Biggest challenges facing Talent Acquisition in 2024

Over the last 30 years I have spoken with hundreds of Talent Acquisition professionals from across the globe. Talent Acquisition has never been tougher than it is today.  Here I what I believe to be the biggest challenges facing Talent Acquisition in 2024 and beyond.

Talent Shortage - Let’s start with the big one.  There has always been a gap between the skills that employers want, and that candidates possess. But it seems to be growing. Areas that need STEM skills are particularly acute such as Engineering, IT and Healthcare. Employers are competing for a smaller pool of qualified candidates, leading to challenges in attracting and retaining top talent.  Communicating this to Hiring Managers who are looking for a Pink Unicorns remains challenging.

Economic Uncertainty – The last 5 years have been the most volatile in my working life. The constant economic shifts have led to rapid changes in hiring needs, making it difficult to plan and execute long-term talent acquisition strategies. Nobody could have foreseen Covid or the War in Ukraine.  The only certainty is more uncertainty.

Recruitment Technology - Staying up to date with technology can be tricky. The number one complaint I hear from Talent Acquisition professionals is that technology is not delivering the value that was promised when it was purchased. The reasons for this are too complex to fully cover in this article.  However, recruitment technology eco systems have become ever more intricate with many technologies having overlapping functionality. Getting them to work in harmony requires the skills of someone who is equal part Business Analyst, Tech Specialist and Talent Acquisition professional which is a rare combination.  Working with a Third-Party Consultant could be one option, but the downside is that they don’t often stick around to manage the consequences of their actions.  I am biased here but working with an RPO provider could be a better approach.

Artificial Intelligence – While we are on the subject of technology I want to make a special mention of AI.  We all know its impact is likely to be on a scale we can barley comprehend. Almost overnight huge numbers of jobs will become obsolete. While (Hopefully) creating a whole range of jobs we may not even currently have names for. Talent Acquisition departments that understand the need to look at Transferable skills rather than a candidate’s previous experience will be the most successful I believe.

Candidate Experience – Almost everybody agrees that Candidate Experiences is vital in attracting the best candidates. Yet so many organisations are terrible at this. Long application processes and lack of feedback seem to be the biggest complaints. Candidates blame the Recruiters. The Recruiters blame the Hiring Managers, and the Hiring Managers blame everybody.  I am being facetious, but you get my point.

Employer Branding - Standing out from your competitors is difficult particularly if your organisation is in the B2B marketplace.  Job comparison sites like glass door can also be a mixed blessing. The disgruntled worked is much more likely to share their thoughts than the content one. Maintaining a consistent and positive employer brand across all channels, from social media to job boards to the company website, is challenging but ultimately critical. It isn’t a magic wand fix, but you are fighting an uphill battle without a unified EB plan.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Almost every HR and talent Acquisition Professional will tell you how important this is within there overall TA Strategy.  And yet when this get tough it is almost always the first area of spend to be cut. We have moved on since I started in the industry 30 years ago but addressing unconscious bias in recruitment processes, from job descriptions to interviewing, remains a significant challenge.

Hybrid Working – Whether you love it or loathe it is here to stay. Right now, I think we are still working through its unintended consequences.  However, from a Talent Acquisition perspective evaluating how candidates will fit into a company’s culture is more challenging when hiring remotely, as traditional in-person interactions are limited. Also, although I have no data to back this up, suspect that remote workers are likely to stay with a company for a shorter period as they don’t build as strong personal relationships within the business.

So, to conclude, do I seeing Talent Acquisition become easier in 2025.  In short no.  We are going through a period of change that I can’t see ending anytime soon.  Those organisations with Increased Talent Acquisition budgets and a more flexible approach to candidate selection are the ones most likely to succeed in the future.

This Article was Written by Ed Bushnell August 2024 If you fancy a chat Google me. You will often find me lurking on LinkedIn