Are you among the 30 percent of employers who are still struggling to fill open positions (according to Manpower, Inc’s 2009 Talent Shortage Survey) – despite the millions of job seekers out there?

If so, maybe it’s time to reconsider your recruiting efforts – and see if there’s not something small but crucial that you’re overlooking. 

Here are five surprising reasons you might not be getting those quality applications you need:

1. It’s not the job that’s the problem…It’s the posting. Perhaps the open position you’re advertising for has such an obscure title that candidates don’t think it even applies to them. Maybe there’s not enough information about what the position entails. Or there’s too much information that makes job seekers lose interest.  Or perhaps it’s simply miscategorized…Whatever the reason, job seekers might not be compelled enough by what they’re seeing simply from the job posting to apply to your company. For tips on how to better craft a more dynamic job posting, check out 7 Steps to Must-Read Job Postings.
2. Your employment brand is a mystery to job seekers. In-demand job seekers want to know what they’re in for, and if you have no discernable employment brand, they’re not going to bother with you. “Companies are realizing how important it is to differentiate themselves with an employer brand,” says business marketing expert Jim Lanzalotto, Principal at Scanlon.Louis, in a recent phone interview. Employers can’t afford to fade into the background if they want to attract quality talent; they have to stand out in a way that gets job seekers’ attention and makes them an attractive place to work.
3. Your employment brand is a mystery to you. Companies tend to operate under the misconception that the brand’s message is controlled by the brand owner, when in fact, it’s controlled by the audience, according to Lanzalotto. “An employer brand is what the company says about itself, but in the blogosphere or twittersphere or other social media space, what they’re saying is what your brand truly is.” In other words, in order to know truly know what your employment brand – regardless of the brand you’re trying to build – you  need to listen to what job seekers and current employees are saying about you. (Want tips on strengthening your employment brand through social media? Check out our recent Webinar: Social Media Basics for Your Employment Brand.)
4. The price isn’t right. The old adage still applies here: Money talks. Forty-nine percent of employees who plan to leave their companies this year are doing so for more money, according to the 2009 EDGE report. It’s more important than ever that employers truly assess how they compare to the  industry and area competition when it comes to compensating their employees – and guage a plan of attack from there.
5. Your application process is a pain. Sad but true: CareerBuilder internal data has found that 34 percent of candidates who try to apply for jobs don’t – simply because the application process is too much of a hassle. Among the reasons candidates don’t end up applying for jobs: 24 percent fail to do so because the “Apply Now” link is broken, and 21 percent believe that the long application process isn’t worth their time. If you think you’re losing candidates in the application process, try using data analysis  to find exactly where in the application process you’re losing candidates – and how you can work to fix the problem.