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Partnering with SME companies throughout East Anglia, Michelle Denny Recruitment is a recruitment agency which specialises in personalised recruitment consultancy services in Norfolk and Suffolk to help you discover that elusive new member of staff at a budget that suits you.

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With different campaign options to meet your requirements and innovative marketing strategies to captivate worthy candidates, we'll present you with a refreshing, no-fuss approach to recruitment. Whether you need a comprehensive recruitment drive with full support, or a simple campaign to find you candidates to review in-house, we'll work with you as an extension of your team, to understand your business and the people within it. 

Clients

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We'll introduce you to companies with job opportunities across Norfolk, Suffolk and beyond that share your values and understand your career aspirations so you can feel confident in your job search. With guidance, support, constructive feedback and consistent communication as standard throughout our approach, Michelle Denny Recruitment Consultancy looks beyond your CV to discover what makes you, you!

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With a clear direction, straightforward application process and ongoing recommendations, we’ll provide you with the ultimate match-making service to help you find the right job, in the right company, with the right team. Learn more, view our current vacancies and upload your CV to register for upcoming roles too.

Candidates

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Recruitment Challenges for SMEs in Norfolk and Suffolk: It’s Not a Lack of Candidates

  • Michelle Denny
  • 1 day ago
  • 3 min read

If you’re hiring at the moment and it feels harder than it should, you’re not alone.


A lot of the conversations we’re having across Norfolk and Suffolk start in a similar place:

“We just can’t find the right people.”


And on the surface, that feels like the problem.

But in reality, it’s often something slightly different.


It’s not always a lack of candidates.It’s a lack of time to do the process properly.


Recruitment challenges in Norfolk and Suffolk are often about time not candidates

Recruitment challenges in Norfolk and Suffolk particularly for SMEs...


Why it feels like there aren’t candidates


When we talk about recruitment challenges in Norfolk and Suffolk, it’s easy to assume it’s about a lack of candidates.


When you’ve got a role open, the natural place to start is advertising.

The advert goes live, a few CVs come in, and from there it becomes about reviewing applications and arranging interviews.


But this is where things can start to feel frustrating.


The CVs might not quite match.T he right people don’t seem to be applying. Or you meet a few candidates, and something just doesn’t land.


It can quickly feel like there just aren’t the right people out there.


The real issue – time


More often than not, the challenge isn’t the market. It’s the process.


Hiring properly takes time.


Time to:

  • review CVs properly

  • speak to candidates before interview

  • understand motivations and expectations

  • keep people engaged throughout the process


And that’s the bit most businesses simply don’t have.


We saw this earlier in the year with a role that had been open for a while. The business had done the right thing and started the search themselves. They’d even seen a couple of people.


But they hadn’t been able to get back to candidates quickly enough. Not through lack of interest, just because other priorities took over.


By the time they followed up, those candidates had moved on.

So the process had to start again.


Why this matters even more in Norfolk and Suffolk


Locally, there are a few additional factors that make this even more important.


Travel plays a big part.

People are thinking about distance, fuel costs and what’s realistic day to day.


Many of the strongest candidates are already in roles. They’re not actively applying and often won’t respond to adverts alone.


And talent isn’t always where you expect it to be.It can sit in different industries, different towns, or come through recommendations rather than applications.


Which means finding the right person often takes a bit more digging.


What actually works


The difference usually comes from slowing things down at the start.


Taking the time to:

  • properly understand the role (and what’s flexible)

  • have real conversations with candidates early on

  • align expectations before interviews take place

  • and focus on a smaller number of well-matched people


In the example above, once we had that clarity, the process became much simpler.

One candidate was put forward. Two conversations took place. An offer was made.


All within a couple of weeks.


The feedback from the client was how much smoother it felt compared to doing it themselves.


A final thought


Most businesses don’t need more CVs.


They need the time to find the right person properly.


And when that time is invested upfront, the rest of the process tends to fall into place much more easily.


If hiring is taking longer than expected, or you’re not quite seeing the right people come through, it’s often worth taking a step back and looking at the process rather than the market.


If you’d like to talk it through, feel free to get in touch.

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