The Search Party research: Revamping Recruitment in the UK April 2014

Revamping recruitment in the UK
April 2014

© Loudhouse 2014 www.loudhouse.co.uk
17%
2%
2%
3%
3%
3%
4%
7%
7%
7%
9%
10%
12%
17%
Other
Accountancy services
Publishing / media
Legal services
Defence / Aerospace
Hospitality / leisure
Engineering
Utilities / transport
Finance & Banking
Manufacturing / construction
Local government
IT / telecoms
Retail / wholesale
Business / consultancy services
S4: In which of the following industries does your organisation operate predominantly? S6: How
many employees are there within your organisation?
100 – 999
employees
50%
1,000 – 4,999
employees
22%
5,000
employees
and over
28%
Company size Industry
Research overview
200 online interviews with line managers with hiring responsibility (March 2014)

The Recruitment Revamp
Recruiting new staff is felt to be one of the most stressful experiences for line managers
Despite headcount increasing over the last year, businesses are struggling to find the right candidates
with the right skills
After advertising internally, businesses rely on
recruitment agencies to supply them with
appropriate candidates
Yet businesses don’t feel they have full
visibility of their ideal candidates
Without visibility of the right people, the search process lengthens leaving vacancies unfilled
Managers spend less time
looking after their own team
Employees feel overworked
and stressed
Managers end up making a
‘less than ideal’ hire
Businesses need better information about and greater access to better candidates and the tools to give
them greater control over the process

Story stats (1)
Recruitment gripes
• Three quarters (66%) believe recruiting new staff is a hassle
• 86% believe the recruitment process will never be completely foolproof and perfect
• Over half (52%) of all hires in the last two years failed to completely meet the original
recruitment specification – 33% partially met the requirements with 19% not meeting
them at all. The main reason for compromise is that the process takes too long (46%).
In 48% of cases, it takes more than 2 months to recruit someone
• The biggest stresses for line managers relate to recruitment inefficiencies - managing
staff who are underperforming (56%), finding staff with the relevant skills to match
their business needs (41%) and managing a team which is understaffed (40%)
• Unfilled vacancies are resulting in employees becoming overworked (66%), feeling
more stressed (54%) and low employee morale (42%)
• Candidates lacking necessary skills (52%), the recruitment process taking too long
(52%) and overall cost (35%) are the key challenges of the recruitment process
• Over half (53%) of businesses often feel recruitment agencies are not sharing all their
possible candidates with them

Story stats (2)
Time for a recruitment revamp?
• Nearly half (46%) believe the popularity of LinkedIn is due to problems with more
traditional recruitment channels
• Nearly half (49%) believe accessing quality candidates is a key recruitment challenge
over the next 12-18 months, followed by reducing time to hire (42%) and ensuring
candidates’ skills match business needs (37%)
• Over three-quarters (77%) would like more control in searching for the right candidate
• Over three-quarters (77%) feel hiring managers should have ultimate control over the
recruitment process
• Three quarters (74%) think the recruitment industry could make better use of
technology to better service recruitment needs
• Less ‘unwanted’ candidates (54%), more choice of ideal candidates (54%) and less time
spent searching for candidates (49%) are the perceived benefits of having an online
platform which allows access to unlimited, pre-vetted candidates

Bad recruitment experiences
“Being pushed to hire staff too quickly resulted
in unsuitable person being hired.”
“…We usually just have to pick the one we feel will most
likely improve from a poor bunch of applicants just to fill
the position and then we end up having issues in training
and improving the successful applicant.”
“…I sometimes get frustrated when recruiters
send CV's from clients totally unsuitable for
the position advertised.”
“Not enough candidates and quality very low, so
more time conducting extra interviews. Very time
consuming.”
“Recruitment companies do not fully understanding
our needs, sending applicants without enough
experience in the working environment.”
“Recruitment agencies who enthuse about
candidates and then try to fit a square peg into a
round hole! Generally the high calibre candidates
are at their mercy and when they arrive for
interview they tend to feel demeaned or let down if
the job is not suitable...The agencies can end up
costing us more money as a result and waste a lot
of people's time.”
“While the job specifications for the candidate may
have been broad based, it was quite difficult to get
the person with the right amount of experience and
skills for the role.”
Small business, publishing / media
Small business, Retail
Small business, business services
Small business, manufacturing
Small business, manufacturing
Large business, IT
Large business, finance & banking

