At our recruitment agency, we’ve been talking about the labour shortage for a while. But do employers really recognise the ramifications of it? Recruitment agencies in London are well aware that the candidate shortage has sparked a talent war. It’s a candidate’s market. So how do employers win at recruitment, whether it’s for PA jobs in London or other positions?
The battlefield
Back in the depths of the most recent recession, there was a deep pool of candidates for pretty much all roles. A concoction of redundancies, worker-fear, and rising unemployment meant that employers could cherry-pick candidates with ease. They barely had to lift a finger. With unemployment reaching 8.5%, employers held all the cards. The result was a recruitment arena where candidates had to work exceptionally hard to get noticed. Businesses were able to get great talent at low cost.
Now, this situation has been flipped on its head. Unemployment rates have more than halved, now being just 4%. The uncertainty associated with Brexit has also meant that candidates in safe roles are staying put—watching and waiting to see what happens next. EU workers aren’t attracted to fill the gaps either due to Brexit uncertainty.
What’s more, when a candidate does become available, they’re snapped up quickly. That’s after they’ve taken their pick of employers, and not the other way around. They can also demand better salaries and conditions. Skilled candidates are now like gold dust.
How do employers navigate this?
At the end of the day, in a candidate-favouring employment market, all that really matters is that you win the talent war against your competitors. There are a number of ways you can make this happen:
- Have a plan: You cannot approach recruitment in a half-hearted way. To still have your choice of the cream of the crop, choose to use recruitment agencies in London who recognise the unique challenges of the moment. This needs to be combined with a plan that forecasts your recruitment needs accurately. Look ahead and be proactive with your recruitment. Don’t simply be reactive when you lose your essential talent.
- Diversify: In the 2018 Global Recruiting Trends Report, 82% of hiring managers cite diversity as being crucial to hiring success. Step away from recruiting based on ‘people like us’ and recruit based on skills and values. In this way, you broaden your talent pool and potentially open yourself up to innovation, which will add value. Employers seeking candidates for PA jobs in London particularly need to sit up and pay attention here. This is a profession dominated by a certain ‘type’. Think outside the box and your efforts will be rewarded.
- Know your competitor: We’ll repeat this again—all that matters is beating your competitor when it comes to talent acquisition. This talent war inevitably becomes specific to every industry. You need to be ahead of the game if you don’t want to be left behind. Ensure that you understand your recruitment market and offer salaries, benefits, conditions, and opportunities that make you desirable to candidates. Remember, if they don’t like what you have on offer, they can simply choose your competitor over you.
At Love Success, we have proven success in recruiting the best candidates for PA jobs in London, despite the talent shortage. Find out more about how we are different here. If you need help filling permanent or temporary PA jobs, EA jobs, or office support roles, get in touch with our team today.
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