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Facing Recruitment Challenges for Certain Roles? Here’s Why—and How to Overcome Them

Salaries and Roles Job Market Salary and hiring trends Labor Market Trends Workplace Research Article Research and insights
Some jobs are more challenging to staff than others. And the longer a vital position remains open, the more likely your business will experience a cascade of negative side effects. For instance, in a recent Robert Half survey, 42% of managers said employee burnout is the greatest impact of not staffing roles in a timely fashion. Thirty-nine percent cited delayed project timelines, and 37% pointed to decreased employee productivity. In this post, we’ll explore some of the current dynamics in the labor market that shed light on why your organization may be struggling to hire, especially for certain roles. We also offer several strategies that can help you overcome recruitment challenges.

Why is hiring so hard right now?

Research for Robert Half’s Demand for Skilled Talent report found that 91% of hiring managers are having difficulty locating skilled talent—with 35% reporting it is very challenging. Low unemployment rates are a factor for this trend. The national unemployment rate is significantly lower than rates we’ve seen coming out of previous economic downturns. In December, it was 4.1%, according to the jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The unemployment rate for college-degreed workers—the professionals most highly sought-after by employers—was 2.4% at the end of 2024. That rate did not climb higher than 2.5% in any month last year. Meanwhile, other data from the BLS shows many specialized positions have unemployment rates trending even lower. Here are just some examples of these roles in three different professions: Finance and accounting Financial analysts: 0.7% Accountants and auditors: 1.8% Compliance officers: 1.9% Bookkeepers: 2.1% Tech and IT Security analysts: 0.8% Database administrators: 1.2% Help desk and desktop support specialists: 2.5%    Marketing and creative Front-end developers: 2.4% Event managers: 3.5% Marketing specialists: 3.8% Legal Lawyers: 0.9% Paralegals: 1.9% Administrative and customer support Office managers: 1.8% Project managers: 1.8% Human resources Compensation analysts and benefits specialists: 1.3% Learning and development managers: 1.6% Human resources managers: 1.9%

More workers staying put while many firms step up hiring

Further exacerbating employers’ hiring challenges is the fact that fewer professionals are currently on the job hunt. In a Robert Half survey, only 29% of workers said they are planning to look for a new role in the first six months of 2025. That’s a 5-point drop from a similar survey we conducted a year earlier. It is also the third consecutive quarter of decreased job-seeking activity since the peak in the latter half of 2023, when nearly 50% of workers were interested in a new job. We also learned through research for our latest Demand for Skilled Talent report that 63% of hiring managers intend to expand their teams in the first half of 2025, primarily to support business growth. Meanwhile, separate data from the BLS shows there were 8.1 million open positions in the U.S. at the end of November 2024.* The agency also reported that there were 6.9 million unemployed people in the United States in December.** 

How to overcome hiring challenges

The data shows your organization is far from alone in facing hiring challenges. That said, there are several things you can do to increase your ability to attract and retain in-demand talent, including for roles that can be particularly difficult to staff. Here are four tips that can help.

1. Step up your storytelling

When you advertise job opportunities, be sure to include details about what makes your company special, including insight into your company’s culture, mission and values. Also, emphasize how candidates could potentially grow their careers at your firm (if that opportunity exists). Be sure to make the best use of all outlets that can help raise your brand image, from your company’s website to its social media accounts, to showcase why your organization is a great place to work.

2. Provide competitive compensation

Offering a compelling salary is table stakes for attracting top candidates. Standout benefits and perks can make your firm a magnet for talent, too. And know this: 41% of professionals responding to a recent Robert Half survey said they would be less interested in applying for an open position if there was no salary range in the job description. The top two reasons job seekers say they want to look for a new job are a higher salary (59%) and better benefits and perks (38%). Laying out these details in job ads and descriptions when hiring can help you attract more candidates. Equally important, it can help you connect with professionals interested in the level of compensation your firm is prepared to offer.

3. Make flexible work a fixture

When asked to name their preferred work arrangement, nearly half (48%) of workers in a Robert Half survey said they wanted a hybrid position. Only 26% said they wanted a fully in-office position, which is the same percentage of respondents who told us they’d like a job that is fully remote. So, if you aren’t offering flexible work arrangements, you could be turning off many job applicants—especially from Generation Z. Separate research Robert Half conducted about the multigenerational workforce found that Gen Zers are especially keen to have hybrid or remote work options.

4. Cast a wide net for skilled talent

Expand your search to include professionals who may be outside of your local market but are willing to work remotely. Consider hiring candidates from outside of your industry who have the skill sets you’re looking for, as well as experience that could benefit your business. And look for high-potential candidates who may not meet all of your requirements but are willing to learn and can be trained quickly. Also, increase your efforts to identify not just passive job seekers, but also professionals who are currently employed and may not even be thinking about a new job—until the right one comes along. Our workplace research shows 42% of workers would be open to new opportunities even if they weren’t planning to look for a new job. As noted above, with the right mix of offerings, you could convince an in-demand professional to join your team.  To make sure you don’t leave any stone unturned when hiring, consider working with a specialized recruiter. Learn how they can provide an advantage.

Resources to stay informed about recruitment challenges and trends

Staying in the know about what’s happening with talent recruitment in your local area, industry and beyond can help your organization meet hiring challenges head-on. Robert Half provides workplace research to help employers better understand the current dynamics in the labor market—and what their organization can do to attract and retain the best available talent. Here are two publications that can equip you with valuable insight about hiring trends: Salary Guide From Robert Half Demand for Skilled Talent report You can also take a deeper dive into hiring trends and in-demand roles in these profession-focused posts: Administrative and customer support Finance and accounting Healthcare Human resources Legal Marketing and creative Technology

Work with recruiters to overcome your hiring challenges

Get hiring help A specialized talent solutions firm like Robert Half can help your business get past tough talent recruitment challenges. We have built long-standing relationships with industry professionals, including active candidates and passive job seekers who might consider changing roles to work for you. Our recruiters make it their business to know what’s happening in the hiring landscape and to help employers navigate that ever-changing environment successfully. Their insight, assistance and dedicated focus to your hiring needs can give your business a critical edge in today’s competitive labor market.
*Job Openings and Labor Turnover – November 2024, BLS. **The Unemployment Situation – December 2024, BLS.