Hueman RPO Blog

Strategies to Overcome the Challenge of Finding Recruiters

Written by Sarah Palmer | Jun 21, 2022

Companies across the country are experiencing difficulties finding recruiters for their internal hiring teams. The demand for recruiters is at an all-time high as businesses seek talent to support their growth. According to LinkedIn - job postings for recruiters tripled from 2019 to 2022. Employers now find themselves in tight competition for the same pool of candidates. So, what can they do? 


Why Businesses Need Recruiters

A lack of internal recruitment support can negatively impact productivity, profits, and company culture. Without a dedicated recruiter, the hiring process becomes prolonged, leaving positions open for longer and overloading existing employees who must compensate for the talent gap. 

HR teams are typically responsible for recruitment efforts, forcing them to split their focus between everyday tasks and talent acquisition. Competing in the current labor market requires time and resources that an HR generalist likely doesn't have. Not only are they likely to miss top talent, but they can become overworked, leading to decreased quality of work and burnout. 

98% of professionals in HR say they are burnt out. 

Without a recruitment strategy, companies tend to rely solely on inbound applicants, significantly limiting their talent pool. Others have aggressively attracted candidates with abnormally high salaries, sign-on bonuses, and retention bonuses. Though these strategies may get positions filled, they can be a costly short-term fix. 

Recruiting Recruiters 

Job seekers have an overflow of job listings to choose from, so it is essential to highlight factors that recruiters value. According to LinkedIn, recruiters look for job security and a meaningful company mission during their job search. These factors should be listed in job listings and discussed during interviews, along with company culture and work flexibility.  

Although searching for candidates with previous recruitment experience can make the most sense to limit training time, it could hurt you.  Candidates from different industries can execute a recruiting role if they have the right transferable skills. Taking a skill-based hiring approach can help companies increase their candidate pool significantly. 

Conducting a candidate experience audit including application length, interview process, onboarding, and training can reveal opportunities for improvement. In addition, ensuring technology is leveraged and integrated correctly is critical to streamlining the recruitment process. 

Even if your company is in dire need of new hires, retention should remain a key priority. Your recruiters are likely to receive attractive and life-changing job offers, so what makes them stay? A company can improve employee retention through career mapping, setting clear goals, and incentivizing. Focusing on company culture, engagement, and creating positive experiences among your team can positively favor your company when an employee is contemplating accepting an offer. 

The Hueman Way 

Hueman was able to hire 165 recruiters in the short span of five months. We met our hiring goals while reducing time-to-hire by 30% and found better value matches by implementing the following strategies: 

Sourcing 

We build a broad applicant pool by optimizing job descriptions, using an internal referral program, and engaging with passive candidates. Hueman leverages marketing tactics, data, and diverse job boards to increase visibility, resulting in nearly 1,700 applicants within a couple of months. 

Screening 

Our business intelligence forecasting capabilities allow us to identify candidates with similar attributes of an ideal hire which favorably impacts our retention. We use a culture-based method to ensure we hire candidates who align with our values by clearly communicating our EVP and culture. 

Candidate Experience 

Hueman has an integrated tech stack to streamline recruitment efforts, making it possible to optimize applications, provide timely interviews and communication, and reduce time-to-hire. Our recruiters form meaningful, long-term relationships with candidates they meet, adding qualified candidates to their funnel for future opportunities. 

Training 

We equip our recruitment teams with the tools and training necessary to succeed in their role, regardless of their experience level or background. Recruiters go through our recruiter boot camp, where they assimilate into the Hueman culture and learn recruitment best practices, including: 
 

  • DEI Training and Certification
  • Sourcing and Best Practices
  • Developing client-specific tactics

Hueman also offers a variety of programs, including Leadership Development, Hueman University, and mentor programs to foster a culture of continuous learning and growth. 

Let's Work Together 

Outsourcing your talent acquisition efforts to an RPO partner like Hueman can alleviate the burden of recruiting off your team. If you are experiencing the negative impacts of the shortage, contact us today to develop a tailored strategy that works for your business.