10 Reasons Your Recruiting Is Not Working

By: TAPFIN February 16, 2022

It is more important than ever to revamp your recruiting process to attract the talent your organization needs.  

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, recruiting candidates for open jobs has become increasingly difficult. And with unemployment at 3.6%, employers are struggling to find qualified people to join their teams.  

The State of Recruiting After COVID-19 

There’s no denying that recruiting has never been a simple task. Sifting through applications and interviewing to find the right candidate for a job is time-consuming and often overwhelming. And it’s only gotten more challenging in the last two years due to The Great Resignation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly 4.3 million people quit their jobs in January 2022 alone. As a result, there are a record number of job openings, as employers are desperately trying to find people to fill their open positions. Since so many people are leaving jobs and looking for new employment, you’d think this would be an easy task. But there is actually a talent shortage, so it has become increasingly difficult to find the ideal candidate and bring them on board. 

Almost half of those who responded to a survey conducted by the National Association of Business Economics reported a shortage of skilled workers in the third quarter of 2021. As they start seeking candidates to fill available positions, many employers are realizing that skilled workers are scarce. The older generations are retiring, while the younger generations may not have acquired desirable workforce skills. Luckily, you do not need to give up hope if you are seeking employees. 

The Great Realization

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10 Reasons Your Recruiting Isn’t Working 

Because there’s such a small pool of talent and high demand for workers in various industries, you will want to ensure your recruiting process is as effective as possible. Otherwise, you may miss out on some amazing potential candidates. To ensure you can recruit the talent you need, avoid making the following common recruiting mistakes. 

1. You Are Not Identifying the Flaws in Your Existing Recruiting Process 

First, you need to figure out where things are going wrong with your recruiting efforts. If you do not address those issues head-on, you will continue having problems further down the line. To determine any flaws, you should spend some time diving into your analytics. This review will look different depending on how you share job listings, whether on your website or a third-party website. Either way, you will want to have access to data showing how many people view your listings and compare that to how many people are applying. 

Assume you do not see many applications come through for an open position. By doing some investigating, you can figure out why this is happening. It could be due to poor traffic on the job listing, which means it needs more promotion. But if it is getting a lot of traffic and few applicants, the issue could be a lackluster job description or an application process that is too complicated. 

Or, if you are getting many applicants but no one is following through to schedule an interview, you might be taking too long to get back to them. You can’t leave people hanging because they will move on to other opportunities. Always aim to respond within one or two business days for best results. 

Once you figure out where things are going awry, you can change your recruiting process to make it more efficient and successful. You do not have to worry about missing out on a candidate that could be a dream for your organization. 

2. Your Job Listings Are Bland and Unappealing 

Put yourself in the shoes of a job seeker in this current market. There are tons of companies looking to fill open positions, which means you will have to go above and beyond to stand out from the crowd. So the question is, would you find your job listing enticing? If not, spruce it up a bit. Creating engaging job listings is where some marketing skills will come in handy, so you can sell people on the job. 

A great job listing should be short and sweet while still conveying the most important aspects of the role. Job expectations should always be clear so people will be more inclined to apply. That means you should avoid being vague with what you expect of an ideal candidate for the role. At the same time, sell them on the opportunity this job will provide, as well as the company’s culture and vision. 

3. The Job Description Has Not Been Updated in a While 

Have you been recycling the same job description for ages now? If so, a refresh is needed. When recruiting candidates, a clear job description will help weed out anyone who is not qualified, ultimately saving you time because you will have fewer applications to review. But if you haven’t updated the job description in a while, you could attract many applicants who are not the right fit for the role. So, it is critical to rewrite job descriptions whenever a position opens up. 

By reviewing and rewriting these job descriptions, you can update them to focus on the skills currently needed to succeed in the role. After all, things evolve over time, including what is required of a job candidate. Consider the emerging skills you want someone to have and include them in the job listing. You can also eliminate any skills that are no longer necessary. 

4. You Are Failing to Communicate What the Company Culture is Like 

Now more than ever, people are prioritizing working in healthy environments. They want to be part of an organization where team members can effortlessly work together and get along with one another. They also want to be respected and treated well by their bosses, not overworked and undervalued. It is smart to talk a little bit about the company culture in your job listings and in an interview for those reasons. 

