With the cost-cutting agenda still a live issue in many UK organisations, managers will increasingly be required to offer extra assistance in the recruitment process – and, indeed, should.

According to the latest CIPD/Hays Resourcing and Talent Planning Survey – an annual benchmarking tool that takes in HR professionals’ views on attracting and retaining talent – the proportion of organisations that have reported an increase in competition for well-qualified staff has tripled since 2009. In a bid to secure the best candidates, and fast, employers are getting smarter in their recruitment practices.

The recruitment and talent-management trends that have emerged from survey suggest that you, as a leader, should:

1. Work with HR to develop a clear set of requirements for the new post

Despite the traditional difficulties in recruiting for technical and managerial capabilities, the dearth of specialist skills is only part of the recruitment puzzle. Specialist skills can, at least, be objectively described, measured and evaluated against a competency framework. But case studies show that it might be more difficult to advertise for candidates with the correct values and attitude. Here, managers can play an important role in helping the HR function to develop a values framework – or, if that already exists, translate it into the measurable behaviours that candidates should demonstrate during the selection process.

2. Be open minded about candidates’ backgrounds

Managers should consider whether all the required competencies are essential to the role. It is clear that finding well-qualified professionals is difficult, so employers may need to consider compromising on some of the candidate’s specifications. The survey finds that upskilling employees to fit hard-to-fill positions is the most common way of compensating for recruitment difficulties (68% of HR professionals said that it was current practice, and a further 29% would consider it). Other employers are looking outside their sectors or industries and are sponsoring professional qualifications. Those practices are particularly important when employing young people.

3. Be courageous in your search for the right candidate

It is often said that retention starts at the recruitment process: the cost of hiring the wrong candidate can be exorbitant when the mismatch of expectations and values is revealed. Although the recruitment process can be time consuming, it does save time in the long run, by reducing the likelihood of employee exit. HR professionals urge line managers to remain honest in managing candidates’ expectations – even when the temptation to close a vacancy is high.

4. Prepare to be flexible with your offer

More than 40% of HR professionals who responded to the survey reported that some of their recruitment difficulties resulted from being unable to offer the level of pay that candidates were looking for. While the scope to negotiate on pay levels is often limited by what an employer can afford, there are other parts of the Employee Value Proposition that may be attractive to a potential recruit – such as employer brand, opportunities for flexible working and career growth. Managers should obtain clarity from the HR department on which incentives are realistic to offer, and communicate those options to the job candidates.

Ksenia Zheltoukhova is research associate at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)

Find out more

Read the full CIPD/Hays Resourcing and Talent Planning Survey