Employ Inc., announced the release of the Employ Recruiter Nation Report 2024.

The annual report, this year titled “Empowering People-First Recruiting,” leverages findings from a survey of more than 1,200 talent acquisition decision makers and recruiters in North America and proprietary recruiting data from 22,000+ Employ customers. The report provides key insights into the current state of talent acquisition, top challenges, and where future investments should be made to scale recruiting efforts and influence outcomes.

The most significant challenges recruiters face today were shared by one-third of respondents: competition for talent from other employers (37 percent in 2024 versus 30 percent in 2023), not enough people to fill open positions (33 percent in 2024 versus 3 percent in 2023), and too many candidates applying for open positions (26 percent in 2024 versus 24 percent in 2023).

TA decision-makers also indicated not being able to offer remote or hybrid work (22 percent), poor communication from candidates in the hiring process (21 percent), and not being able to compete on salary requirements (20 percent) as top challenges their companies face when hiring.

“Businesses have responded to market challenges through strategic investments made to enhance hiring processes and focus on flexibility, scalability and speed,” said Steve Cox, CEO of Employ. “Employ data shows that 64 percent of businesses expect to increase their recruiting budgets in the next 12 months, with 64 percent of that group expected to increase investments in new recruitment technology processes specifically.”

Cox added, “The challenge is not only finding candidates fast but also finding qualified candidates and meeting them where they are. Whether you’re exploring the use of AI or improving your reporting capabilities, putting candidates and their needs at the center of your hiring process will be critical. When choosing where to invest, look for a solution that solves current and evolving needs and also one that puts people first.”

The report also revealed:

• Time to fill roles has dropped by seven days (41 in 2024, down from 48 in 2023).
• Forty-seven percent of TA leaders focused on a faster hiring process overall in 2024 compared to 42 percent in 2023, followed by incorporating AI-powered technologies, which made a 10 percent jump to 44 percent compared to 34 percent in 2023, and increasing salaries for new open jobs (41 percent in 2024 versus 40 percent in 2023).  
• Sixty-three percent of recruiters and TA decision-makers already use AI to augment their current recruitment technology, up from 58 percent last year. Similarly, 89 percent of this group are using AI frequently or very frequently—an increase of 7 percent from last year’s 82 percent. 
• To further support the traction AI-powered recruiting tools are gaining, 71 percent plan to increase their budgets in that area, up 12 percent from 2023. The next ranking area, candidate relationship management, came in at 46 percent, followed by applicant tracking systems (44 percent), diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (41 percent), and sourcing (40 percent).
• Job boards increased as the most effective channel in growing employer brand in 2024, with a 12 percent increase over last year taking it to 67 percent. Social media also saw a relevant increase of 7 percent (up to 54 percent). Employee referrals and career websites tied for third at 35 percent, while internal hires fell 13 percent to 22 percent.
• A growing number of organizations are expected to move to a 100 percent in-office model—34 percent in 2024 compared to 17 percent in 2023, bringing fully remote policies to 9 percent versus 27 percent last year.

“Hearts and minds are won and lost in the acquisition process,” said Stephanie Manzelli, CHRO of Employ. “That’s why a people-first experience is so essential. Giving talent acquisition teams more time to focus on building employer brand and cultivating relationships with candidates will positively impact both short- and long-term business results.”

To read more about additional challenges and opportunities for TA leaders and an outlook for 2025, download “Empowering People-First Recruiting” here.