Employers struggle to find talent despite job-seekers' rush

Employers around the globe are finding it difficult to get suitable candidates with right skills, even as number of job-seekers has grown substantially since the beginning of economic crisis, a survey says.

According to the study by SHL, global workplace talent assessment solutions provider, recruiters are still struggling to identify the right people for their firms, despite the fact that unemployment has touched a record high globally.

Almost half (41 per cent) of the recruiters surveyed said the number of applications per job has increased since the start of the recession, the report stated.

While, only 23 per cent of the employers covered in the survey have actually found it easier to find suitable candidates, it added.

The survey of more than 350 recruiters found that 36 per cent have been taking longer to recruit because of the downturn while, the majority said this is because there are more candidates.

"While it may seem that recruiters currently have the pick of the talent due to the increase in job seekers, it appears that this is not necessarily the case. Not only has the sheer number of applicants made it difficult for employers to identify the best candidates, but many employers do not appear to have an understanding of the skills and competencies they actually need," SHL CEO David Leigh said.

Almost two-third (60 per cent) employers have become more selective, with a third of them (35 per cent) saying they are looking for the best people to help their organisation survive the tough economic conditions, the SHL survey revealed.

Due to the increase in candidates, recruiters are being more selective about experience (69 per cent), competencies (61 per cent), enthusiasm (46 per cent) and fit with company culture (42 per cent), it added.

Further, many employers are also wary of candidates looking for a 'stop-gap' until the job market improves, rather than a job that is actually right for them.

These concerns seem to be well-founded with a recent SHL survey of employees showing that 18 per cent had taken a job in the last year that was not in line with their expectations.

Additional methods of selection have been brought in by two thirds of those recruiters surveyed, including competency interviewing (32 per cent), trial periods (26 per cent), additional interviews (21 per cent) and psychometric testing (13 per cent).