Exasperated US recruiters do have themselves to blame too

They should check if their own practices suit a tight labour market

- SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL

Executives in the US looking forward to a softening labour market with some relief—at last, it will be easier to hire people—might be in for an unwelcome surprise. In a survey by the Conference Board, 57% of CEOs said they’re having problems attracting qualified workers. While that number has declined from the final quarter of 2022, it still means that more than half of companies find it hard to hire.

For years, business leaders have complained about their struggle to fill jobs. Usually, they blame the economy or workers, or even the US education system. And sure, there are some jobs that are truly tough to fill, whether because there are few who can do it, few ready to accept low pay for it, or few who want to do it.

But there is a more obvious reason hiring is hard: Many recruiters just don’t do it well. Too often, they alienate prospective hires by subjecting them to a tortuous vetting process. They reject promising candidates who don’t meet their impossibly long list of requirements. And they overlook qualified internal candidates for outside talent.