18 of March, 2025

Have you ever struggled to fill a vacancy in your company? Chances are, you have. In the 21st century, with all the technology and globalization, it’s still tricky to find the right candidate for certain jobs. Do you wonder why some job positions remain vacant?

There are various reasons, which we will explain in this article. But that’s not all. We will also provide you with keys to improve your staff selection process. Keep reading to find out!

Why are job positions left vacant?

But why do job positions remain vacant? This problem can go beyond a mere job offer. If you can’t find a solution, we will explain the causes so you can remedy them.

1. Mismatch between market and training

Disparities between training and labor market needs make it difficult to fill certain job positions. Education must keep pace with changes in the labor market to meet the demand for profiles. Otherwise, hard-to-fill vacancies arise.

Companies should cooperate with training centers, expressing their needs to guide the educational offer. Companies should also offer career plans to their employees to update their knowledge and adapt them to their needs.

In this way, workers will be better prepared to assume new responsibilities in the face of digital transformation and other challenges that come their way.

2. Low salaries

Low salaries are one of the most common reasons why job positions are left vacant. If the salary offered is not competitive, it is likely that the best candidates will look elsewhere.

Review the typical salary range for that position and consider increasing your offer. Even a small increase can make a big difference and allow you to attract higher quality candidates.

Caring for the emotional salary of employees is also important.

3. Poor working conditions

When companies have difficulties filling job positions, another cause could be poor working conditions. Today’s candidates want more than a minimum wage and seek jobs that enrich their lives.

If you offer rigid schedules, unsafe environments, or lack growth paths, the best talents will look elsewhere.

Today, concepts such as teleworking and Smart Working have also become popular, which make a difference in the daily life of employees.

4. Aging population

The aging population also contributes to job positions remaining vacant. As the population ages, the number of skilled and experienced workers decrease. Competencies and knowledge necessary for certain functions may be lost. It can be challenging to replace employees who retire.

To address this challenge, focus on hiring and intergenerational training. A staff with age diversity promotes the transfer of knowledge between generations.

The collaboration of young and older workers through mentorship programs helps ensure the retention of institutional knowledge. It also allows companies to benefit from different perspectives and experiences.

Advice for filling job positions from HR

Now that you know the most common causes of job positions being left vacant, we bring you some advice to help you solve this situation.

Solutions range from refreshing the selection process to implementing continuous training plans or new work-life balance measures.

We explain all these measures below, so stay with us.

1. Refresh staff selection with AI

AI tools for HR like the selection chatbots or skill-matching algorithms can pre-select candidates based on skills and experience.

This saves time for recruiters and allows them to focus on analyzing and interviewing the most promising candidates. AI can also help reduce biases in the hiring process by objectively evaluating candidates based on their qualifications.

Additionally, AI tools can analyze large amounts of data to identify where the best candidates are. This broadens the scope of the talent search and helps companies find candidates that would otherwise go unnoticed.

With the right AI, no more job positions will be left vacant!

2. Review the wording of the job offer

Your job listing is the first impression that candidates will have of your company and the job position. Pay attention to details and make sure it correctly conveys what you are looking for.

Describe the tasks and responsibilities of the position clearly and concisely. Include the essential requirements in terms of knowledge, skills, and experience. Detail the working conditions.

Also include information on the culture and values of your company. Professionals want to know where they are going to work and if they will fit into the team.

And don’t forget it. Your offer should be attractive, but realistic in terms of the requirements you ask for to avoid leaving job positions vacant.

3. Verify if the salary conditions meet the market

Verifying that the salary conditions meet the market is key. Often, companies do not adjust wages for inflation or industry trends. The result is that the positions remain unfilled.

In short, check if your offer meets the typical salary range. If it is at the lower end, it would be advisable to increase it. Even a small increase, around 5-10%, can make a position more attractive.

Keeping up to date with market prices shows candidates that you value them. It also makes your company more competitive. So, control salaries annually and make adjustments to ensure you attract the best talents.

4. Offer ongoing training plan

When job positions are left vacant, perhaps the solution to the problem is to train the employee before starting in the position to fit very specific requirements.

Make sure to offer your employees a continuous training program. This will allow them to develop new skills and feel valued over time.

You can start with basic courses on the tools they use in their daily work or in soft skills such as communication and teamwork.

Then, you can offer more advanced courses in their area of specialization. You can also sponsor professional certifications so they can demonstrate their expertise. Constant training is key to retaining talent, as it gives workers the opportunity to grow in their careers.

5. Work on family conciliation

As an HR professional, you should work on offering work-life balance measures that facilitate the lives of your employees and candidates.

You could consider teleworking options, flexible or reduced schedule. You can also propose services such as nurseries, dining rooms, or extracurricular activities that support your workers with children.

If you want to attract the best talent, consider the needs for work flexibility. Many professionals value being able to balance their personal and work life.

Your competition surely already took note, so don’t fall behind. Make your company an appealing place to grow professionally without giving up personal life. No more job positions left vacant.

6. Optimize shift management

Optimizing shift management can help you avoid job positions left vacant. You can start by reviewing if the current schedules meet the needs of the staff. For example, unattractive night shifts. In that case, consider flexing schedules, allowing longer shifts, or shared shifts.

You can also take advantage of technology to optimize shift planning. There are softwares that allow for individual preferences of the staff when assigning shifts. This way, greater satisfaction and better work-life balance are achieved.

7. Bet on talent of all generations

To fill hard-to-fill positions, it’s crucial to broaden the search focus. Don’t focus only on young talent, and value professionals of all ages. Each generation has unique strengths:

Youth brings energy, mastery of new technologies, and fresh vision.
Midlife professionals have experience, maturity, and practical sense.
Senior workers offer wisdom, broader perspective, and loyalty to the company.

Combining this generational mix in teams provides diversity of thought, cross-knowledge, and opportunities for two-way mentorship.

When selecting, only look at the skills and motivation of the candidate, not their age. When hiring, implement conciliation measures to attract and retain talent regardless of their life stage.

So as you see, hiring the right candidates is not as easy as it seems. Job positions can be left vacant. But don’t get discouraged, with the right strategies you can overcome these challenges. Bet on technology to streamline processes, and don’t close off to any profile.

If you want to know how Sesame HR’s HR software can help you with this process, don’t hesitate. Ask for a 14-day demonstration. And refresh your recruitment process! What are you waiting for?

Professional with over 20 years of extensive experience in various areas of Human Resources (Recruitment, Training, Occupational Risk Prevention, and Personnel Management). Experience in the Management Department: Broad understanding of the company and HR.

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cristinamartin

HR Content Specialist

Why is it hard to fill some job positions and how to handle it from HR?