If 2023 was an ‘annus horribilis’ on the recruitment front, the first half of 2024 has been far more encouraging and as long as things continue along this trajectory, it feels like we can finally put to bed the worst of the post-pandemic hangover.

That’s not to say that there aren’t still challenges on the hiring front. This can be largely attributed to the huge shift in expectations that the emerging crop of talent have undergone. This is the result of the rapid salary rises and increased flexibility that they experienced during the early years of their careers.

Although businesses can adapt fairly quickly to a change in fiscal fortunes, cultural re-alignments are notoriously slow to manifest, so, despite candidates’ position in the job market tempering significantly from the heady days of the post-pandemic talent stampede, on the whole they seem reluctant to relinquish their advantage.

Of course, many of the demands which were feasible post-lockdown, simply weren’t sustainable and businesses are now standing their ground. So, despite 2024 seeing the level of opportunities that are coming onto the market increasing significantly, the big challenge is now brokering deals that work for both prospective employer as well as employee.

One warning I would give to businesses during this challenging time, is that many unscrupulous recruiters will use it as an opportunity to feather their own nest. With candidates being far more fickle about accepting job offers, and counteroffers being commonplace, processes rarely run smoothly. It subsequently becomes far easier for chancers to catch the eye of hiring managers with a well scripted candidate profile.

Of course, most of the time these are deployed as honeypots to gain a proverbial foot in the door, often in the attempt to usurp current recruitment endeavours by giving hiring organisations ‘something to think about’. But with the common recruitment phrase ‘time kills a deal’ being more poignant than ever in the current climate, in the majority of cases this causes vastly more damage than good.

On the few occasions that this situation presents a candidate who trumps those already being considered, (and the recruiter earns a hefty fee for little more than floating across a CV), the damage done to existing recruitment partnerships alongside the risk to active campaigns, is rarely worth the marginal gains.

As previously mentioned, cultural realignment is slow-moving and the current recruitment challenges are deeply ingrained. The quick-win approach to recruitment therefore makes little sense, and closer ties with talent partners should be fostered rather than trashed if businesses are to get the people they need in place to capitalise on the upcoming economic stability we’re hopefully going to experience.

Bearing all of this in mind, if there’s one piece of advice I’d give to those looking to recruit over the next 12-24 months, work closely with your agency partners so they can pitch the full scope of your opportunity to potential candidates. Otherwise, you rely heavily on your salary to entice candidates which in the current climate will not only burn through your budget, but will attract them for all the wrong reasons!

Blogs & Vlogs