The shortage of skilled workers is putting companies under pressure – and employers often pass this pressure on directly to their HR department. The result: many recruiters feel stressed. This is the conclusion of the XING Labor Market Report 2024for which the market research institute Appinio surveyed 300 recruiters in Germany.
84 percent of companies have difficulty filling vacancies. The average vacancy time across all professions has doubled since 2014 and is now 148 days.
This has an impact on the everyday work of recruiters: 86 percent say that company management has high expectations of them, and for 83 percent the shortage of skilled workers means greater administrative effort.
Recruiters complain about high pressure
This situation means that around two thirds (63 percent) of recruiters in Germany complain of high levels of emotional tension and stress. Thomas Kindler, Managing Director of the jobs network XING, describes: “Much of the pressure that companies feel due to the shortage of skilled workers is passed on to HR managers. However, they often have limited scope for action and few resources at their disposal to counteract the pressure.”
Michael Witt, consultant for recruiting strategy and organizational development, recommends HR: “Recruiting must examine where the stress drivers are in the organization and eliminate them sustainably.” For example, it can be helpful to develop a priority plan for filling vacancies and to recruit strategically in order to be prepared for difficult times. Hiring managers and specialist departments should also communicate openly with each other, also to clarify and manage expectations.”
AI can relieve administrative tasks
Companies could also use AI to counteract the burden of the many administrative tasks that recruiters have to complete. “Artificial intelligence can be a helpful support for HR managers to automate processes or create job advertisements more quickly,” says Kindler. “Administrative time-wasters in particular can be effectively reduced in this way and create space for the core competencies of recruiters.”
Currently, they have to spend around half of their time (49 percent) identifying suitable talent by reviewing incoming applications or organizing and conducting interviews. Another time-waster (taking up around a third of the time) is the preparation and follow-up of acquisition, such as screening applications and CVs, researching suitable candidates, actively approaching them, onboarding processes and administrative tasks for hiring new employees (35 percent) as well as the documentation and reporting of KPIs, for example for monitoring success, time to hire or cost per hire.
Recruiting strategy is a management task
Kindler recommends that company management work closely with HR to create the right framework to position themselves as an attractive employer. Talented people today expect flexible working hours, fair pay and a good work-life balance. Those who offer this can score points in recruiting and thus also relieve the burden on their HR department.
But it is precisely these demands from talent that are currently causing headaches for recruiting experts. 58 percent of respondents report that applicants’ expectations regarding job conditions, corporate culture and benefits have increased. These include flexible working hours, sabbaticals or workations. This puts additional pressure on HR staff.
Almost half of HR managers (46 percent) also agree with the statement that the shortage of skilled workers has led to a high level of non-commitment among candidates. They cancel after accepting a job or do not respond when HR actively approaches them. A fifth of recruiters (20 percent) have also had frequent or very frequent experiences with ghosting.
The pressure is also growing because HR has to react quickly in application processes. This is shown by an additional survey that Appinio conducted among 2,000 employees in Germany as part of the labor market report. According to the survey, most candidates want a quick application process and feedback within one to two weeks. Kindler’s conclusion: “Recruiting is a success factor. The responsibility for this must not only lie on the shoulders of the HR department, but must be strategically anchored in company management.”
Meanwhile, Witt recommends companies that perceive increased stress among their recruiters: “Employers urgently need to build a resilient recruiting organization that can use difficult phases like the current one without activism for countercyclical recruiting.” According to Witt, this is currently being done by the “smart ones, among other things with a focus on career changers.”
Strengthening mental health – at BMW for all employees
The pressure that recruiters are under, according to the labor market report, does not seem to exist at the BMW Group. The group is feeling the effects of demographic changes and the general shortage of skilled workers. But Jana Fenn, spokesperson for health issues within the group, says: “We have been able to make all the necessary hires so far because we have strategically prepared ourselves for the current situation in the long term.” In addition, the company is perceived by workers as a reliable employer and is therefore “also attractive for talents outside of traditional automotive expertise.”
Even though the company does not see any abnormalities in the mental state of its workforce compared to the general population that could indicate increased stress, the BMW Group has measures in place to maintain health and performance. These are bundled in the “Health Initiative”. The offers are not aimed specifically at recruiters, but at all employees and are intended to strengthen their mental health. For example, there is a six-week mental health program in which employees are accompanied in six stages on the way to more relaxation in everyday life, inner strength and calmness, even in difficult moments. Managers can take part in the “Health and Leadership” program, in which they are made aware of their responsibility and their influence on the mental health of employees.
Kirstin Gründel deals with the topics of compensation & benefits, remuneration and company pension schemes. She is also an editor for the FAZ personnel journal. She is the editorial contact for the Total Rewards practice forum.
