5 Tips From Recruiters To Fix Talent Acquisition Issues

The business world has seen more paradigm shifts in the last couple of years than typically seen in a decade. We have seen everything from rising demand for remote work to mass layoffs.

Amidst all this, talent acquisition teams face several recruitment challenges to find suitable candidates for their organizations.

With changing needs of employees, changing technology, and ever-evolving recruitment strategies, recruiters have their work cut out for them. Therefore, companies must be proactive in attracting and retaining the best talent.

It is essential to understand the challenges faced by recruiters and the strategies they can use to ensure successful talent acquisition.

This blog post spells out the challenges faced in talent acquisition, changing needs of the employees, reasons for failing recruitment strategies, and five tips by recruiters to fix recruitment strategies in 2023.

Challenges faced in talent acquisition

As recruiters and employers continue to look ahead to 2023, one of the most significant recruitment difficulties they face is successfully managing talent acquisition. Among these hiring challenges, the following are the most prominent ones:

Not meeting the changing needs of employees

Recruiting expectations continue to evolve as the workforce changes.

For example, employers are looking for candidates with better education, more experience, and the right technical skills to get the job done.

This means that recruiters must have the necessary tools and processes in place to ensure they are identifying the best possible candidates. We will focus more on these changing needs of employees in the next section.

Failure of existing recruitment strategies

Recruitment failure is often a product of too long or cumbersome processes, which can lead to missed opportunities to hire the right people.

Additionally, if recruiters don’t have the right tools, they may struggle to identify suitable candidates or find enough time to assess them properly, leading to a major increase in the time-to-hire metric. This can result in a high turnover rate, which can cause further disruption and strain on resources.

Also, read: 10 Key Employee Retention Strategies In Tech

Staying ahead of the competition

Employers want to ensure they can source and hire the best candidates. As a result, there’s a great deal of competition when it comes to hiring top talent. This means you need to have a recruitment strategy that is both proactive and agile.

Additionally, recruiters must be prepared to act quickly when suitable candidates become available. This is vital to capitalize on any potential opportunities.

Now let’s learn more about the changing needs of employees.

Changing needs of the employees

Today’s employees are looking for more than just a paycheck. They want a job that offers them meaningful work and opportunities to grow their careers.

Some more things on the checklist to derive more value from work include:

Committed to creating a workplace that values diversity and inclusion
Allows for flexible hours
Provides opportunities for personal development

Employees want to avoid being confined to a corporate position that will kill their energies. Additionally, businesses are reconsidering their positions’ benefits and considering how these candidates would see them in the post-pandemic society.

To achieve this they must identify potential hires’ desired skills, roles, and experiences and build recruitment strategies around those criteria.

Additionally, businesses should consider leveraging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to automate mundane recruitment tasks and enable recruiters to focus on meaningful conversations with potential hires.

By recognizing the unique needs of today’s employees and investing in technology-driven solutions that cater to those needs, businesses can increase their chances of finding the perfect candidate for the job.

But before that, it’s vital to identify the reasons behind your current recruitment strategy that is not bringing in results.

Reasons why your recruitment strategy is failing

Recruitment strategies can fail due to a variety of reasons. Some of these might be out of your control as a recruiter. However, there are some that you can identify and work on.

Some of the most common, fixable reasons behind a failing recruitment strategy are as follows:

Lack of focus on building an employer brand

Establishing a competitive advantage in the labor market depends heavily on your ‘Employer Brand.‘ Nowadays, prospective employees frequently read reviews of a company before applying. According to CareerArc’s 2021 Future of Recruiting Study, 82% of candidates consider the employer brand and reputation of a company before applying for the job.

So, if they discover that you have a weak employer brand, it may discourage them from sharing their application.

Content marketing can be an insanely successful approach to increase brand recognition and amplify it. That’s why recruiters need to identify its value. Publishing insightful and helpful information for users can aid in creating enduring relationships with applicants.

Also, read: How Tech Recruiters Can Build Better Employer Branding With Marketing

Lack of clarity regarding your target audience

The people who meet the criteria for a given post regarding applicable skills, qualifications, work experience, and values are your target audience as a recruiter.

Before starting a recruiting drive, it is crucial to identify your target audience. It aids in the creation of recruitment messages that are relevant to the target talent. Additionally, it gives you access to places with a higher probability of locating potential employees.

