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.

Recent research by the Open University has found that the current skills shortage is costing UK businesses £6.3 billion a year, with a large proportion of that cost being shouldered by SMEs. The challenge SMEs face is that large employers that pay the highest wages are able to monopolise the best talent, which includes skilled bilingual recruits. But while fierce competition and the lack of talent has driven up the cost of hiring new recruits, particularly in the STEM sector, there is one powerful tool that SMEs have at their disposal that many are not using effectively.

In the right hands, an employer’s social media can be a cost-effective way to find the talent to fill vacant roles. After employee referrals (48 percent) and job boards (46 percent), a recent survey found that social media (40 percent) was third on a list of priorities for HR professionals looking to improve their recruitment strategies in 2018. In this guide, we’re going to explore a few simple ways you can supercharge yours.

1. Get involved in the right conversations

A key part of social media recruitment is to make sure you’re taking part in the conversations that matter. Being active in LinkedIn groups for recent graduates, being visible in industry-specific conversations and using hashtags like #devjobs or #Londonhiring on Twitter can help you cut through the noise and get your openings in front of the right people.

2. Take a soft approach

These days, the saturation of social media means you have to be a little more sophisticated to capture the attention of your intended audience. That means going beyond simply posting your vacant job roles online and expecting to be inundated with applications.

Instead, share posts that promote your business as a great place to work and provide an insight into your company culture. For example, creating employee profiles of individuals in a wide range of roles or sharing posts that detail the environmental or charitable initiatives you are involved in can give your business an identity that candidates can relate to.

3. Appeal to millennials

Millennials are not only today’s largest workforce but they are also the biggest users of social media. That makes it an extremely powerful recruitment tool when used in the right way. However, to appeal to millennials, you have to understand how they approach the job market and what they look for in a prospective job role. Things like environmental issues and job flexibility are more important to millennials than any other demographic, so make sure these are things you showcase whenever you can.

4. Shine a light on your employees

Social media is a great way to shine a light on the people behind the scenes that make the magic happen. Creating ‘employee of the week’ posts or simply taking a few snaps or a candid video at a staff lunch or evening out will give prospective candidates a better idea of who they’ll be working with and the type of projects they could be getting involved in.

Still struggling to find the talent you need?

If you’re still having trouble finding great bilingual candidates for your vacant positions, we can provide the expert assistance you need. Call 02392 987 765 or email info@linguistica-recruitment.com to discuss your requirements today.