What employers should be doing as recruitment continues to be a challenge - From the Manor

In this article Commercial Director at LoveLocalJobs.com Paul Scrivens shares some insights into the post-COVID world of local recruitment.

The Manor Royal Jobs Board specifically promotes the broad range of employment opportunities provided by the diverse and eclectic group of local employers, big and small, to the people of Crawley and beyond.

Recent data shared with the Crawley Economic Recovery Taskforce, the multi-agency group made up of representatives from across the town to plan for recovery, is revealing about the challenges facing employers.

“Looking at the headline data comparing September 2020 with September 2021, the volume of jobs advertised on the Manor Royal Jobs Board had risen from 37 last year to 165 in 2021. That’s an impressive 346% increase and compares to an equivalent 161% across LoveLocalJobs.com as whole.” Explains Paul, “This suggests that compared to Sussex, the rate of demand from employers is rising more rapidly on Manor Royal.”

The appetite from applicants also appears to be on the rise. There were close to 4,000 job views in September 2021 compared to 1,700 in Sept 2020.

But what does it mean?

“There’s lots more jobs being viewed by lots more people. Where it gets interesting is the number of applications has remained more or less static year on year, with 175 in 2020 compared to 187 in September 2021. This mirrors the verbal feedback we get from clients and contacts from across the recruitment landscape.”

The consensus is that whilst companies want to hire, candidates don’t appear to want to apply. There could be multiple reasons for this but the trends indicate life isn’t going to get any easier for recruiters desperately needing to fill vacancies.

Indeed, according to a recent survey of Manor Royal businesses, difficulty with recruitment was found to be one of the biggest challenges businesses are facing.

So, what should employers be doing?

“Ironically, despite everything that’s happened, the shortage of quality candidates we saw pre-pandemic is now even more of a challenge.” Says Mr Scrivens, “My recommendation to organisations hiring on Manor Royal, or anywhere, is to work with the variables you can control.”

Among recommendations for recruitment success, Paul advises employers to do their best to showcase what makes their company an amazing place to be and work hard to tell that story. Highlight good news about someone celebrating a landmark work anniversary or celebrate something outstanding the team has done in the community. If your company has managed to retain key business despite the challenges, then make sure as an employer you recognise that by shouting about it and saying thank you.

“Ask yourself, what can you say about your company that will make you stand out and convince someone to take a leap of faith and join you? And then find ways to let people know about it.”

This is one of the ways the Manor Royal Jobs Board provided by LoveLocalJobs.com can really help Manor Royal companies. As well as covering the jobs board basics of listing local vacancies, LoveLocalJobs.com work with companies to try and amplify their news, advice and guidance and to shine a light on their world of work to help them stand out.

Living as we do in the digital age, companies need to make the most their own network and those of their partners to get their message out effectively online, via social media, through email databases, via local PR channels and, most powerfully, through the journeys of their people out there in the community.

“In fairness employer brand isn’t anything knew,” Paul concludes, “But if there’s ever a time to get back to basics it feels like now.”

Find jobs in Manor Royal at www.manorroyal.org/jobs

Find out more about Manor Royal at www.manorroyal.org