As bilingual recruitment specialists, we know a thing or two about finding the right candidates for hard-to-fill roles. British businesses are in desperate need of foreign language speakers, and that shortage is only likely to become more acute as we wait for a resolution to the ongoing Brexit uncertainty.
Filling bilingual positions, or any hard-to-fill role, with talented candidates can be extremely difficult. While working with specialist recruiters with existing networks and experience in that area will help, there are also a number of things you can do yourself to increase your chances of finding the right person for the job.
What makes certain roles so hard to fill?
There are a number of reasons why your organisation might struggle to recruit for particular roles. That includes the following:
- A shortage of skills is a common reason, with STEM and linguistic positions particularly difficult to hire for.
- Location can be a contributing factor with a shortage of labour in some areas.
- The salary you’re able to offer may make it difficult to compete with larger organisations for in-demand skills.
- Negative publicity in your industry may make it more difficult to hire.
So what can you do to bypass some of these issues and make roles in your organisation easier to fill?
1. Redefine your search criteria
If you’re struggling to find candidates that are an exact match for your requirements, then it might be time to revisit your person specification and think about the areas you can be more flexible on. For example, are 5+ years of experience really essential or would 2+ years do? There may also be specific qualifications you’ve listed that a prospective candidate could do without. This could open up your role to a much larger candidate pool.
2. Consider promoting from within
If you have staff within the organisation that have the skills you need but are perhaps not quite at the level you’d like them to be, then putting a coaching programme in place could help to progress that talent more quickly. The advantage of this approach is that you know the individual is already familiar with your sector and fits well within the company’s culture.
3. Hire interim staff
While the skills you need may be hard to find when searching for a permanent employee, they may be more readily available in the form of short-term or contract workers. The growing freelance and contractor economy means the specialist skills you need may be out there, just not in the form you were initially looking for. Using an interim employee can buy you more time to find a permanent employee and make you less likely to settle for an imperfect candidate.
4. Review your offering
Is your offering really competitive enough to land the skills you need? Taking an objective look at the salary and benefits on offer and comparing them to similar roles in your industry could give you a shock. If you can’t afford to increase the salary you’re offering, other benefits such as flexible working arrangements and an improved work-life balance can make a big difference in today’s market.
Hire the in-demand bilingual talent you need
At Linguistica Recruitment, we are bilingual recruitment specialists with an existing network of talented candidates who are looking for roles across the south coast of England. Find out more about how we can help, and get in touch with our team on 02392 987 765 or email info@linguistica-recruitment.com today.