Some IT roles stay open so long they start appearing in the team’s Christmas photo. 🎄 Before blaming the talent shortage, check these seven usual suspects.
1. The salary is last year’s salary
Market rates move. If your band was set in 2024, it may now sit below what good candidates are being offered elsewhere. Fix: benchmark before you brief.
2. The process is too slow
Four rounds, two weeks apart, plus a take-home test. The best candidates are gone in about ten days. Fix: compress to two or three stages and book interview slots in advance.
3. The job description is a wish list
If it reads like a list of every technology your company has ever used, candidates assume chaos. Fix: three to five must-haves, clearly stated.
4. The role is not clear internally
Two managers disagree on what the person will do. Candidates feel it in the interview. Fix: agree the first 90 days before you advertise.
5. Flexibility does not match the market
Five days in the office for a role the market treats as hybrid will shrink your pool dramatically. Fix: be clear and realistic, and explain why if office time matters.
6. Your employer brand is quiet, or noisy for the wrong reasons
Candidates check reviews, LinkedIn and their networks. If the same role has been posted by ten agencies, it looks like nobody wants it. Fix: one consistent message through one or two trusted partners.
7. Feedback goes into a black hole
Candidates who hear nothing for a week assume the answer is no, and accept another offer. Fix: feedback within 48 hours, even if it is “still deciding”.
👉 Got a role that will not fill? Send it to us and we will tell you honestly which of these seven is getting in the way.
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Employer
