Challenges of Recruiting in STEM sectors

In a recent survey, recruiters stated they felt that one of their biggest challenges in the recruitment process was finding a variety of suitable candidates in STEM sectors. As you may know, the set of required skills for roles within technology and science can be rather specific, meaning the pool of candidates is smaller than for a role with more general skills. One way to overcoming this would be to look for the very vital skills of the role that you’re recruiting for and negotiate a lower salary to make room for budget for training or further qualifications.

Salary tends to be a key part in the hiring process within the STEM sectors, and this could be a way that your company can offer a competitive edge over the other business. Highly skilled candidates are often in short supply, and therefore in high demand so do bear in mind that they may have a number of offers to consider.

Speed of recruitment is another challenge that you may have to face, you don’t want to rush the process and ensure that you are finding the right candidate for you but if another business can beat you to it by offering them a role in a shorter time frame, you may miss out on a strong candidate!

Try using recruitment data and metrics to make a decision on whether to hire a candidate, and this will help you to make a decision based on data rather than gut feeling, and it also means that you will be making a more informed decision which is easier to justify to your board or management team.

Promote the benefits of specifically working at your company as well as the role itself. Company culture can be a deciding factor for some candidates, as sometimes they are staying with a similar job role, they would just like a change of scenery or maybe they didn’t click with a previous team member.

Our final tip to companies looking to expand would be ensure that you present the candidate with a positive experience throughout the process, with clear communication and ensure that you manage their expectations as this makes an excellent impression for the future.

If you find it challenging recruiting for your business, get in touch! We can help you through the process and seek the right candidate for you.