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.

Click here to find out more

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!

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

FAQs

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

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.

What are the hardest jobs to hire for? ›

20 jobs employers find hardest to fill
RankJob Title% of vacancies that are 'hard to fill'
1Optometrist68.79
2Solicitor51.4
3Surgeon46.32
4Software Engineer41.8
6 more rows

What is considered a hard to fill position? ›

Identify hard-to-fill positions

This might be entry-level jobs with lower salaries or highly technical positions that require skills, certifications or training that not many people have. It could also be jobs with dangerous working conditions or not-so-glamorous duties.

Why are some positions hard to fill? ›

Recruiting top talent in a competitive market is a challenge, and the difficulty only multiplies when you're sourcing for hard-to-fill positions. These roles require specialized skills, niche experience, or exemplary qualifications that aren't readily available in the job market at large.

How do you recruit for a hard to fill role? ›

12 Recruitment Strategies for Hard-to-Fill Roles
  1. Use Referrals, Universities and Employer Image. ...
  2. Offer Growth Opportunities. ...
  3. Connect With Specialized Recruiters. ...
  4. Gain Insights From Behavioral Assessments. ...
  5. Implement an Employee Referral System. ...
  6. Attract Top Talent Through Social Media. ...
  7. Employ Recruitment Marketing.
Jun 15, 2023

What is the #1 hardest job in the world? ›

The 9 Hardest, Most Demanding & Difficult Jobs
  • Surgeons. ...
  • Military Personnel. ...
  • Firefighters. ...
  • Social Workers. ...
  • Astronauts. ...
  • Special Education Teachers. ...
  • Miners. Generally working deep underground or in dust-filled, open mines with precipitous cliffs, miners face some of the harshest working conditions imaginable. ...
  • Oil Rig Workers.
Jul 16, 2023

What is the hardest company to get hired at? ›

Interviews are always a daunting prospect, but with these companies it is much more than that.
  • Apple. Apple has always been a tough company to work for, especially under the late Steve Jobs, who was a meticulous perfectionist who would have it his way or no way. ...
  • Google. ...
  • Bain & Company. ...
  • BP. ...
  • Microsoft.

Which roles are the hardest to fill and why? ›

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.

How to recruit when no one is applying? ›

Source Qualified Candidates
  1. Get referrals. ...
  2. Search the web. ...
  3. Consider past candidates. ...
  4. Think of all-star former employees. ...
  5. Use a public resume database: Expand your candidate pool by using job boards that have a public resume database.

Which job has most pressure? ›

The most stressful jobs
  • Firefighter.
  • Social worker.
  • Broadcaster.
  • Newspaper reporters.
  • Emergency dispatcher.
  • Mental health counselor.
  • Anesthesiologist.
  • ER nurse.
Jan 12, 2024

How long on average does it take to fill a position? ›

Tracking Time to fill is imperative because it directly impacts your ability to find the right talent and onboard them quickly. What is the average time to fill a position? The average time to fill a position is 42 days. However, the average time to fill a job varies across industries.

What is the hardest industry to recruit for? ›

Most Challenging Industries for Recruiting
  1. Information Technology. The rapidly evolving field of information technology (IT) is one of the most challenging industries for recruiters. ...
  2. Healthcare. ...
  3. Engineering. ...
  4. Hospitality. ...
  5. Construction. ...
  6. Financial Services. ...
  7. Retail. ...
  8. Creative Industries.
Sep 25, 2023

What elements of your job to find most difficult? ›

Example Answers
  • Knowledge gap. While I'm very confident about managing the workload, I haven't used this data processing software before. ...
  • Inexperience. I'm really excited about leading this project, but I'm aware that there will be some challenges. ...
  • Company culture.

Why am I struggling to recruit? ›

The most common recruiting challenges include attracting the right candidates, engaging qualified candidates, hiring quickly, using data-driven recruitment, building a strong employer brand, ensuring a good candidate experience, recruiting fairly, and creating an efficient recruiting process.

How do you stand out to a recruiter? ›

6 Ways to Stand Out to Recruiters
  1. 1 Project the right tone. ...
  2. 2 Ask for LinkedIn recommendations. ...
  3. 3 Communicate your accomplishments. ...
  4. 4 Use keywords from the job description. ...
  5. 5 Keep your writing concise and mistake-free. ...
  6. 6 Prepare concrete anecdotes.
Jun 2, 2022

How to hire like a pro? ›

Write in an engaging tone, using an active voice. Highlight the responsibilities and requirements, as well as benefits and perks like growth opportunities, flexible hours, and a supportive team culture. Provide a company overview to showcase your organization's values, culture, and mission.

What are the fastest declining jobs? ›

Fastest declining occupations
2022 National Employment Matrix title2022 National Employment Matrix codeMedian annual wage, dollars, 2023
Word processors and typists43-902246,450
Watch and clock repairers49-906458,140
Roof bolters, mining47-504366,660
Cutters and trimmers, hand51-903137,040
28 more rows
Apr 17, 2024

What is the most intense job? ›

Here are some examples of the most stressful career options:
  • Physician. National average salary: $272,872 per year Primary duties: Physicians or doctors are medical professionals who treat various diseases and injuries. ...
  • Nurse. ...
  • Soldier. ...
  • Patrol officer. ...
  • Anesthesiologist. ...
  • Chief executive officer. ...
  • Lawyer. ...
  • Police officer.

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