Give people an idea of what it will be like once they have immersed themselves in a role within your organization. If it helps, talk to current employees and ask them what they like most about working for you. They can share their feedback on your website and social media. You may even want to sneak a short quote into a job listing to attract new applicants

5. Internal Employees Are Being Overlooked 

Another issue that often comes up with recruiting is that organizations sometimes fail to look at their existing employees when filling open positions. Odds are, you have much talent already working alongside you, and you should not overlook them. However, this happens quite frequently if they are not aware of positions that have recently become available. And sometimes they are not since they do not typically scroll through job listings! 

In the future, whenever you have a role to fill, let existing employees know. Allow them to apply if someone is ready to level up or switch departments. If there’s ever anyone you think would be a good fit for an open position, set aside time to meet with them. This way, you can discuss this new career opportunity and see if it’s something they would be interested in. Having someone already on your team step into one of these roles would be beneficial since they’re already familiar with your company and comfortable in your work environment. That means there will be less of an adjustment when compared to bringing on someone who is brand new. 

6. You Are Putting Too Much Focus on Credentials, Not Enough on Skill 

If you’re screening applicants based largely on educational requirements, you could be missing out on some great people. And this is only going to make the recruiting process more challenging, as it will shrink the available talent pool even more. While getting an education is beneficial, the reality is that it is not a requirement for every job out there. Plus, many people wind up getting jobs in fields completely unrelated to their degree. 

This is why it is smart to emphasize the skills a person has, as well as their ability to grow within an organization. Just because someone did not get a college degree in a certain field doesn’t mean they are unqualified. Someone eager to learn can make a difference on your team. Also, many people are self-taught or have received some other hands-on experience that makes up for their lack of a degree, which you should not overlook. 

7. The Application Process is Challenging or Confusing 

Have you ever tried to apply for one of your job listings? If not, you should probably test it out to see if it is a simple process. If people find it challenging or confusing to apply for a job within your organization, they will be quick to move on to the next job listing. And you simply cannot risk that. 

So, test it out yourself. You may even want to ask recent applicants how they found the process when you are having an interview with them. This feedback can be valuable for improving your application moving forward. Analytics will also yield important information about your application process. If your job listing gets a lot of traffic but few applicants, it could signify it is too complex. When your job is easy to apply to, you should see more applicants rolling in. 

8. You Have Only Been Relying on Interviews to Evaluate Candidates 

Interviews have long been a staple of the recruiting process as they’re great for having insightful, one-on-one conversations with a potential candidate. You can learn more about them and ask pertinent questions to help determine if they are the right fit for a job. Plus, the candidate gets the opportunity to ask any questions they may have, ensuring you are also the right fit for them. 

However, solely relying on interviews is not the way to go anymore. There are other, more effective ways to evaluate potential candidates. For example, you could incorporate an assignment to put their skills to the test, allowing you to see how they would perform on the job. Some employers even like to ask candidates to complete personality assessments to better understand who they are on a deeper level. Those assessments can even help you determine how they’d fit in with your organization. 

9. There Are Not Any Referral Incentives for Internal Employees 

With the talent pool lacking these days, why not enlist the help of your employees to find great candidates to bring on board? Someone likely has a friend or family member looking for a job perfect for filling one of your open positions. You can offer a referral incentive to encourage them to share job listings with those they know, attracting a wider range of applicants. Think of it as a powerful way to network and make new connections. 

To do this, let your team know about available positions. Then, make it easy for them to share this information with others. Provide links and details for any job listings so your employees can send them with just a few clicks. As an incentive idea, offer a small bonus to the person who assists in bringing on your new teammate. 

10. You Are Rushing to Fill Open Positions 

Finally, it is easy to feel the pressure to fill open positions. No one wants a gap in their team for an extended time. However, you simply cannot rush this process. It will take some time to find the right person for the job, and you shouldn’t sacrifice what you’re looking for. Hiring someone too quickly who maybe is not your ideal candidate will only result in increased employee turnover. 

Once that person leaves your organization and moves on to another opportunity, you will be back at the beginning. You will find yourself going through the recruiting process again, spending more time and money. It is not worth it. Give ample time for people to apply and for you to narrow down and interview candidates. 

Need Talent or Help With Your Workforce? 

Here at TAPFIN, we leverage industry expertise and a strong understanding of what potential talent wants to deliver solutions that address the workforce needs of any organization. We can assist in finding talent or improving your workforce strategy. 

Need Talent or Help with Your Workforce Strategy?

For over 20 years, TAPFIN has helped organizations accelerate business performance by finding the best talent needed today while also helping them anticipate future talent demands in a complex and unpredictable environment.