New analysis by the ONS revealed the unemployment rate for people aged 16 years and over remained at 4.4 per cent in December 2024 to February 2025 leaving it stagnant over the quarter.
Mark Rothwell, CEO, Hiring Hub says:
“We have definitely seen a drop in the roles available in the market, however what we have seen over the last few months is an increase in fill rates, meaning that when employers go out with a role they have a much higher intent to recruit.”
Although the statistics can feel a little worrying, we believe that with the support of businesses, recruiters and some key advice, the nation will eventually get to a point where job seeking becomes less of an issue. We are hopeful that unemployment rates will deplete within the year.
Mark has offered some key advice on what employers can do to ensure they are finding the right talent, efficiently:
1. Grab the candidate’s attention: To help your advert stand out from the 40,000 (odd) job ads that get posted every week, you need to get potential applicants’ attention. Ask a bold question, or make a strong statement about the vacancy and company. And, more importantly, don’t waffle. No one has time to read War and Peace these days. So don’t expect them to. As well as the time constraints, it’s a fact that the majority of people viewing your ad will do so on a mobile device, so make it digestible for those on the move. Layout the facts in an informative, concise way.
2. Sell yourself: To attract the best candidates you need to give them a reason to work for you. So sell the opportunity, whether it’s a fantastic office, culture, flexible working, good money, or career progression. Whatever your USP, make sure your candidates know about it.
3. Describe the dream candidate: Be clear about what the ideal candidate looks like to you. Paint the picture by explaining their key skills and experience. After all, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.
4. Give them a task: A quick way to filter out the wrong candidates is to give them a task to do upon submitting their CV. A task ensures they are serious about the position and also have the knowledge for the job.
5. Job title: It’s important that you get the job title bang on. Get it wrong, and no one will apply. Worse than that, no one will even read your ad. But forget fancy job titles, that’s not what does the trick. If it’s a sales job, please, call it a sales job. (Remember that job listings online are found via key term searches.)
6. Advert distribution: To get a good response, people need to see your advert. The best way to ensure that it’s distributed widely is to use a multiposting service which can place the ad on all the major, and relevant niche, job boards in the UK.
On the other hand, Mark has advised job seekers on what may deter an employer from hiring you:
1. Lack of references: For employers, a lack of references is a concern- especially if you are missing one from your current employer. Even if you have left a company on bad terms that were not your fault, including at least two is crucial. Many employers will mainly just need to confirm you were employed there, so this shouldn’t be something to be cautious about.
2. Lying on your CV: It may seem obvious, but embellishing your qualifications can ruin your chances of getting a job. If you are caught out throughout the application process, this will be an instant right-off for employers.
3. Being overly comfortable during an interview: It may sound strange, but appearing ‘too comfortable’ during an interview can be an instant red flag for employers. An example of this may be doing another task during a virtual interview, or even sitting in bed! Believe it or not, it has happened before.
4. Not doing your research: Turning up to an interview and not referring to the company’s clients, successes or even general knowledge can be a massive turn off for employers. They may be seeing tons of candidates, so making your interviewer see how much you would like to be a part of the company could be the tipping point to landing the job.
5. Casual attire: It is important to present yourself in a professional manner in a job interview. This may seem obvious, but if you happen to be invited to a virtual interview, ensure you are still professionally dressed. There have been instances of candidates attending virtual interviews with wet hair or tracksuit tops. In rare cases, depending on the company, employers may not mind this, but it is best to present yourself in the best way possible, rather than risk it.
