How The Northern Echo can help local businesses tackle staff shortages

The Office for National Statistics reported more than one million job vacancies advertised from June to August 2021 for the first time since records began in 2001, while The Survey of Business Activity states staff shortages are now 14 times higher than normal, the worst level recorded since the survey’s launch in January 1998.

And with shocking collapses like Cleveland Bridge and the huge boost from Government  jobs arriving in Darlington, the employment market here has never been through so  much change.

Individuals have left sectors in the search for job security and safety away from front line roles, and the ‘pingdemic’ meant many jobseekers had to self-isolate rather than attend interviews or start new jobs.  In certain sectors such as Care, Logistics, Hospitality, IT and Engineering, there is a real problem.

That’s where The Northern Echo and our national recruitment arm RecruitmentiQ comes in.  As media owners and recruitment experts with decades of experience, we have the intelligence, technology, in-depth local knowldge and a proven track record to help our businesses find the best local candidates.

Gavin Mochan, Commercial Director of RecruitmentiQ, said: "Many of us may now be noticing less choice in supermarkets, increased wait times for online deliveries or out-of-stock items.  The industry is having to adjust to a new reality.

Gavin Mochan

"This is a perfect storm for local business trying to fill vacancies.  It’s evident that staff shortages aren’t going to be resolved overnight, so businesses must be equipped with the expertise required to help them stand out from the crowd and attract the right candidates for their roles. 

"This is easier said than done in most cases, especially in today’s highly saturated market.  Recruiters also tend to have other responsibilities and often a full-time job of their own resulting in time pressure, budget restraints and overall frustration."

Gavin and his team have five key steps to help North East businesses survive and thrive.

1. It is essential to capture candidates’ attention.  Write compelling job ads, not job descriptions. 
2. Use data insights to post the advert on the job board which had the best results in the past.
3. Create a candidate campaign across social media and related sites which targets the persona, occupation, and sector you wish to hire for.
4. Access and engage with relevant candidates across your candidate database and talent pools.
5. If you lack the experience or resource, then consider getting help from a specialist.

"Our cost-effective range of solutions allows you to gain support where you need it, whether that's an expert writing your job adverts, help with screening candidates or to fully market your vacancy and company as an employer brand of choice to those elusive candidates," said Gavin.

"It takes time and expertise to hire the right staff to take your business forward and that becomes even more challenging in a candidate driven market.  It’s critical that you reduce your time to hire and get to those ‘gold dust’ candidates before they are snapped up by your competitors.

"We thrive in these market conditions, we know how to source, screen, and shortlist the perfect candidates from the best channels – quickly and cost effectively."

Find out more at recruitmentiq.co.uk or get in touch today on 0208 722 6444