+10% difference
Recruitment gripes
Total
Small
businesses
Large
businesses
% agreeing recruiting new staff is a hassle 66% 69% 63%
% agreeing the recruitment process will never be completely fool proof and
perfect
86% 86% 85%
Met recruitment requirements
Completely
Partially
Not at all
48%
33%
19%
48%
33%
19%
48%
33%
19%
Compromise on recruitment because the process takes too long 46% 47% 45%
Length of time to recruit (2 months or more) 48% 40% 55%
Most stressful experiences at work
Managing staff who are underperforming
Finding staff with the relevant skills to match your business needs
Managing a team which is understaffed
56%
41%
40%
53%
40%
38%
59%
42%
41%
Impact of unfilled vacancies
Employees becoming overworked
Employees feeling more stressed
Low employee morale
66%
54%
42%
59%
53%
40%
72%
55%
44%
Key challenges of the recruitment process
Candidates lacking necessary skills
The recruitment process takes too long
Overall cost
52%
52%
35%
52%
47%
41%
51%
57%
28%
% agreeing recruitment agencies are not sharing all their possible candidates
with them
53% 60% 46%
Small businesses: 100-999 employees
Large businesses: 1,000+ employees

Time for a recruitment revamp
Total
Small
businesses
Large
businesses
% agreeing the popularity of LinkedIn for recruitment is due to problems with
more traditional recruitment channels
46% 54% 37%
Key recruitment challenge over the next 12-18 months
Accessing quality candidates
Reducing time to hire
Ensuring candidates’ skills match business needs
49%
42%
37%
60%
43%
32%
38%
40%
41%
Would like more control in searching for the right candidate 77% 74% 80%
% agreeing hiring managers should have ultimate control over the recruitment
process
77% 77% 77%
% agreeing the recruitment industry could make better use of technology to
better service recruitment needs
74% 81% 67%
Benefits of having an online platform which allows access to unlimited, pre-
vetted candidates
Less ‘unwanted’ candidates
More choice of ideal candidates
Less time spent searching for candidates
54%
54%
49%
52%
62%
55%
56%
46%
43%
+10% difference
Small businesses: 100-999 employees
Large businesses: 1,000+ employees

5%
1%
16%
19%
21%
23%
25%
27%
34%
34%
37%
40%
41%
56%
None of these
Other
Moving office / location
Technology not being used to streamline processes
Managing the effects of high staff churn / turnover
Change in management personnel
Meeting unrealistic personal objectives
Ensuring a staff vacancy is filled within a certain time
Personally taking on more and more roles / responsibility
Pressure to reduce costs / working to a reduced budget
IT equipment not working / underperforming
Managing a team which is understaffed
Finding staff with the relevant skills to match your business…
Managing staff who are underperforming
Line manager stresses
Q1: Which of the following do you find stressful at work?
Base: Total (200)
Top 3: result of
‘recruitment
inefficiency’

Attitude towards staff recruitment
Dread it / too much
hassle and stress
11%
Tolerate it / it’s
necessary but not
something I like doing
50%
Enjoy it / I like the
challenge and
opportunities it may
bring
39%
Q3: Which of the following best describes how you feel about recruiting staff?
Base: Total (200)
Recruitment revellers
Recruitment revilers
Recruitment tolerators

86% believe the recruitment process will never be completely fool proof and perfect
66% believe recruiting new staff is a hassle
Searching for ‘Mr Perfect’
52% think it is difficult to admit that they made a recruitment mistake
Small businesses (59%), Large businesses (44%)

Meeting the recruitment requirements
Completely
met the
original
recruitment
specification /
requirement
48%
Partially met
the original
recruitment
specification /
requirement
33%
Did not meet
the original
recruitment
specification /
requirement
19%
Q9: Being brutally honest, what percentage of hires in the last two years do you feel completely
met the original recruitment requirements, in terms of skills, experience, attitude?
Base: Total (200)

10%
4%
3%
2%
3%
7%
11%
26%
19%
18%
Don’t know
Over 50%
41% - 50%
31 – 40%
21 – 30%
16 – 20%
11 – 15%
6 – 10%
1 – 5%
None – 0%
Willingness to pay on top of candidate’s salary
Q16: Typically, how much are you prepared to pay on top of a candidate’s salary to ensure that a hire is the
correct one?
Organisations are prepared to pay an extra 10% on top of a candidate’s salary to ensure a hire is
a correct one
Base: Total (200)

Annual change in staff count
Increased
42%
Stayed the
same
37%
Decreased
21%
S7: Has your organisation’s staff count increased or decreased in the last 12 months?
Base: Total (200)

19%
27%
41%
55%
58%
61%
Directly advertised for vacancy via social
network sites (e.g. LinkedIn, Twitter)
Consulted own personal network (including
LinkedIn)
Directly advertised for vacancy via newspapers,
magazines, other press
Directly advertised for vacancy via online job
boards
Used a recruitment agency
Advertised vacancy internally
Preferred recruitment methods
Q2: Which of the following methods have you used to fill a vacancy within your organisation in the
last 12 months?
Base: Total (200)
Small businesses: 48%
Large businesses: 34%

