ONS report record numbers of Job Vacancies

According to government statistics, there are a higher number of job vacancies than unemployed people in the UK. Figures released on 17th May 2022 from the Office for National Statistics show that the number of job vacancies in April 2022 rose to a record 1,295,000.

Despite the employment rate of 16 – 64-year-olds being 75.7%, this has only risen by a mere 0.9% over the course of a year. So why are there a record number of unfilled job vacancies?

Why are candidates turning down job opportunities?

It’s a job-seekers market.

Putting it simply, there are so many job opportunities out there for candidates, that there may be scope for job seekers to feel they are able to negotiate their salary and terms. After all, there are so many other jobs out there they could apply for! Companies who do not recognise the shift in the job market may be losing out on the best candidates by not offering attractive reasons to work there.

They didn’t do their research

The candidate didn’t research your company enough before attending the interview. This is a big one. We see so many people going to interviews and turning the job down because the commute is too long; they read a bad review after the interview; they didn’t like the company’s ‘vibe’ on the day of the interview or they didn’t read the job description properly and it’s not what they thought.

The pay is below the ‘industry standard’.

Candidates who are coming to you with qualifications and experience know their worth. By ensuring that the salary range is within the industry standard and is advertised, you can be sure that you are being transparent.

Progression Opportunities?

Most candidates will ask what their opportunities for progression are within your company. If you don’t have an answer or you skirt around the subject, what is giving the candidate the drive to leave their current role to join your company

Flexibility

One thing that COVID-19 taught us is that lots of office jobs can be done from home. Despite this, many employers are still insistent on full-time office working hours for their employees. Does your company have the flexibility to be able to offer their employees the choice and/or hybrid working?

The team at Careersolve are specialists in helping their clients to advertise, interview and fill their job vacancies with the best candidates for them. If you need support in filling your role, then do not hesitate to contact us.

You can give us a call on 0191 375 8595 or

Send us an email to info@medsolve.co.uk