Making a candidate persona for each position you’re trying to fill will help you pinpoint your target market. The candidate persona is a fictitious depiction of the ideal applicant for a given job.

Building a recruitment strategy that attracts suitable candidates is simpler when you know your target audience. This results in a more productive workforce.

Lack of focus on candidate experience

One of the most common reasons recruitment strategies fail is a lack of focus on the candidate’s experience.

As the job market has become increasingly competitive, recruiters must ensure that candidates have a positive experience throughout the recruitment process.

This means providing clear communication and ensuring they understand their roles and responsibilities before taking on a job.

If this isn’t done correctly, candidates may feel discouraged and look elsewhere for opportunities. Good candidate experience is non-negotiable!

Also, read: 5 Steps To Create A Remote-First Candidate Experience In Recruitment

Lack of proper candidate outreach

This can be especially true when recruiting remotely. Without appropriate methods of reaching out to potential candidates, recruiters could miss out on top talent that would otherwise be interested in their positions.

Additionally, without proper outreach, recruiters may lose qualified applicants overwhelmed by competing offers from other companies.

Things to consider when fixing your recruitment strategy

Talent acquisition solutions must keep up with employees’ changing needs to attract top talent. Companies need to invest in solutions tailored to their industry and flexible enough to meet the unique requirements of each potential hire.

Fortunately, some proven tips can help you fix your talent acquisition issues in 2023.

Here are five tips from recruiters to help you fix your recruitment strategy:

Leverage technology

Technology has made it easier for recruiters to find qualified candidates quickly and efficiently. Utilize the latest tools such as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and more to streamline the recruitment process and save time.

For instance, you can turn to a leading plug-and-play technical recruitment solution in HackerEarth.

HackerEarth comes with the integration of major ATS providers. You can drive true innovation with the assortment of virtual tech hiring tools offered by HackerEarth.

Analyze data

You can’t make the right hiring strategy without analyzing data. Use analytics to gain insight into past recruitment efforts and develop strategies based on the data you find.

By understanding the information provided by your current recruitment methods, you can create a plan that fits your goals.

Also, read: Data-Driven Recruiting: All You Need To Know

Communicate your goals

Make sure everyone involved in the recruitment process is on the same page. Be sure to communicate your desired outcomes and expectations. This is vital to allow each team member to better understand what success looks like.

Offer training opportunities

Train new hires on their roles and responsibilities to ensure they have the skills necessary for success. Ongoing training and development are critical for retention, so investing in employee growth can pay off in the long run.

HackerEarth understands the value of upskilling employees and provides tailored learning paths.

Embrace diversity and inclusion

One of the best ways to ensure successful talent acquisition is by fostering a diverse and inclusive environment.

Diversity in backgrounds, experience, and perspectives can open up opportunities for better candidates, which will ultimately help your organization thrive.

Conclusion

The best way to turn your failing recruitment strategy around is by identifying the possible challenges you might face. Once you have identified the major challenges of internal recruitment in your company, you can take the required steps.

By using the above-mentioned tips, you should be able to develop a comprehensive recruitment strategy.

Don’t fear taking risks and embrace innovation as you try new strategies – they could be the key to a successful recruitment campaign!

Revolutionizing Mobile Talent Hiring: The HackerEarth Advantage

The demand for mobile applications is exploding, but finding and verifying developers with proven, real-world skills is more difficult than ever. Traditional assessment methods often fall short, failing to replicate the complexities of modern mobile development.

Introducing a New Era in Mobile Assessment

At HackerEarth, we're closing this critical gap with two groundbreaking features, seamlessly integrated into our Full Stack IDE:

Now, assess mobile developers in their true native environment. Our enhanced Full Stack questions now offer full support for both Java and Kotlin, the core languages powering the Android ecosystem. This allows you to evaluate candidates on authentic, real-world app development skills, moving beyond theoretical knowledge to practical application.

Say goodbye to setup drama and tool-switching. Candidates can now build, test, and debug Android and React Native applications directly within the browser-based IDE. This seamless, in-browser experience provides a true-to-life evaluation, saving valuable time for both candidates and your hiring team.

Assess the Skills That Truly Matter

With native Android support, your assessments can now delve into a candidate's ability to write clean, efficient, and functional code in the languages professional developers use daily. Kotlin's rapid adoption makes proficiency in it a key indicator of a forward-thinking candidate ready for modern mobile development.

