Facing a post-pandemic skills shortage? Why using multiple recruitment agencies could be a mistake

As the UK economy starts to recover from the coronavirus crisis, employers are facing difficult times.?According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS),?job vacancies hit a record high of over 950,000 in the three months to July.??

But at the same time, unprecedented numbers of people are thinking of leaving their jobs – or have quit already. A?Microsoft survey in summer 2021?found that 41% of global workers (of around 30,000 surveyed) were considering leaving their job.??

All of this leaves employers with a huge mountain to climb. With?urgent?roles to fill and a serious talent shortage, how can they get the edge on their competitors and secure the best people to aid the post-pandemic recovery of the business??

Why using multiple agencies could be a bad idea?

For many desperate employers, the solution to worker shortages is to advertise roles in as many different places as possible. This strategy often includes using multiple recruitment agencies for each role. However, this could be a major misstep.??

Due to a combination of a candidate shortage and a large number of vacant roles, agencies are pitted against each other in a race simply to introduce candidates. The focus is on speed, not necessarily on quality. This could give you a long list of applicants?to sift through, but hardly any that actually meet the skill and experience profile you’re looking for.?So?in a nutshell, it?could be a?waste of everyone’s time.??

A frenzy of multi-agency activity can also have a significant impact on the candidate experience – and not in a good way. Candidates won’t receive the level of service they expect, especially if repeatedly recommended for unsuitable roles.??

There’s also the risk to your employer brand, where overmarketing can harm your company reputation within the market.?Put yourself?in the candidate’s shoes – wouldn’t you see an employer in a bad or even desperate light if you received many calls from different agencies about the same role???

The benefits of a consistent, quality recruitment experience?

If you’re struggling to find and hire the staff you need in the wake of the pandemic, using just one recruitment agency could be the way forward.??

It’s important to choose one that specialises in your industry, which understands the challenges you’re facing and the nature of the roles you’re advertising. One of the main advantages of working with just one agency is the chance to build up a strong relationship. In time, this could turn into a hugely valuable partnership, supplying all of your talent management needs.??

Exclusivity can be a powerful motivator, helping to ensure a consistent, high-quality experience for candidates – and?high quality?results for you. A dedicated service focused on targeting ideal candidates is also time and cost-efficient, so you get better value for money.??

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Want to find out more??Get in touch with our specialist sales recruitment team at Sydney Brookes,?where quality, client satisfaction and candidate experience really?matters.??