Only a handful of industries are as fast-paced and genuinely fulfilling as the staffing industry.  

There’s just something special and rewarding about putting the nation to work. However, success doesn’t come easy to this trade. Succeeding takes passion, hard-work and a certain willingness to overcome the frequent challenges facing staffing. 

We wanted to get a true feel for what staffing challenges are currently confronting the industry so that you’re prepared for them and have confidence that you’re not alone. We surveyed over 450 staffing professionals from all corners of the industry to discover what the biggest challenges they are fronting in their businesses today. 

We uncovered a long list of challenges facing staffing professional today, including three very clear front runners that nearly every firm cited as a leading staffing challenge for their organization in 2019.  

Challenge #1: Finding Talent 

Discovering new and qualified talent to fill job orders, both temporary and permanent has continuously been one of the core roles of a recruiter but due to the record low unemployment rate and outdated sourcing technologies, finding talent has rarely been as difficult or competitive as it is today.  

 With more Americans working, there’s less talent to pull from causing a disturbance in the job placement rate. Many staffing firms are looking for new and innovative ways to bring talent into their ATS while others are searching for faster ways to find ideal talent within their existing databases. 

Challenge #2: Streamlining and Driving Efficiencies  

Words like, “manual, legacy and outdated technology,” continue to plague staffing & recruiting organizations. Most staffing firms interested in growth are at least looking (if not implementing) for new ways to improve processes, increase efficiencies and streamline operations.  

Using outdated technology or manually performing tasks like printing W-2s or faxing resumes are still widely used across the staffing world today, costing precious time and resources. Many firms are looking to streamline efficiencies and achieve a higher growth potential by harnessing staffing & recruiting technology. 

Challenge #3: Adapting New Technologies  

Technology is always evolving and changing rapidly. In the fast-pace and highly competitive market of staffing, this is no exception. Whether it’s an applicant tracking system (ATS), recruitment chatbots, AI technology or a recruitment marketing tool, staffing technology can have a huge impact on growth and day-to-day staffing tasks. Perhaps the biggest challenge facing staffing technology is choosing the right technology.  

Since the history of civilization, challenges have always been present, slyly offering great opportunity to those willing and determined to overcome them. The staffing industry is ripe with opportunity. It just takes a little passion, hard-work and a willingness to overcome the frequent challenges flung at the industry. 

For the full list of all 10 challenges facing staffing today, download our 2019 Staffing’s Greatest Challenges Report for more insights.