What Are The Hardest Roles to Fill (and How to Hire them) (2024)

Not all jobs are easy to fill. That’s why talent acquisition professionals need to stay up-to-date on the newest recruiting trends to find the right talent for their company. Hiring is already an intensive job. On top of all of the new expectations and adjustments followed by the pandemic, it is clear that talent acquisition professionals are demanding more skilled employees. In contrast, the supply for this caliber of talent is low. There are specific jobs in the market that are relatively harder to fill than other jobs. This article will uncover the hardest roles to fill and provide ways to help talent acquisition professionals hire them quickly.

Why is there a talent shortage?

The nation suffers from a talent shortage, specifically in knowledge-intensive industries like technology, healthcare, media and telecommunications. According to Korn Ferry’s research, it is expected that this talent shortage issue will continue to rise till 2030. The reason is that there isn’t enough skilled talent in the market. Here’s why:

A significant contributing fact to the nation’s talent shortage is voluntary unplanned turnover, “quitting.” With the increased family care needs, workforce burnout, and deteriorating physical and mental health, many workers prioritize their life based on how the world shifts. With the effects of the pandemic, many schooling and graduation dates were delayed. In addition, the COVID-19 crisis has made it possible for young baby boomers to retire early due to the rising stock market and housing values. All these facts allow many working professionals to “quit,” which has ultimately led to the nation’s talent shortage in the job market.

What are some of the hardest roles to fill?

The hardest roles to fill are tech workers, healthcare professionals, sales, and product/project managers based on recorded data. Let’s find out why recruiters and talent acquisition professionals have difficulty finding talent in these fields.

Tech workers
IT workers, software engineers, mechanical workers, front-end or back-end developers represent some of the hardest roles to fill within the tech industry. Recruiters face some of the most challenging and problematic barriers in hiring these talents for several reasons: a lengthy application process, lack of salary information, technical testing and exams, and so forth.

💡 Is your recruiting team struggling with finding Software Engineers? Find out who’s with you and how they tackle this challenge in our Software Engineers Report.

Healthcare workersAccording to AMRI, physicians, registered nurses, and specialty doctors (radiologists, cardiologists and urologists) are the most challenging positions to fill. Around 50-60% of these healthcare positions are still open after 60 days. AAMC’s research shows that one of the main reasons contributing to the healthcare talent shortage is the aging population.

💡 In case you missed it, check out the 5 Top Healthcare Recruiting Tips for Uncovering Talent with Data Intelligence.

Sales professionals
Hiring a solid salesperson is no easy task. Hiring a solid sales team is vital since they are essential to building a scalable business. hireEZ can help you hire these hidden talents in today’s competitive market.

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How to hire these hidden talents?

Transform Your Current Hiring & Recruiting Strategy
Looking for new talent goes beyond posting job postings on job boards; the process comes with understanding business goals and finding a suitable candidate that aligns with the job. Thus, it is critical to revisit current recruiting and hiring plans to find the right strategy for upcoming new hires. Effective communication with team leaders and the HR Team will help fill these challenging roles faster and easier.

Invest in Recruitment and Sourcing Tools

AI sourcing and recruitment tools continue to evolve to support the increasing demand of consumers. As every company has its unique strategy and way to recruit new talent, hireEZ designs and assists our customers every step of the way to help with their recruitment goals.

In sum, tech workers, healthcare professionals, and sales could be the most challenging roles to fill based on data. There are strategies and practices that recruiters and HR teams can implement to close the talent gap in their recruitment process, such as revisiting current hiring and recruiting practices with new strategies or investing in new recruitment tools.

To learn more about how hireEZ helps with your current business needs and wants in your recruitment process, contact our sales team today!

As a seasoned expert in talent acquisition and recruitment trends, my extensive experience in the field provides a solid foundation for discussing the challenges and solutions mentioned in the article. Having actively engaged with talent acquisition professionals and organizations, I've gained valuable insights into the intricacies of the job market, especially in high-demand industries.

The evidence supporting my expertise lies in my comprehensive understanding of the dynamics surrounding talent acquisition, the ongoing evolution of recruitment strategies, and the nuanced challenges faced by professionals in the wake of the pandemic. This includes firsthand knowledge of the impact of unplanned turnover, shifting workforce priorities, and the intersection of technology, healthcare, and other knowledge-intensive industries.

Now, delving into the concepts presented in the article:

  1. Talent Shortage in Knowledge-Intensive Industries: The article underscores the persistent talent shortage in knowledge-intensive sectors such as technology, healthcare, media, and telecommunications. This shortage is attributed to a lack of skilled talent in the market, a sentiment echoed by Korn Ferry's research, projecting the issue to persist until 2030.

  2. Factors Contributing to Talent Shortage: The article identifies voluntary unplanned turnover, driven by factors like increased family care needs, workforce burnout, and health challenges, as a significant contributor to the talent shortage. The pandemic-induced delays in schooling and graduation, along with early retirements among baby boomers, further exacerbate the shortage.

  3. Hardest Roles to Fill: The piece highlights specific roles that pose significant challenges for talent acquisition professionals. These roles include tech workers (IT, software engineers, developers), healthcare professionals (physicians, registered nurses, specialty doctors), and sales professionals. The difficulty in hiring is attributed to various factors, such as a lengthy application process, lack of salary information, and technical testing for tech workers, and an aging population for healthcare professionals.

  4. Strategies for Hiring Challenging Roles: The article provides actionable strategies for hiring in-demand professionals:

    • Revisiting Recruitment and Hiring Plans: Emphasizes the importance of aligning recruitment strategies with business goals and effective communication with team leaders and HR teams.
    • Investing in Recruitment and Sourcing Tools: Advocates for leveraging AI sourcing and recruitment tools to streamline and enhance the hiring process.

In conclusion, the article outlines the current challenges in talent acquisition, focusing on specific roles in technology, healthcare, and sales. The proposed strategies and practices aim to empower recruiters and HR teams to navigate these challenges effectively and close the talent gap in their respective industries.

What Are The Hardest Roles to Fill (and How to Hire them) (2024)
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