Why is recruiting so hard?

[henrysugar12]

Been trying to recruit for a position since the middle of December. Had lots of applicants but none are suitable for the job! As it's a niche position, I understand that it's not going to be simple finding someone, but I would have thought that there would be some better applicants!

Most of the CVs list various chronic health issues, that they are on maternity leave for more than 6 months (ad said immediate start), or lots of other things that are not making them look like the best option! Some of the CVs show that they have moved jobs 3 or 4 times in a year and some have absolutely no relevant experience.

What on earth is going on? A couple that we have contacted about interviews have been so non-committal and we've not managed to get them to come in for an interview. Are these people just applying to continue claiming jobseekers or something? It's so frustrating

@Kazzyhoward That’s a good point actually. Very early on in my career, I would’ve considered a small company. Now I don’t even look at places without either a large recognisable brand footprint or thousands of employees. If you’re in a fairly built-up area, that might be a problem you’re facing too.

Ageism is rife, I am 61 and looking for a new job, convinced I am being rejected (or mostly just ignored) due to age.

Agree re small firms. I've had one really positive experience in that kind of setup, and two that were absolutely awful. In kind of opposite ways to each other, but both were the kind of awful that you don't get in a larger org.

I would read niche as specialised and attracting a higher salary. It seems that niche here, doesn’t mean that?!

As countless people have said, your problem is the pay is too low and not transparent. You said "The pay is apparently comparable to other offices in the same city." Well then why would an applicant favour you over the competition? What's unique about your role that would make someone want to join you? You need to make your position better than those available elsewhere - usually this means more money.

Not listing pay on a job advert is an instant no for me.

You need to research what the market in your local area pays for a similar role, you need to offer at least that and you absolutely have to put the salary on the ad.

It also raises the question, are the other local offices recruiting successfully? Because they might not be getting the staff they want either.

That would be a topic to discuss in the interview process once you’ve sounded each other out and decided this might be a suitable opportunity. It does not belong on a cv.

Where is the role advertised?
From what you've said I'm actually imagining it's those who have job search criteria to fulfil.
Travelling 2 hours for a part time role is not normal, unless incredibly well paid. Looking back at the last short shifts I was doing- was niche work and I was getting £450 a shift, my shifts worked out as an hour in office, almost 3 travelling (sadly rare opportunity that didnt last long!). I didn't mind that one bit, but if we're talking more like £13/14ph and being paid for 6 hours, and travelling almost as much time, unpaid... they're realistically not going to take the job, or stay there, even if they're the perfect fit otherwise.

To me as an applicant "immediate start" rings warning bells of scam jobs, boiler rooms, stuffing envelope jobs, etc. It sounds desperate so you'll take anyone. I'd be too wary to apply.

To me as an employee involved in recruitment, some people are just clueless about how they should be selling themselves. But yes, it does sound very much like you've got a load of applicants who have all been sent by the job centre so they won't get sanctioned. Doing everything they can to NOT get the job. I've been in your shoes and it's very frustrating. Some of those genuinely DO want to work, but know the job would be unsuitable for them. We had a very lovely blind guy kept applying to us because he was being made to, and by the end of it he'd just ring us and ask us could we write to the job centre and add it to his/our records once and for all that our jobs were unfortunately NOT possible for him.

I think your boss needs to realise the benefits of "you need to speculate to accumulate". You perhaps need a professional to write the job ad and/or recruiter to manage the whole thing. You also seen to be vague about it yourself, which I'm sure will also be hindering things slightly.

Been trying to recruit for a position since the middle of December. Had lots of applicants but none are suitable for the job!

When you say ‘been’, do you mean ‘I’ve been’ or ‘my company has been’ or ‘my boss has been’. Are you actually in charge of the recruitment process yourself?

This is ridiculous. Unless you're hiring for ac contract, anyone coming for a job interview does so on the assumption that, all being well, they'll be in the job for a while. So saying no to people who are 60 is really no different to saying no to a woman who is 30 "in case she gets pregnant".

At the very least, there needs to be a salary range. Particularly if the job is "niche" and requires training. I need to know if it's worth all that before I do it.

You say must have admin experience which I get BUT... a lot of people may never have worked in admin roles in an office but can easily have the necessary skills. Basic computer literacy, any customer service experience is not dissimilar etc. Admin experience does not have to come from being an actual PA.

The Internet has made it too easy to apply for roles, leading to a proliferation of one-click applications which cost the candidate no time.ot thought.
Your job advertisement portal should allow you to add qualification questions which will filter out u suitable candidates. Also ask people to write a cover letter to accompany their application, this will also filter out the time wasters.
Niche role - assume you are paying an attractive rate then.

You say must have admin experience which I get BUT... a lot of people may never have worked in admin roles in an office but can easily have the necessary skills. Basic computer literacy, any customer service experience is not dissimilar etc. Admin experience does not have to come from being an actual PA.

