Irish recruiters are at risk of burnout in a jobs market that has become more competitive and challenging, new research has found.
The IrishJobs Recruiter Snapshot found rising workloads and stress were having an impact on workers, with one in three describing themselves as heavily physically and mentally stressed as a result of workloads.
More than half said their workloads had increased over the past two to three years, and 57 per cent said it was taking longer to fill vacancies.
“Findings show that many recruiters are struggling with increased hiring demands and workloads as a result of this competitive market for talent,” said Sam Dooley, Country Director of The Stepstone Group Ireland with responsibility for IrishJobs. “These pressures are having a significant impact on wellbeing and productivity across the recruitment landscape in Ireland.”
Mr Dooley said it was important employers create an environment where the wellbeing of staff is prioritised and supported.
“With skills shortages unlikely to abate in the near term, putting an increased focus on upskilling and reskilling initiatives can help businesses meet their talent needs and reduce pressure on hiring teams.”
The research also highlighted a failure to more broadly adopt AI tools that could help alleviate the problem.
Although 28 per cent of employers have introduced AI tools for their recruitment process, less than a quarter of firms have a policy on the use of AI.
The report found recruiters were spending almost six hours a week on manual and administrative tasks, with that time almost doubling in larger companies. Previous research indicated tasks such as sending candidates reminders, tracking application status, and scheduling job interviews were most commonly automated during the recruitment process.
“While we’re still at an early stage in the life cycle of AI, AI tools and technologies have an important role to play in automating manual recruitment tasks and enhancing productivity in the industry,” Mr Dooley said. “As more organisations develop clear guidelines around the use of AI in the workplace, we expect to see adoption of these tools in recruitment rapidly accelerate.”
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