Reflections on Recruiting in 2022

Well, the end of 2022 is very nearly upon us. So it's probably an appropriate time to reflect on the challenges in recruitment we've been facing over the past 12 months, for those hiring to fill vacancies and those looking for for their next career move.

Most businesses have REALLY struggled to recruit the talent they need. The traditional pinch-points still exist in commercial and in work-winning roles where things are even more challenging.

For help on managing the recruitment process and selling your role see our articles Trust The Process and Sell to Win .?

Salaries and rates for most positions are at unprecedented levels. Keep in mind, this is not just something that affects recruiting new staff, it also affects retaining your existing workforce. If your team falls dramatically behind the marketplace in terms of salaries and packages, you'll be vulnerable to losing them to competitors. For more on this see our article The Forgotten .

We've seen a massive increase in counter-offers both in terms of the number of them and the size of them when they happen. Really, this is a fact of life at this point that needs to be factored into the offer you make to a candidate. If you don't believe me on this, ask yourself this, "what am I willing to do to keep one of my best performers?" Counter-offers make complete business sense - particularly when facing up to the potential loss of a high-performing employee, leading to an inevitable loss of productivity in your team and a probable recruitment fee to source a replacement.

In this climate, with the amount of work that's out there, it will be competitive every time you recruit. The star candidate you want may have (many) other options. Therefore selling your business and the role is key. Working with the right Recruiter who partners with you to sell the business is vital. See our article How to Choose the Right Recruiter for more on this.?????

Positions are staying open for longer as there are a lot of steps involved with filling a position, which add up and take time. These include an incoming candidate's notice period and even before then, there are the sourcing, interviewing and selection processes.

It's never been a great idea to shortcut the recruitment process, for instance, just offering the first person on the interview shortlist and then not meeting the others. What if your first choice accepts an offer elsewhere? What if they weren't actually the best candidate, despite interviewing really well? What if you had the star candidate's CV in your hands, but you threw it away because their experience wasn't spot on? To that final point, I've always maintained that we put far too much stock into CVs and you might just lose your top candidate without even realising it. This aside, meticulously following a thorough recruitment process will likely turn you out a fantastic new employee and save you time an money in the long-term.

Most clients I've spoke to seem convinced that despite a large number of Recruiters professing they're excellent, very few actually deliver. Finding the right horse to back takes some time, but once you've got them, they'll likely deliver consistent wins. For more on this, see our article How to Choose the Right Recruiter .

Many businesses and many departments I'm speaking to are under-staffed and haven't got the headcount that they'd ideally want - this is because they can't recruit them. Unfortunately, that may mean more work for the people remaining as they're having to pick up the slack.

Hiring Managers this bit is for you - how long do you think it will take for your team to start to take those long private calls in the corner meeting room and then book a half day off for those "dentist appointments"?

This is another reason why recruiting effectively is key when it comes to building your teams. Don't get into a mode of plugging a hole only for another one to appear.

Rising salaries, flexible working options and more choice than ever before. The market has been incredibly buoyant. In short, it's been a great time to get the role you really want.

Yes, the jobs market is buoyant but remember that it is also cyclical, so don't go ghosting hiring employers or Recruiters.

You might be in the box-seat now, but if recent events have taught us anything, the only thing that's certain is that at some point this will change and you don't want to be remembered as that person who couldn't be bothered to get back to people. Tainting your own reputation now might mean that you miss out on a great opportunity in the future.

This isn't about me or other Recruiters - we're all thick-skinned enough to handle someone not returning calls or emails; this is about your brand and reputation in the industry. For more on this, see our article Ghosting .

In some ways, an abundance of choices does not make decision-making easier. Think about all the time spent and frustration that comes with scrolling through Netflix (other streaming services are available) to find something to watch.

But how do you make that all important decision? Stick or twist? Should you go or should you stay? You need to conduct a self-audit and decide what's important for you, as you can only make the best decision based on the information you have at the time. For more on this see our article on decision-making Maybe Not Today, Maybe Not Tomorrow .??

"Flexing the spec" is a recruitment phrase - it basically means broadening out your criteria for the requirements of a job spec and considering other types of candidates you might not have done previously. What I never see being discussed however, is the MASSIVE opportunity this represents for candidates. From a job-seeker's perspective, this means roles may be open to you that you hadn't considered previously.

High demand for people means hiring companies are being more open-minded about the candidates they'll consider for roles. The situation now means that you might get an opportunity to change sectors within civils or even do a different role altogether.

Now would be a great time to make that move from the operational side into bidding, estimating, or planning for example.

I don't envy job-seekers sometimes. How do you make the decision on which Recruiter(s) to go with?

Here are some practical things you can do: ask around, look at how long the Recruiter has been in the sector and look for testimonials. This should give you an idea as to whether you're dealing with a competent Recruiter or not.

There have been plenty of challenges and opportunities in 2022 and I'm sure there'll be more to come for 2023. Without the benefit of a crystal ball, it's hard to say how the landscape might change for next year, but what do people think 2023 will be like????