83% of employers affected by talent shortages in Belgium

28/07/2016

Robert Walters recently surveyed over 100 companies in Belgium to research the effect of both a candidate short market and the strategies businesses employ to manage them. According to this survey, an overwhelming 83% of employers in Belgium, regardless of company size, have experienced challenges when recruiting suitably qualified candidates.

Key recruitment challenges affecting business

58% of hiring managers say they have struggled to attract candidates with the right hard skills or experience. A lack of appropriate specialist staff could hamper efforts to increase productivity, turnover and profitability, preventing the company from reaching its full potential. Pay remains a stumbling block as well: 38% of employers say that salary expectations of candidates were too high. 6% of hiring managers see candidates unwilling to relocate as a serious recruitment challenge.

The impact and effects of talent shortages

When asked how skills shortages have affected businesses, 46% of employers stated that they faced increased difficulty in meeting deadlines and client expectations while 36% say it has reduced staff morale. 20% of hiring managers feel that talent shortages across all job functions have directly impacted productivity.

Overcoming talent shortages

Our survey reveals that only 1 in 3 companies in Belgium have prepared their businesses to meet the challenge of talent shortages and already have a plan in place. 44% of companies hire interim or contract staff when they have a lack of available permanent candidates. 21% of employers say they have provided staff with opportunities for training or the change to take on new responsibilities. This is a successful strategy for retaining staff and preventing the emergence of further skills shortages.

Antoine Biot, Director of Robert Walters Belgium, adds: another means of dealing with talent shortages which is often overlooked, is to transfer employees either (inter)nationally or from another part of the company. Not only does this provide easy access to a pool of candidates with a good understanding of the company and its values and processes, it also creates multiple benefits for the employees concerned. 

To find more comprehensive information on how to manage skills shortages in Belgium, download our latest whitepaper ‘Recruiting professionals in a candidate short market’.