Calm oceans leaving recruitment processes sailing adrift

2024 is already a quarter of the way done, blink and you miss it feels very real with what has been a slow and cumbersome start to the year across most sectors of the economy.

This of course has a huge impact on recruitment cycles, why leave if there are no jobs to go to? Why hire if there is no growth? Why replace if the workload has become manageable? All very valid questions that are being played out in the market. It has been a struggle for most working in the private sector to gain traction and turn talks of deals into tangible placements.

In this article I'll discuss how to keep on top of ever slowing processes, the haste for new recruits slowing and the appetite for bringing new talent onboard drying up.

Slow process, low outcomes

In 2024, the recruitment landscape in Australia has experienced a sluggish start characterised by prolonged processes and hesitant decision-making among clients. The recruitment cycle has extended due to various factors, including heightened scrutiny on candidate qualifications, decreasing competition for talent, and cautious budgetary considerations amidst economic uncertainties. Clients are showing a cautious approach, meticulously evaluating candidates and deliberating extensively before finalising hiring decisions, contributing to prolonged lead times. This delayed recruitment process has created challenges for both recruitment agencies and job seekers, necessitating adaptive strategies to navigate the evolving market dynamics and sustain momentum amidst the prevailing sluggishness.

Keeping up momentum and communication

On all sides of the recruitment process, communication is the most important tool available to us. No news is still news, it's important to know that a client or candidates full time job is 99.9% of the time not to be a recruiter and do their actual jobs (sometimes working in recruitment it's easy to forget that not everyone is recruiting all day, every day) so ensuring that manageable timelines are implemented at the start of the recruitment process and are reflected upon throughout will help to drive momentum, keep all parties informed and hopefully ensure the end result of finding someone a new role and solving an issue for the employer is quick and seamless.

I'm a firm believer in communication at all twists and turns of the hiring process, it's important for everyone to understand where they are at in order for priorities to be managed and expectations set. Managing clients and candidates to account on this is easier if timeframes are discussed and all are held accountable to them. Equally it's the job of the client and candidate to manage the recruiter or middle party to account to push their agenda forward and notify them of any changes on their end.

Unicorn hunting

In a flat market where pressures are slightly less demanding and work life balance returns to pre-Covid norms it's important on all sides to understand that recruitment is not as pressing as it once was. Quiet markets and lessening demand lead many clients to head down the path of unicorn hunting, still keen to add headcount where feasible but also looking for an 11/10 candidate that will solve problems they don't yet have and sometimes needing a subtle reminder that people are capable of upskilling.

It's a hugely frustrating and time consuming exercise to set unrealistic standards when hiring. Much like timeframes, when briefing on roles it's very important to be realistic around expectations, educate clients on the market and explain to candidates what the client is looking for in an ideal world, but prepare everyone to look at avenues of exploration rather than finding dead ends on every turn. On the client side, be optimistic but realistic on what you are looking for and understand that the market is flat, candidates are more conservative to moving and would need a compelling reason to join a business, it's still very much a two way street when it comes to hiring even if the paradigm has shifted to favour clients demands more in 2024.

Pivot and understand the market we're all working in

Review and updating recruitment strategies to align with changing market conditions and client/candidates demands is key to making sure you're continuing to find mutual success for all. This might involve targeting different talent pools, leveraging new channels for recruitment, or revising job descriptions and requirements but be open minded and work in ways you might not have previously.

As a client or a candidate, ensure that you are understanding of the market and you work to the strengths of it, be patient and realistic around job seeking or hiring, understand that a flat market does not mean a plethora of amazing, immediately available talent is on the shelf waiting to be picked from or that you'll walk into a role because of previous experience/skills being aligned. It's tight out there and being aware, patient and educated is key to finding employment/hiring success.

Working to get a win win result for all parties

Importantly, we need to recognise that all parties involved in the recruitment process are working toward the same end result. For a candidate it's finding the right role, for a hiring manager it's finding a great employee and for a Recruiter it's mutually matching the above.

On that basis, it's important to work to the same timelines, expectations and ensure that all parties are happy. Recruitment is a journey and an imperative way in which businesses grow, culture blossoms and professional lives are shaped. All parties involved in the process whether it be client, candidate or the middle body are fighting for a positive outcome. Remembering this can be tough when things are going wrong but at the end of the day a win is what we all want so to recap, set goals, set timeframes, set expectations and stick to them to make sure everyone goes home a winner.

If you want to talk about hiring or you're interested in looking for your next role then please contact me, Adam Geary on LinkedIn or on [email protected]