Omg this! I have a good friend desperately trying to escape the hospitality industry. She doesn’t mind starting on a low salary, has tons of amazing customer skills, used to ordering systems etc, really great at logistics too actually, but can’t even get an interview due “ no office experience”
Its not the damn 90s people. Anyone can learn to use a database, or Outlook and most people spend half their time on little computers!

Decent candidates want to know what the job is offering them and they can choose to be picky. If you aren’t being transparent about salary I don’t see how you can complain about either the quality of candidates, or their level of motivation to interview.

99% of people work for the money so salary is important to them; and 100% of people don’t like to be dicked about so being coy about money is a big red flag.

the problem here is that advert (and the fact people aren’t desperate at the moment)

2 separate issues. Even if the advert is improved they will probably still only get the JS token applicants - it's the way our benefit system is set up (having been on it myself before) and is ridiculous.

BUT if they improve the advert they might ALSO get actual good applicants that want a job - just at the moment they aren't bothering applying because there is so little detail supplied in the advert nobody who is honestly looking for work knows whether they want it or not so aren't bothering to apply. I wouldn't even bother looking at a job without a salary - you want me to spend a few hours putting a good application together, take half a day off work to go to an interview and only then tell me it pays less than the job I'm already doing?

Same with 'immediate start' - you've been waiting since December, you can wait a month for the right candidate to put in their notice!

How would your boss know the pay is the same as other similar roles in the area if they aren't putting their salaries on their adverts? And if other companies are frequently advertising similar roles, perhaps the 'standard' salary is too low and nobody is staying/sticking in those jobs.

A lot of bosses still think they're recruiting in 2019 when any amount of flexibility in terms of starting/finishing time put them ahead of the competitors. Now if you're advertising an admin job you're competing against companies who allow staff to WFH full time, so your pay/benefits have to reflect that. You can't compare them to jobs where you have to be there full time - shopworkers, teachers, police, etc because people pick their jobs dependent on what they like (going to a different place every day, lots of human interaction) or what works for their lifestyle.

You are hiring for an admin role, therefore you need to make your admin role MORE attractive than other admin roles if you want good applicants. Surely this is basic knowledge?

Your friend needs to reframe her logistics/admin experience in hospitality as similar to office experience. So, for example she might have her overall role listed as "restaurant manager". But then in the sub sections she might include something like, "Office administration and logistics" and there she'd say things like, "Oversaw ensuring sufficient supplies coming from multiple areas including online ordering, invoice management, communication with suppliers, quality review... [as appropriate]"

Then in IT skills she needs to include any computer programs she can operate, obviously prioritising Microsoft programmes. if she's worked with a specific database she can say something like, "practised in database operation with specific experience in x/y/z".

One of your posts said that the pay you didn't know. Which means it's not on the advert

I do not apply for jobs that go with the whole salary dependant on experience bullshit.

One reason I like bands I know what the min salary could be and I can argue my experience and skill set should move me to x position in the band. If it's too low I don't waste time applying

You're not going to get suitable applicants if you don't advertise the salary. No one in a stable job is going to apply to a role when they don't even know if it's the same / more money.

The issue is there aren't any motivated candidates... when offered interviews they either don't show up or decline interviews. I'm all for finding someone who has potential, but getting them through the door just isn't happening!

Many (most?) motivated and serious candidates will not apply for a job without knowing the salary, but if they do they'll ask about it at interview.

So what do you say when they ask, OP?

Well I think that'll be a huge part of it.

Your company sounds like a mess OP. Lucky no one is leaving a job for this.

The issue is there aren't any motivated candidates... when offered interviews they either don't show up or decline interviews. I'm all for finding someone who has potential, but getting them through the door just isn't happening!

How on earth can you expect to get them through the door if you don’t know what the salary is? 🤣 Most people will ask in a screening call if it isn’t on the advert! If I were invited for an interview and the hiring manager didn’t know the salary I’d think they were a right bunch of joker

With everything you described it sounds like you may want to try changing something internal? Such as the wording of the position or the pool of where you are advertising? It seems like you are just getting the same revolving door with what you are doing......

So the main advantages of the job are
It is a job
It is part time with some flexibility
It doesn't require more than basic admin experience.

Main disadvantages are
No wfh
Pay not disclosed and probably not high enough to attract anyone who holds job like this one.
Immediate start

Alltogether it rules out majority of people who do have a reasonable job now.
So your best chance is someone very local, who maybe wasn't even looking for a job just now, but would see the location and advantages as important advantages.

Are the actual hours part of the advertising? Part time can mean very different things.
While I support clear pay, I don't think it is the main reason here, it sounds it didn't reach your ideal candidates. Clarify the descriptions and advertise locally.