Since joining AUTOrecruit in 2007, I don’t believe I have encountered a more difficult period than what we are seeing today, when it comes to identifying, attracting and attaining experienced applicants.
Even the GFC was different. But what we have seen over the last two years has really set itself apart. To rub salt in the wound, it is equally hard to forsee when the situation may improve. Every now and then we see sporadic rays of hope, but almost as quickly as they appear, they vanish.
One thing for certain though is that candidates today are drawn more towards positions and employers who offer flexibility in their working arrangements. This could be flexible start and finish times, the opportunity to work from home for x amount of days each week, longer hours and less days, or a mixture of this and more.
Money appears to be losing its pulling power. We’ve had roles that have offered outstanding remuneration packages, which a few years ago would have seen people falling over themselves in a rush to apply, but today are barely making so much as a ripple.
The madness of inconsistent border closures has also had a dramatic impact on candidates’ general preparedness to consider physically relocating for a new role, be it interstate or international. Add to that the ever-increasing cost of and lack of supply of suitable accommodation, has seen many candidates putting the brakes on moves that previously would have been considered. Interestingly, we have seen an increase in candidates electing not to change roles, as they are looking to buy a property and do not want to jeopardise their finance pre-approvals.
Order banks stretching out to 6 and 12 months have also put the brakes on sales department candidates making a move, with employers increasingly offering 6-12 month guarantees to combat this.
There seems to be a perfect storm of events that are contributing to the increased difficulty in candidate attraction. Having said that, candidates are still out there, it’s just taking a lot more effort to find them.
Now more than ever it’s about proactive candidate attraction strategies and we are constantly reviewing our approach in this area. The days of listing a Seek advertisement and picking the 5 most suitable candidates to call is an approach that has massively reduced in its effectiveness. It has gotten so bad in fact, we only have two ads listed on the platform!
If you want to make finding staff easier, pick up the phone and let us help you!