3%
11%
14%
16%
20%
33%
4%
9%
16%
19%
19%
9%
Directly advertised for vacancy via social
network sites (e.g. LinkedIn, Twitter)
Consulted own personal network (including
LinkedIn)
Directly advertised for vacancy via newspapers,
magazines, other press
Advertised vacancy internally
Directly advertised for vacancy via online job
boards
Used a recruitment agency
Most difficult
Most easy
Most easiest / difficult recruitment methods
Q2b: And which method do you generally find the easiest / most likely to be successful? Q2b: And
which do you generally find the most difficult / least likely to be successful?
Base: Chosen recruitment method in the last 12 months

2%
20%
24%
27%
29%
30%
33%
34%
35%
52%
52%
None of the above – no challenges
Staff retention / need to frequently repeat recruitment
process
Persistent contact / cold calls from recruiters
Receiving too many CV from recruiters
Limited / no access to the highest quality talent
Lack of resources to support / attract the highest quality talent
Receiving poor quality / not suitable candidate CVs from
recruiters
Candidates lacking knowledge of role / company
Costs too much
Takes too long
Candidates lacking necessary skills / talent
Challenges of the recruitment process
Q5: Which of the following have you experienced as challenges with the staff recruitment process?
Base: Total (200)

Over half (53%) of businesses often feel recruitment agencies are not sharing all their possible
candidates with them
Are we seeing the whole picture?
Base: Total (200)

7%
3%
10%
12%
14%
15%
15%
18%
25%
31%
36%
36%
40%
45%
45%
There are no barriers
Other
Certain groups prohibit recruitment
Longer search time and time to fill vacancies
Lack of available consultancy / recruitment advice
Lack of available industry specific detail
Not sure how to do this effectively
Inappropriate candidates coming to interview
Difficult to use as a ‘recruitment tool’
Time wasted by targeting passive candidates
Not all users wish to be contacted by companies / recruiters
Profiles lack relevant information
Profiles are often not up-to-date
Profiles / references may be incorrect or false
Not all desirable candidates have a LinkedIn profile
Key problems of LinkedIn
Q14: Which of the following do you think are the key problems with using LinkedIn to search for or
recruit candidates?
Base: Total (200)
46% believe the popularity of LinkedIn is due to problems with more traditional recruitment channels

6%
1%
20%
33%
35%
38%
42%
59%
None of the above
Other
Managing finances
Completing administrative tasks
New business development and sales
Servicing existing clients
Training / developing your own skills
Training / developing existing employees
Preference of spending time outside of recruiting
Q7: Rather than spending your time searching for candidates, how would you prefer to spend your time?
Base: Total (200)

1%
3%
6%
15%
15%
24%
31%
33%
26%
18%
20%
7%
2%
1%
1%
1%
Length of process
it actually takes
Length of process
it should take
Less than a week One week – fortnight Fortnight – one month
One – two months Two – three months Three – six months
Over six months Don’t know
Time taken to recruit
Q6a: From identifying a recruitment need, to filling the position, how long does this process typically take? Q6b:
From identifying a recruitment need, to filling the position, how long should this process take in your opinion?
6 weeks
9 weeks
Average time
Base: Total (200)

5%
1%
18%
19%
26%
30%
30%
41%
42%
54%
66%
None of the above – I have no concerns
Other
Clients leave / go elsewhere
Reduced revenue / profits
Business will struggle to grow
Clients are underserviced
Further employees leaving
Reduced productivity
Low employee morale
Employees feeling more stressed / anxious
Employees becoming overworked
Concerns about unfilled vacancies
Q8: Which of the following concern you most about having vacancies left unfilled within your business?
Base: Total (200)

13%
20%
25%
26%
41%
46%
None of the above
We didn’t invest enough time in the recruitment
process at our end
Our recruitment budget wasn’t big enough to find
the right candidates
Specification was unrealistic / too niche
Could not find anyone to meet this specification /
pool of candidates too small
Taking too long to find someone / need to recruit in
a hurry
Reasons for compromising on candidates
Q10: What are the main reasons why you may end up compromising on candidates during the
recruitment process and not hiring someone who completely meets the original specification?
Base: Total (200)

Time for a recruitment revamp?

