortage continues to plague
other sectors – within the construction industry house building has been slowed
– a direct result of an ongoing lack of skilled professionals - and within the
engineering sector, engineers and technicians remain in urgent demand.
For those in recruitment, the challenges are likely
to continue throughout the year.
2. Matching
Skillsets to Criteria
Even if recruiters find those
with the skills they’re looking for, there’s no guarantee they’ll match what
their clients are after…
76% of recruiters surveyed at the end of 2016 said
locating candidates with skill sets which matched the criteria their clients
were looking for was the biggest challenge they faced.
The decline in certain skill sets, coupled with
“…the mismatch between the location of skills and jobs” has led to huge
challenges for those within the recruitment sector. As roles in technical
industries become more and more niche, and candidates often have to win the
approval of several hiring managers, “some mismatch is inevitable”.
Inevitable it may be, but for recruiters, it’s
certainly not desirable.
3. Super
Contractors
Contract rates continue to
increase for roles which demand challenging or hard to find technical stacks.
For example, contract rates in India may be
increased by 3.4% year on year. This has led to the rise of “super
contractors”.
With 84% of recruitment bosses reporting an
increase in demand for temporary/contract roles, recruiters face an uphill
battle in convincing clients to pay a little more for contract professionals.
Whilst some may see it as a positive – allowing them to bring on top talent
with less of a financial commitment – others may well resent the cost.
With contractors increasing in number, there might
potentially be further challenges on the horizon when it comes to finding and
placing permanent professionals.
4.
Legislation Changes
As auto-enrolment comes into
effect, recruitment companies will be faced with a greater strain on their
admin team.
Adding further responsibilities to an already
stretched aspect of recruitment is guaranteed to cause a headache.
Getting to grips with legislation and juggling new
paperwork, training days and the inevitable queries auto-enrolment is apt to
produce, this is one of the top hurdles recruiters face in 2017.
5. Appealing
to Discerning Candidates
In 2017, job seekers
(particularly those with the aforementioned sought after skills) can afford to
be picky about who they deal with and where they work.
With the continued scepticism and often downright
hostility directed at recruiters, reassuring candidates and proving themselves
trustworthy is fast becoming a huge challenge for recruitment consultants. With
70% of agencies utilizing the same handful of job boards, 2017 is the year
recruiters must go above and beyond, and prove themselves worthy of the
candidates they chase.
Furthermore, as mobile becomes the dominant
platform, recruitment agencies will need to embrace modern marketing techniques
and focus on making their jobs and content mobile accessible. It’s no longer
optional – your candidates need to be able to apply via mobile.
6. Slow
Hiring Processes
Almost every recruiter can
remember at least one incident when the delay in hiring processes has cost them
a candidate.
With skilled candidates who match the criteria
clients seek so rare, it’s frustrating when delayed feedback or painfully slow
offer processes mean candidates go elsewhere. Whilst these processes may not be
something directly in most recruitment agencies’ control, they may be able to
minimize potential damage. Developing strong relationships with their clients
and effectively emphasizing their candidates’ worth is an extremely worthwhile
Endeavour in 2017.
As 2017 gets into full swing, there are bound to be new and
unpredictable challenges for those within recruitment to face. What are the top
challenges facing your agency this year?
Sources cited:
