If it seems like clients are dragging their feet when it comes to the final hiring decision, it’s not your imagination.
The Chicago Tribune reported on a recent Manpower survey that showed that 34% of employers are having trouble filling open positions. One of the most popular reasons employers gave for not being able to fill positions is a lack of applicants. They also stated that the applicants they do find lack the necessary technical skills.
Some of the jobs they are having the hardest time filling include:
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Rather than settling for a less-than-perfect candidate, 56% of the respondents said they are making due with their current workforces, regardless of what impact it may have on their customer service or employee morale.
A recent poll by our sister company, FoxHire Network, shows how this is affecting recruiters. The poll asked members of the network “What’s your biggest problem with clients right now?” The most popular answer, chosen by 37.8% of the respondents, was “Taking too long to extend an offer.” The second most popular response was “Lack of timely feedback, selected by 26.1% of the recruiters.
Given the uncertainty of the economy and the potential costs that come with hiring the wrong person, you can’t really blame employers for being a little picky. But at the same time, they could be stifling their own growth by being overly cautious.
“If company officials don’t provide timely feedback and they take too long to extend an offer of employment to qualified candidates, they increase the chances that those talented candidates will take other offers, decide they don’t want to make a move after all, or lose interest in the company altogether,” said Mark Demaree, President of FoxHire Network. “And these are some of the things that are happening.”
You can help prevent your clients from missing out on great candidates by allowing them to bring candidates on through contract-to-direct arrangments. That way, they can “try before they buy” by evaluating the candidate’s skills, work ethic, and cultural fit on the job – without making a long-term commitment.
It may be tempting for your clients to play it safe in this economy. But by doing so, they could be missing out on great talent. By offering candidates on acontract-to-direct basis, you can help them get the best fit for their company without the risk of immediately hiring direct.