Breakup of Mobile development skills ~95% of mobile app dev happens through Java and Kotlin — This chart illustrates the importance of assessing proficiency in both modern (Kotlin) and established (Java) codebases.

Streamlining Your Assessment Workflow

The integrated mobile emulator fundamentally transforms the assessment process. By eliminating the friction of fragmented toolchains and complex local setups, we enable a faster, more effective evaluation and a superior candidate experience.

Old Fragmented Way vs. The New, Integrated Way — Visualize the stark difference: Our streamlined workflow removes technical hurdles, allowing candidates to focus purely on demonstrating their coding and problem-solving abilities.

Quantifiable Impact on Hiring Success

A seamless and authentic assessment environment isn't just a convenience, it's a powerful catalyst for efficiency and better hiring outcomes. By removing technical barriers, candidates can focus entirely on demonstrating their skills, leading to faster submissions and higher-quality signals for your recruiters and hiring managers.

A Better Experience for Everyone

Our new features are meticulously designed to benefit the entire hiring ecosystem:

For Recruiters & Hiring Managers:

Accurately assess real-world development skills.
Gain deeper insights into candidate proficiency.
Hire with greater confidence and speed.
Reduce candidate drop-off from technical friction.

For Candidates:

Enjoy a seamless, efficient assessment experience.
No need to switch between different tools or manage complex setups.
Focus purely on showcasing skills, not environment configurations.
Work in a powerful, professional-grade IDE.

Unlock a New Era of Mobile Talent Assessment

Stop guessing and start hiring the best mobile developers with confidence. Explore how HackerEarth can transform your tech recruiting.

A New Era of Code

Vibe coding is a new method of using natural language prompts and AI tools to generate code. I have seen firsthand that this change makes software more accessible to everyone. In the past, being able to produce functional code was a strong advantage for developers. Today, when code is produced quickly through AI, the true value lies in designing, refining, and optimizing systems. Our role now goes beyond writing code; we must also ensure that our systems remain efficient and reliable.

From Machine Language to Natural Language

I recall the early days when every line of code was written manually. We progressed from machine language to high-level programming, and now we are beginning to interact with our tools using natural language. This development does not only increase speed but also changes how we approach problem solving. Product managers can now create working demos in hours instead of weeks, and founders have a clearer way of pitching their ideas with functional prototypes. It is important for us to rethink our role as developers and focus on architecture and system design rather than simply on typing c

The Promise and the Pitfalls

I have experienced both sides of vibe coding. In cases where the goal was to build a quick prototype or a simple internal tool, AI-generated code provided impressive results. Teams have been able to test new ideas and validate concepts much faster. However, when it comes to more complex systems that require careful planning and attention to detail, the output from AI can be problematic. I have seen situations where AI produces large volumes of code that become difficult to manage without significant human intervention.

AI-powered coding tools like GitHub Copilot and AWS’s Q Developer have demonstrated significant productivity gains. For instance, at the National Australia Bank, it’s reported that half of the production code is generated by Q Developer, allowing developers to focus on higher-level problem-solving . Similarly, platforms like Lovable or Hostinger Horizons enable non-coders to build viable tech businesses using natural language prompts, contributing to a shift where AI-generated code reduces the need for large engineering teams. However, there are challenges. AI-generated code can sometimes be verbose or lack the architectural discipline required for complex systems. While AI can rapidly produce prototypes or simple utilities, building large-scale systems still necessitates experienced engineers to refine and optimize the code.

The Economic Impact

The democratization of code generation is altering the economic landscape of software development. As AI tools become more prevalent, the value of average coding skills may diminish, potentially affecting salaries for entry-level positions. Conversely, developers who excel in system design, architecture, and optimization are likely to see increased demand and compensation.
Seizing the Opportunity

Vibe coding is most beneficial in areas such as rapid prototyping and building simple applications or internal tools. It frees up valuable time that we can then invest in higher-level tasks such as system architecture, security, and user experience. When used in the right context, AI becomes a helpful partner that accelerates the development process without replacing the need for skilled engineers.

This is revolutionizing our craft, much like the shift from machine language to assembly to high-level languages did in the past. AI can churn out code at lightning speed, but remember, “Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.” Use AI for rapid prototyping, but it’s your expertise that transforms raw output into robust, scalable software. By honing our skills in design and architecture, we ensure our work remains impactful and enduring. Let’s continue to learn, adapt, and build software that stands the test of time.

