Common Recruitment Issues

Around 26 percent of Australian employers have trouble hiring suitable workers for lower-skilled positions, despite a high average number of applicants.

These are the findings of an Australian Government report, which notes although recruitment difficulty is most often reported for higher skilled vacancies where qualifications and experience are required, “even for lower-skilled positions, more than a quarter of employers have difficulty finding suitable staff”.

So why do so many businesses struggle to find the right recruit?

Business and recruitment difficulties – a snapshot

According to the Jobs 2018 report, employers often note a series of common themes when it comes to difficulty finding the right employee. And contrary to popular belief, not all problems are based on skills and experience.

The report notes: “Employers who have difficulty recruiting for lower-skilled positions commonly report that job seekers:

• lack the experience required to do the job
• ? have inadequate employability skills or are poorly presented
• ? do not have the necessary training, licenses or qualifications
• ? are unable to put together an application that is well set out, free of spelling and grammatical mistakes, and tailored to the job.”

The findings indicate although experience is important, and in some cases specific skills are required, at least half the major problems in recruitment lie in poor presentation, general attitude, and sub-standard applications.

Employability skills

Critically, many employers indicate it is basic employability skills they seek, and these are often even more important than previous experience or educational attainment, particularly in youth job sectors like hospitality, retail and construction.

“Employability skills, or soft skills, cover a broad range of personal attributes and transferable skills that are very important to employers,” the report notes, with research by the Department of Jobs and Small Business finding around 70 per cent of employers place at least as much emphasis, if not more, on employability skills than they do on technical skills.

“The employability skill that employers consider to be most essential is ‘people skills’, in particular, how we engage with others,” the report reflects.

And when it comes to lower skilled occupations where qualifications and licenses are not required, the top attributes employers are looking for are:

• reliability
• motivation
• hard work
• good personal presentation.

The value of work experience

Meanwhile, there’s no denying the importance of work experience when it comes to finding suitable employees who can demonstrate soft skills and ability.

“One of the most difficult challenges that even the most highly educated person can face is breaking into the labour market with little or no work experience,” the report states.

“Roughly two-thirds of all vacancies require some level of experience. Even in cases where experience is not essential, many employers will often select an applicant with previous work experience over an applicant who has none.”

They conclude: “Inexperienced job seekers should be receptive to a broad range of employment prospects and should take advantage of all available opportunities to gain experience, including volunteer work, internships, work experience placements, and apprenticeships.

“These opportunities, even if not directly related to a job seeker’s career goals, can help develop employability skills and provide much-needed references. They can be valuable stepping stones to an entry–level role that leads to better opportunities in the future.”

How we can assist

The Father James Grant Foundation partners with corporate entities and organisations to offer on-the-job training and mentoring for young people looking to enter the workforce.

We tailor each program to the business involved; working with business to impart the skills they require and instill the employee ethos they seek.

If you are a business looking to participate, there are two ways to become involved: you can assist through workplace training or mentoring, or alternatively, assist the program through sponsorship.

Either way, the businesses involved are helping to change Australia’s employment landscape at a time when the youth jobless rate is at its highest in years.

Learn more about our programs or contact us directly to become involved.