Is anyone having trouble recruiting?

[SoapyWit]

I work in a business which is part of a bigger company. We're having real difficulty filling roles. I don't think it's because of brexit as those roles are not usually filled by Europeans, they're usually local people from our town. Variety of roles including cleaning, mid level supervision roles, admin, professionals, hands on type roles like electrical and so on. Good company to work for, decent reputation. Anyone have any inside info?!

Pay more

I have ended up recruiting a lot of people who need visas for my technical financial team. I always think it's a shame as there must be a local person who is well educated enough but I'm more likely I find someone with bit of experience from abroad.

In my industry we are so busy and you can't get trained qualified staff. It's not to do with brexit in our case.

Also guessing it's the pay. If pay is attractive you will get applicants especially for cleaning and admin roles.

Yep. We’re having similar issues. Quite a niche sector but struggling to recruit across the business for specialist and non-specialist roles. This is despite the company offering above market rate salaries, enhanced annual leave, enhanced pension contributions and a whole host of other benefits.

For the lower level/skill roles - increase the pay rate, consider whether you can offer part time or flexible hours (e.g. school hours, or 7-3 instead of 9-5 etc)

For the higher skill roles, or roles that you would expect to retain & progress, I think make a big effort for your company values & culture to come across in you ads, website etc. Actively try to attract based on what kind of place you are to work, rather than specific role content (as far as possible). Then keep the recruitment open and be patient to find good fit candidates.

There definitely seem to be less candidates out there this year.

Too many companies paying low pay and then complaining they can't get the staff. 🤔

The pay is good though, plus loads of benefits (free staff breakfast and lunch, free parking, lovely grounds and rest areas, big airy work environment, pension, term time only contracts available, flexible hours) I'm not particularly in charge of recruitment but am affected by the lack of it!

It’s a candidates market at the moment. Have you heard of the term ‘the Great Resignation’ that has been coined to describe this year’s employment market?

I don’t know about all industries but I mentor SMEs and a lack of skilled or semi skilled tradespeople is a huge issue

At my work they’re struggling to fill roles
Trouble is the pay is so low and the expectations so high that people know they can get the same or better pay with less stress elsewhere
Plus people talk in my industry - I’ve been warned off jobs before now.

Recently the government changed the threshold for part time work, i.e. not cutting universal credit as much. Et voila, unemployment rates have dropped.

We’re struggling and have just had two candidates negotiate much higher salaries because we need them so badly. Wish I’d done the same!