A staggering 51.8 percent of UK employers say it has never been more difficult to attract talent.

Research reveals a red-hot recruitment battle and a new power shift, firmly in employees’ favour.

When it comes to attracting candidates, 59 percent of European employers are facing difficulty. That figure is significantly higher in Belgium (65%), the UK (59.1%), the Netherlands (54%) and Ireland (53%). 

Countries such as Sweden (32%), Italy (32%), Norway (31%) and Spain (29%) seem to have a slightly less difficult time attracting employees.

New research from SD Worx, European HR & payroll services provider, reveals an intensifying tug-of-war for talent as British companies rally to deliver on hardened employee expectations and land new team members.

 

Recruitment efforts stall as jobs boom

The picture is similar across Europe, underlining the new state of play in a job market where the war for talent is now employers’ most urgent challenge. 

Also, over two-thirds (68.7%) of European companies surveyed indicating that they have never had such a hard time positioning themselves as attractive employers.

Overall, six in ten European employers indicate that filling vacancies is currently taking longer.

 

The talent shortage

European employers find it particularly difficult to find candidates with the right skills. 

For 56 percent of the companies surveyed in Europe, this is the biggest challenge in the war for talent. The figure is even higher among Belgian (70%), Italian (63%) and German (61%) employers.

New business models and digitisation are increasing the demand for new profiles. 

This new search points to a changing economy shaped by low employee availability and brings to light a new hardened business imperative to secure the right talent with the right skillset.

Looking toward the future of the jobs market, European employers cited five core areas that will determine companies’ ability to attract top talent:

– 35% of employers put working hours and flexible working arrangements as a major priority

– 34% of employers said job security and financial stability are in the top five

– 34% said employees value the work atmosphere and social environment

– 32% identified meaningful, interesting and challenging work as key

– 27% of respondents said training and development opportunities are important

Colette Philp, UK HR Country Lead at SD Worx, adds: “From a top to bottom level we need to rethink how we do recruitment. This means paying careful attention to new learning curves, opportunities for development, and the adaptability of potential candidates for a job. Right now, it’s a job hunter’s market and the onus is firmly on employers to step up to new expectations by hitting all the right notes in terms of pay, flexibility, purpose and culture. 

“But despite the urgency, employers don’t have to support that switch alone.  For example, they can make use of education and training, or they can work with interim contracts. This way companies can still succeed in filling vacancies while increasing employee potential. Taking this fresh approach to recruitment practice has enormous potential to reshape not just growth and productivity but also employees’ very own career trajectories with a company.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amelia Brand
Amelia Brand

Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.