Ready to streamline your recruitment process? Get a free demo to explore cutting-edge solutions and resources for your hiring needs.

What is Systems Design?

Systems Design is an all encompassing term which encapsulates both frontend and backend components harmonized to define the overall architecture of a product.

Designing robust and scalable systems requires a deep understanding of application, architecture and their underlying components like networks, data, interfaces and modules.

Systems Design, in its essence, is a blueprint of how software and applications should work to meet specific goals. The multi-dimensional nature of this discipline makes it open-ended – as there is no single one-size-fits-all solution to a system design problem.

What is a System Design Interview?

Conducting a System Design interview requires recruiters to take an unconventional approach and look beyond right or wrong answers. Recruiters should aim for evaluating a candidate’s ‘systemic thinking’ skills across three key aspects:

How they navigate technical complexity and navigate uncertainty
How they meet expectations of scale, security and speed
How they focus on the bigger picture without losing sight of details

This assessment of the end-to-end thought process and a holistic approach to problem-solving is what the interview should focus on.

What are some common topics for a System Design Interview

System design interview questions are free-form and exploratory in nature where there is no right or best answer to a specific problem statement. Here are some common questions:

How would you approach the design of a social media app or video app?

What are some ways to design a search engine or a ticketing system?

How would you design an API for a payment gateway?

What are some trade-offs and constraints you will consider while designing systems?

What is your rationale for taking a particular approach to problem solving?

Usually, interviewers base the questions depending on the organization, its goals, key competitors and a candidate’s experience level.

For senior roles, the questions tend to focus on assessing the computational thinking, decision making and reasoning ability of a candidate. For entry level job interviews, the questions are designed to test the hard skills required for building a system architecture.

The Difference between a System Design Interview and a Coding Interview

If a coding interview is like a map that takes you from point A to Z – a systems design interview is like a compass which gives you a sense of the right direction.

Here are three key difference between the two:

Coding challenges follow a linear interviewing experience i.e. candidates are given a problem and interaction with recruiters is limited. System design interviews are more lateral and conversational, requiring active participation from interviewers.

Coding interviews or challenges focus on evaluating the technical acumen of a candidate whereas systems design interviews are oriented to assess problem solving and interpersonal skills.

Coding interviews are based on a right/wrong approach with ideal answers to problem statements while a systems design interview focuses on assessing the thought process and the ability to reason from first principles.

How to Conduct an Effective System Design Interview

One common mistake recruiters make is that they approach a system design interview with the expectations and preparation of a typical coding interview.
Here is a four step framework technical recruiters can follow to ensure a seamless and productive interview experience:

Step 1: Understand the subject at hand

Develop an understanding of basics of system design and architecture
Familiarize yourself with commonly asked systems design interview questions
Read about system design case studies for popular applications
Structure the questions and problems by increasing magnitude of difficulty

Step 2: Prepare for the interview

Plan the extent of the topics and scope of discussion in advance
Clearly define the evaluation criteria and communicate expectations
Quantify constraints, inputs, boundaries and assumptions
Establish the broader context and a detailed scope of the exercise

Step 3: Stay actively involved

Ask follow-up questions to challenge a solution
Probe candidates to gauge real-time logical reasoning skills
Make it a conversation and take notes of important pointers and outcomes
Guide candidates with hints and suggestions to steer them in the right direction

Step 4: Be a collaborator

Encourage candidates to explore and consider alternative solutions
Work with the candidate to drill the problem into smaller tasks
Provide context and supporting details to help candidates stay on track
Ask follow-up questions to learn about the candidate’s experience

Technical recruiters and hiring managers should aim for providing an environment of positive reinforcement, actionable feedback and encouragement to candidates.

Evaluation Rubric for Candidates

Facilitate Successful System Design Interview Experiences with FaceCode

FaceCode, HackerEarth’s intuitive and secure platform, empowers recruiters to conduct system design interviews in a live coding environment with HD video chat.

FaceCode comes with an interactive diagram board which makes it easier for interviewers to assess the design thinking skills and conduct communication assessments using a built-in library of diagram based questions.

With FaceCode, you can combine your feedback points with AI-powered insights to generate accurate, data-driven assessment reports in a breeze. Plus, you can access interview recordings and transcripts anytime to recall and trace back the interview experience.

Learn how FaceCode can help you conduct system design interviews and boost your hiring efficiency.