Hiring challenges persist despite effective recruiting and smart candidates

Employers are getting used to dealing with an almost constant talent search. The postrecession economic growth over the past decade has spurred employers to create more jobs, and while that would seem to be good news, the challenge of filling those jobs is often daunting.

Certainly, employers and jobseekers alike are relieved that the economy has improved, but the low unemployment rate means employers have fewer active jobseekers to recruit. There are upsides, though, since many high-quality passive jobseekers are interested in new opportunities. Overall, the changing economic picture means you must get creative as you struggle to compete for the best and the brightest talent.

Sources of trouble

Global job platform Monster released the results of its 2019 State of the Recruiter survey in October, revealing that recruiters are confident in their ability to fill positions and they're finding high-quality candidates, but trouble nevertheless persists. Seventy-one percent of recruiters who participated in the Monster survey said their hiring efforts are hampered by a skills gap, with problem solving/critical thinking and communication being the most common inadequacies.

The report revealed another issue affecting employers' ability to hire: the tendency of many candidates to submit résumés exaggerating their skills and competencies. Just one-third of the recruiters surveyed think candidates are very honest about their skills.