HR professionals say applicants don’t fit the needed criteria

According to a new study, nearly three out of five (59 per cent) Aussies will be looking for a new job this year, yet HR professionals have said many lack the needed qualifications.

New LinkedIn data has shown that over two-thirds (68 per cent) of HR professionals have said that it’s become much harder to find qualified talent over the last year, showing bad signs for the three in five Aussies who are set to be looking for a new job in the coming year.

This is reinforced by more than a third (41 per cent) of Aussie jobseekers saying that they are applying for more jobs than ever, yet hearing back far less. The average Aussie jobseeker is applying for around seven roles a week, with 65 per cent even applying outside of their desired industry – an increase from 52 per cent in the previous year.

Other research reveals that 51 per cent of jobseekers believe they have been ghosted during their job search process. This, along with other issues, has exacerbated the growing challenges for Aussie jobseekers, with 67 per cent noting that they feel frustrated with the job search process.

Along with jobseekers, hirers themselves are also finding the process increasingly challenging. According to the data, almost a fifth (17 per cent) of HR professionals spend between three and five hours a day sifting through applications, with 94 per cent of HR professionals saying that the majority of job applications received do not meet the criteria listed for the job role.

Adam Gregory, senior director, ANZ, LinkedIn Talent and Learning Solutions, said: “Hirers are increasingly challenged by people applying for jobs that don’t match their skills and finding the right person for a role often feels like finding a needle in a haystack.”

“It’s also natural that companies have been finding it harder to find the talent they need when many of the fastest-growing job roles we see today didn’t even exist 20 years ago.”

This mismatch between jobseekers is partly driven by changes in the skills and roles that businesses need. The data shows that the skills needed for jobs in Australia are projected to change by 66 per cent by 2030 compared to 2016, with technological innovations rapidly changing how workplaces operate.

In terms of what criteria is lacking, Aussie HR professionals list finding candidates with the right soft skills (37 per cent), leadership and management skills (35 per cent) and technical/IT skills (31 per cent) as some of the top challenges they face.