1%
2%
2%
3%
7%
6%
8%
7%
16%
8%
9%
27%
10%
15%
17%
20%
20%
24%
24%
25%
31%
35%
36%
45%
More equal opportunities / white-labelling of candidates
Better knowledge of industries / sectors from recruiters/tools
Better understanding of business needs
Spend less money filling each vacancy
Greater flexibility to negotiate on recruiter’s commission for each
candidate
Less contact / cold calls from recruiters
Greater access to a higher volume of candidates
Greater flexibility to negotiate on candidate’s salary / benefits
More control of the recruitment process myself
Better information about candidates
Spend less time searching for candidates
Greater access to higher quality candidates
Current improvements needed
Biggest improvement needed
Improving the recruitment process
Q15a: In which of the following ways can your current recruitment process be improved? Q15b: And
what do you believe would be the single biggest improvement?
Base: Total (200)

3%
1%
13%
13%
14%
18%
18%
27%
30%
31%
37%
42%
49%
None of the above
Other
Improving visibility of potential candidates beyond the UK
Utilising technology and data to inform better recruitment…
Improving internal communication between HR and the…
Ensuring ROI on new hires
Utilising internal talent to fill vacancies
Improving staff retention
Ensuring candidates match company culture
Reducing cost of hire
Ensuring candidates’ skills match our business needs
Reducing time to hire
Accessing quality candidates
Key recruitment challenges over the next 12-18
months
Q17: Which of the following do you believe are the key recruitment challenges over the next 12-18
months?
Base: Total (200)

Recruitment control
None at all – I fully
rely on recruiters
providing the right
candidates for me
5%
Some control – I
have some level of
control over the
recruitment
process
55%
Total control – I am
in full control of
searching for the
right candidate
40%
Q4a: How much control do you feel you have over searching for the right candidate? Q4b: Ideally,
would you like more control in searching for the right candidate?
77% would like more control in searching for the right candidate
Base: Total (200)

Shift in recruitment responsibilities
Over three-quarters (77%) feel hiring managers should have ultimate control over the
recruitment process
Base: Total (200)
54% believe the HR department is less involved in the recruitment process than it was 2 years ago
“The HR Team has no understanding of the requirements of the
job and have done a pre-sift of applicants thus excluding possible
suitable applicants from interview”
“When we have appointed
someone on HR
recommendation alone”
Recruitment nightmares…
“HR support not experienced enough to
support interview process”

7%
19%
24%
31%
32%
33%
49%
54%
54%
None of the above
Being on a level playing field with other employers
regardless of size and budget
More scope to negotiate candidate’s salary / benefits
More control over the recruitment process
Candidates details in one manageable place
Spend less money filling each vacancy
Spend less time searching for candidates
More choice of ideal candidates
Less ‘unwanted’ candidates
Benefits of an online recruitment platform
Q12: If you had access to unlimited, pre-vetted candidates that you could search according to your
own parameters online, what benefits do you see this giving you?
74% think the recruitment industry could make better use of technology to better service
recruitment needs
Base: Total (200)

9%
26%
29%
47%
51%
51%
None of the above
Up-to-date information on candidates salary,
benefits, etc
Interactive portal between you and recruiters
Ability to Instantly search for candidates by different
attributes
Organise / manage candidates in a single place
Compare different candidates in a consistent format
Most useful tools of an online recruitment
platform
Q13: Which of the following would you consider to be the most compelling and useful aspects of an online recruitment platform
where you have access to unlimited, pre-vetted candidates where you could search according to your own parameters?
Base: Total (200)

Research Sample (1)
1 or 2
10%
3 or 4
14%
5 or 6
20%
7 to 10
18%
More than 10
38%
S2: How many people do you manage day-to-day within your team? S5: Typically, how many
candidates are you involved in hiring over the course of a year?
1
13%
2 - 3
27%
4 - 5
18%
6 - 10
19%
Over 10
23%
Number of people managed Annual number of hires

2%
2%
5%
6%
7%
8%
11%
12%
49%
Newcastle / Tyneside
Cardiff / Wales
Glasgow / Scotland
Birmingham / West Midlands
Liverpool / Merseyside
Leeds / West Yorkshire
Bristol / South West
Manchester / Greater Manchester
London / South East
Research sample (2)
S8: In which of the following cities, or surrounding areas, do you work closest to?

Attitude statements
Q20. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements
11%
9%
19%
12%
16%
16%
25%
29%
35%
43%
34%
42%
50%
59%
53%
57%
30%
31%
25%
32%
28%
14%
18%
13%
4%
14%
5%
12%
5%
2%
3%
0%
21%
4%
18%
4%
2%
10%
3%
2%
The popularity of LinkedIn for recruitment is due to
problems with more traditional recruitment channels
It is difficult to admit you have made a recruitment
mistake
I often feel recruitment agencies are not sharing all their
possible candidates with us
The HR department will become less involved in the
recruitment process than it did 2 years ago
Recruiting new staff is a hassle
The recruitment industry could make better use of
technology to better service recruitment needs
Hiring managers should have ultimate control over the
recruitment process
The recruitment process will never be completely fool
proof and perfect
Agree strongly Tend to agree Tend to disagree Disagree strongly Don't know
Base: Total (200)

The Search Party research: Revamping Recruitment in the UK April 2014

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The Search Party research: Revamping Recruitment in the UK April 2014