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More Candidates, But Are the Right Skills Available?
More Candidates, But Are the Right Skills Available?
On paper, recruitment should be getting easier.
There are more candidates actively looking for work, employers can often attract a higher volume of applications, and competition for every vacancy remains strong.
But for many businesses, there is still one frustrating problem: finding the right person is not necessarily getting any easier.
Recent recruitment market commentary suggests employers have access to a broader candidate pool than during the tightest periods of the post-pandemic market. However, businesses remain selective, and finding candidates with the right combination of skills, experience and ability to contribute quickly continues to be a challenge.
More applications don't always mean more choice
A vacancy attracting 100 applications might look positive, but if only a handful have the specialist skills required, employers are still dealing with a talent shortage.
This is particularly relevant in specialist areas such as engineering, automotive and manufacturing, where technical expertise and sector knowledge can significantly narrow the available talent pool.
It means employers need to look beyond application numbers and ask a different question:
Are we attracting the skills our business actually needs?
Could the job specification be part of the problem?
One challenge is that businesses can become too focused on finding the "perfect" candidate.
Five years' experience. Exactly the right industry background. A specific qualification. Experience with particular systems. Someone who can hit the ground running from day one.
Individually, those requirements might make sense. Together, they can drastically reduce the talent pool.
There is increasing emphasis on skills-based hiring, with employers encouraged to think about transferable capabilities, learning agility and adjacent skills rather than relying solely on rigid qualifications or previous job titles.
That doesn't mean compromising on the things that genuinely matter.
It means separating the must-haves from the nice-to-haves.
Recruitment is becoming more about potential
Technology is changing roles quickly too.
AI and automation are altering the skills businesses need, while digital capability is becoming increasingly important across roles that may not traditionally have been considered technology-focused.
For example, 47% of employers reported moderate or extreme AI skills shortages, according to reports.
In that environment, hiring someone based exclusively on what they have already done could mean overlooking someone capable of quickly learning what the business will need next.
Curiosity, adaptability, problem-solving and willingness to learn are becoming increasingly valuable alongside technical experience.
What can employers do differently?
If you're struggling to find the right person despite receiving plenty of applications, it may be worth reviewing your recruitment strategy.
Ask yourself:
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Which skills are genuinely essential from day one?
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Which skills could realistically be trained?
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Are unnecessary requirements narrowing the talent pool?
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Could experience from another sector be transferable?
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Are salary, flexibility and development opportunities competitive?
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Is your recruitment process quick enough to retain strong candidates?
A bigger candidate market can create opportunities for employers, but more candidates does not automatically mean more suitable candidates.
Finding the right person still requires a clear understanding of the role, the market and where businesses can afford to be flexible.
And sometimes, the best candidate won't tick every box.
They'll tick the ones that matter.
Looking for support with your next hire? Get in touch with the Apex Recruitment team to discuss the skills currently available in the market and how we can help you find the right fit for your business.
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