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Recruitment Challenges: Overcoming Talent Shortages, Rising Costs, and Evolving Expectations

by Veronica Blatt

image of a professional man holding a cell phone in a modern office environmentToday’s guest blogger is Tim Lane founder and director of Park Lane Recruitment based near Manchester UK. Park Lane Recruitment is a specialist recruiting firm in the technology space with niche areas of cybersecurity, fintech, space and defense IT, as well as generic IT sales, tech and managerial. Tim is currently serving as secretary/treasurer on the NPAworldwide board of directors and is a 30+ year veteran of the recruiting industry. In the post below, Tim shares his thoughts on recruitment challenges including talent shortages, salary and budget, compliance issues and more.

If you think hiring is just about posting a job ad and waiting for the perfect candidate to waltz in, think again. Companies in the UK and USA are discovering that recruitment is more like speed dating—awkward, unpredictable, and full of surprises.

1. Talent Shortages: The Great Skills Hunt

From London to Los Angeles, businesses are in a talent tug-of-war. The UK is short 20,000 engineering graduates every year, and US tech firms are poaching talent faster than you can say “sign-on bonus.” In critical sectors like healthcare, tech, and engineering, finding the right skills is like searching for a unicorn—except unicorns might actually be easier to find.

2. Rising Costs and Salary Showdowns

Salary remains king. With living costs soaring, candidates expect more, but many companies—especially SMEs—are stuck with shrinking budgets. It’s a balancing act: offer too little, and your dream hire ghosts you for a competitor; offer too much, and your finance team starts hyperventilating.

3. The Compliance Conundrum

Hiring internationally? Brace yourself. Legal, tax, and payroll complexities abound, especially post-Brexit in the UK and with ever-changing regulations in the US. One wrong move, and you’re facing fines or compliance nightmares. Suddenly, that “global talent pool” feels more like a regulatory minefield.

4. The Tech Revolution (and Its Pitfalls)

AI and automation are streamlining hiring, but they’re not foolproof. Employers worry about bias in AI tools, and 50% say lengthy hiring processes are driving away talent. Meanwhile, 85% are swamped with low-quality applications—thanks, perhaps, to candidates who apply to every job in sight with a single click.

5. Changing Candidate Expectations

Today’s candidates want more than a paycheck—they want purpose, flexibility, and a clear path for growth. If your job ad doesn’t mention hybrid work or ESG values, you might as well be advertising for a time machine operator. Companies must rethink their talent pipelines, invest in upskilling, and showcase their culture to attract the best and brightest.

Hiring is not for the faint-hearted. But with agility, transparency, and a dash of humour, companies can navigate these recruitment challenges—and maybe, just maybe, find that elusive unicorn. There has never been a time that a good external recruiter is as critically important to companies as now. Do you have that strategic recruiter relationship in place?

The Fastest Growing Careers Over the Next Decade

by Veronica Blatt

Image of renewable energy technician, one of the fastest growing careersIn the ever-evolving landscape of the global job market, keeping an eye on emerging career trends is crucial for both job seekers and recruitment professionals. As we look ahead to the next decade, several career paths are poised for exponential growth. These fields are driven by advancements in technology, shifts in societal needs, and evolving economic landscapes. Here, we will explore some of the fastest growing careers and what makes them promising. Read the rest of this entry »

The Post-Pandemic World of Key Talent Sourcing Disciplines

by Veronica Blatt

Our guest blogger is Andrew Thoseby of 1st Executive Pty Ltd  in Melbourne, Australia. 1st Executive is a boutique executive search, executive recruitment, interim executive and advisory firm providing custom designed people solutions for clients across a broad spectrum of industries on a local, regional, national and international basis. The firm’s recruiting activities are focused on executive,  professional, technical and managerial placement, as well as interim executives for its clients. Andrew is currently a member of the NPAworldwide Board of Directors. Today he discusses changes to hiring key talent in the post-pandemic hiring climate.

Being part of NPAworldwide, as well as having other private networks internationally, provides a unique perspective on the challenges facing both developed and developing economies when it comes to sourcing and retaining key talent in organisations. Obviously, we see this both through partners’ eyes and through the eyes of the clients who employ us and we believe that one common thread of consistency is that none of it is as we would have expected. Read the rest of this entry »

Q3 Hiring Intentions Improve Globally

by Veronica Blatt

Manpower Group’s third quarter Employment Outlook Survey shows hiring intentions improving globally by 18% over last year, and up 4% from the previous quarter. This is despite the highest talent shortage in 16 years. In fact, a full three-quarters of employers are reporting difficulty filling key roles – this is up 6% compared to last year. Large companies are feeling this pinch more acutely than smaller employers. Shifting demographics, including falling birth rates, early retirements (especially among the large Baby Boomer segment) are exacerbating the tight labor conditions. Read the rest of this entry »

Optimistic Hiring Expectations for Q1 2022

by Veronica Blatt

Hiring expectations continue to improve on a global basis, according to the most recent ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey. For the first time since prior to the pandemic, all 40 countries that participate in the survey report optimistic hiring conditions for the upcoming quarter compared to a year ago. In 36 of those countries, the numbers are also an improvement over the previous quarter. Read the rest of this entry »

Global Hiring Plans Rebounding to Pre-Pandemic Levels

by Veronica Blatt

Manpower Group has released its fourth quarter hiring outlook, which is largely positive. Global hiring plans are rebounding, although the talent shortage remains severe. Employers in more than 43 countries participated in the survey; all countries reporting stronger hiring plans when compared to last year. Hiring activity has increased much more rapidly than it did following the previous economic downturn. Read the rest of this entry »

