Study finds hired staff missing mark

The recruitment process is tough enough, but add in the results of a recent survey from the UK and it reveals the true pitfalls of getting it wrong.

The study by research firm Talent Party surveyed 200 line managers responsible for their company's recruitment process and found more than half (52 per cent) of businesses are struggling to find the right talent. This results in the employee hired not meeting the original job specifications at all.

This is not an isolated incident, many Australian recruitment agencies and businesses alike are feeling the affects of a skill shortage and end up hiring someone who may not fit the mould. With professional development and training, it's likely an employee can be brought up to speed, but this takes time and resources.

Talent Party's survey also revealed data that should be interesting to a number of recruitment managers. Over three-quarters (77 per cent) of respondents said they would like more control over candidate searches and, more importantly, 74 per cent said the industry should be making better use of recruitment software and workflow automation to make the service more efficient.

This option was suggested because without good technology available, the recruitment process takes far too long. In almost of the cases discussed in the survey, the business took more than two months to recruit someone.

Founder and CEO of Talent Party Jamie Carlisle said recruitment software gives businesses an edge when it comes to finding the optimum candidate for a role.

"Recruiters play a crucial role in providing trusted consultancy to employers and by letting employers 'self-serve', recruiters can focus their time on live opportunities rather than on cold calls," he said.

"Better use of technology and giving employers more control will help revamp an industry that has been 'weathered' by the jobs crisis."

An efficient recruitment process will also lift business morale and productivity as less time is wasted on chasing lost causes.