Where Have All the Candidates Gone

We understand how difficult it is at the moment to recruit office staff in the Staffordshire and Cheshire areas, with candidate shortages so what can you do to attract top talent to your business? We’ve got the answer for you right here…

Where Have All the Office Staff Gone?

The importance of office staff is indisputable. They are the gateway to a business, the first point of contact with the outside world, providing a welcoming environment for customers and care for them in all their needs. They keep everything running smoothly and without them the office would grind to a halt. So where are they hiding and how can you find them?
Let’s start with the first of those questions…

Where are they?



There are several answers to this question. Firstly, the UK employment rate is 75.5% (*Office for National Statistics) but is still below pre coronavirus pandemic level leading to overall candidate shortages. There are less candidates looking for work across all sectors, not just office support.

After the restrictions of the pandemic many people are still unsure of what their future holds. They may well be considering leaving their current employer, but may be being cautious to move from secure jobs as economic uncertainty continues with increasing household bills and rising interest rate being suggested to curb inflation.

Thirdly, the number of total vacancies available are at an all time high of over 1.35 million; with the demand for office support and administrative staff increasing.

People have had more time to consider what they want from their careers following the last few years of the pandemic too. Everyone is much more focussed on their wellbeing. This has meant more people took early retirement during the pandemic, took the opportunity to retrain or return to education, reduced the hours they work or made career changes into alternative industries all adding to candidate shortages.

So now you have a clearer idea of why there are there candidate shortages of office support staff, what can you do to increase your applications?

Understand where your skills shortages are

When was the last time you evaluated your current office support staff? There could be a wealth of hidden gems already working for you. Speak to your current office staff and find out how they feel about their role, are there areas they would like to develop or areas where they feel their skills are not currently being used. You may find some redesigning of job roles helps you fill those gaps, at least for now whilst the number of candidates available is low.

How attractive are you as an employer?

Do your salary and benefits compare to those of other businesses throughout Staffordshire and Cheshire? If not, now is a good time to think about how you can be a more attractive option for anyone looking for a new job. In the race to find top talent, having a competitive offer could make or break your hiring campaign. If you are unsure how competitive your offer package is, or do not have the time, contact us today to find out how we can help you with local benchmarking. We can share our experience of what other benefits candidates are looking for.

Consider a recruitment partner

Your local recruitment partner will be able to access a deep pool of office support candidates. They can save you an enormous amount of time when looking to fill your administrative roles. At Appointments Personnel we have over 50+ years of recruitment experience throughout Staffordshire and Cheshire. Olivia our Office Support Specialist, has a fantastic relationship with her candidates. She makes sure their is the perfect match between client and candidate so that our appointments are a great partnership.

Get in touch

Give us a call to discuss your requirements on 01782 338787 or check out our information about how we support businesses in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire and Cheshire.