Global Hiring to Accelerate in Q3

by Veronica Blatt

global payroll outlookManpower Group has released its global hiring survey data for the upcoming quarter. More than 45,000 employers from 43 countries participated in the survey, which seeks insight on hiring intentions for the upcoming quarter. Payroll gains are anticipated in 42 of the 43 countries represented, with the remaining country anticipating hiring to be flat. Additionally, these hiring gains are predicted to be stronger than the previous quarter. Read the rest of this entry »

Payroll Increases Expected in Q1

by Veronica Blatt

global payroll outlookThe Q1 2021 edition of Manpower Group’s Employment Outlook has been released. Employers in 34 of the 43 surveyed countries expect payroll increases in the upcoming quarter. The hiring outlook is stronger on a quarter-over-quarter basis in 32 of those countries, while weaker on a year-over-year basis in 33 locations. This is in line with the economic slowdown caused by COVID-19 and the gradual return to a stronger marketplace. Here are some highlights from each of the geographic areas studied as part of the survey: Read the rest of this entry »

Hot Markets for Global Recruiters

by Veronica Blatt

image of hot markets for global recruitersGlobal recruiters continue to adapt to the ever-shifting employment landscape. A recent report by Evenbase summarizes some of the most interesting countries to watch through the year 2020. The report includes data on GDP but also looks at factors not traditionally considered, such as the regulatory environment, language, and cultural factors. The full report is worth reading; here are some of points I found most salient:

  • The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, China, India) are often reported as the hottest emerging economies. While Evenbase lists Brazil, India, and China as the top 3 hottest markets, they have Russia pegged at number 9, partly due to continuing political and economic uncertainty. Global recruiters may also find opportunities in Australia, Japan, and Canada among others.
  • China’s recruitment industry is still in its infancy. Language barriers are significant, and the regulatory environment is also difficult. Enterprising global recruiters would do well to investigate partnerships in order to penetrate this market. One thing to consider is working on a split-fee basis with recruitment partners who are already operating in China.
  • Japan has more than three times the number of employment agency branches than its nearest competitor (83,000 vs 26,000 in the US).
  • Only 1.1% of the total workforce in Brazil is currently hired via a recruiting agency. Additionally, Brazil is also one of the countries where jobs are hardest to fill – 71% of employers report having trouble finding qualified candidates compared to 34% globally. These two facts should indicate a ripe market for global recruiters.
  • China’s workforce is aging, with 1/3 expected to retire in the next 20 years.
  • In India, job boards are responsible for 50% more hires than either recruitment agencies, direct hires, or word-of-mouth referrals.
  • Smartphones also impact global recruiters. Australia has the second-highest smartphone penetration (behind Singapore) and use a lot of apps, but social media adoption for recruitment is much slower than in other markets.
  • In the US, almost 1/3 of recruiters report that social networks are a major source of hires, but this number is much lower in other countries. Younger workers (25-34) are most likely to be using smartphones and represent a big target for global recruiters who are digitally-savvy.

Global recruiters who adopt digital platforms, social networks, and capitalize on smartphone technologies, will find plenty of hiring opportunities over the next decade and beyond.

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International Recruiting: Singapore Hiring Outlook

by Veronica Blatt

NPA members recently gathered in Beijing, China for a Global Owners Meeting. Part of the agenda was devoted to learning and discussing international recruiting needs throughout Asia. Thank you to NPA members Stan Tan from PHR Executive Search and Alban d’Sa from Gemini Personnel Pte Limited for sharing their knowledge of the Singaporean economy.

Singapore has been rated as #1 in Asia for quality of life, with the 3rd most globalized economy among 60 of the world’s economies. It is also rated as the most politically stable country in Asia. The World Bank has named Singapore #1 in the world for ease of doing business, for the seventh year in a row. Current market conditions include slowdowns in the banking and technology sectors.

Some other economic highlights:

  • Employment creation moderated in the third quarter of 2012, after increasing in the previous quarter. Preliminary estimates show that total employment grew by 24,900 in the third quarter of 2012, down from the increase of 31,900 in the same period last year and 31,700 in the second quarter of 2012. International recruiting opportunities still exist, though slightly lower from earlier in the year.
  • The growth in employment slowed in services from 21,200 in the third quarter of 2011 to 11,300 in the third quarter of 2012 and manufacturing from 3,900 to 3,700. Boosted by public infrastructure projects, construction continued to register strong employment increase of 9,800 in the third quarter of 2012, up from 6,700 in the same quarter last year.
  • Layoffs rose after declining in the preceding two quarters. An estimated 3,300 workers were made redundant in the third quarter of 2012, mainly driven by higher layoffs in electronics manufacturing and retail. This was one of the few higher quarterly redundancy figures reported in post-recessionary periods, though it was substantially lower than the highs of 6,000 to 12,800 per quarter registered during the last recession.
  • Unemployment rates remained low, reflecting strong manpower demand amid the tightening in foreign manpower controls. The seasonally adjusted overall unemployment rate dipped marginally to 1.9% in September 2012 from 2.0% a quarter ago, while the unemployment rates for residents and Singapore citizens were unchanged at 2.8% and 3.0% respectively.

While layoffs have increased somewhat, the continued low unemployment rate in Singapore means employers continue to have international recruiting needs. Recruiters with global partnerships are well-poised to meet this demand.

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