Why Finding the Right Staff is Harder Than Ever – And How We Can Help

Here’s a statistic that probably won’t surprise you: 41% of employers reported recruitment pain points in late 2025, with the biggest issue being a lack of suitable skilled applicants.

If you’ve tried to hire administrative or business support staff recently, you’ll know exactly what that feels like. The applications flood in, but the right candidates? They’re increasingly hard to find.

At Catch 22, our Business Support division works with employers every day who are facing these exact challenges. So let’s talk about what’s really going on, and how we can help you cut through the noise.

The Recruitment Struggles We’re Hearing About

When we speak to hiring managers and business owners, the same frustrations come up time and again:

“We’re drowning in CVs, but none of them are right.”

You post a role and receive dozens, sometimes hundreds, of applications. But when you start screening, most don’t meet the basic criteria. It’s exhausting, time-consuming, and pulls you away from the work you’re actually trying to get done.

“By the time we made an offer, they’d already taken another job.”

Good candidates don’t hang around. While you’re scheduling second interviews or waiting for sign-off, your ideal hire has accepted a role elsewhere. Speed matters more than ever.

“We need someone who can actually do the job from day one.”

Business Support roles require a genuine mix of skills – software proficiency, organisational ability, communication, professionalism. Finding someone who ticks all those boxes and fits your team culture? That’s the real challenge.

“We just need someone reliable.”

It sounds simple, but reliability is gold dust. You need people who turn up, get on with it, and represent your business well, whether they’re greeting visitors at reception or keeping your back-office operations running smoothly.

Why Business Support Roles Are Particularly Tough to Fill

Administrative and support staff are the backbone of every organisation. Without them, things fall apart. Diaries don’t get managed. Calls don’t get answered. Invoices don’t get processed.

And yet, these roles are often some of the hardest to recruit for. Here’s why:

• Every business needs admin support, which means competition for good candidates is fierce
• The skill set is broader than people think – it’s not just typing speed; it’s judgement, initiative, tech-savviness, and people skills
• Temporary and contract needs require fast turnaround, but quality can’t be compromised
• Cultural fit matters hugely in roles where someone is often the first point of contact for your business

When you’re already stretched thin, finding time to recruit properly feels impossible. But hiring the wrong person costs you even more in the long run.

How Catch 22’s Business Support Service Can Help

This is where we come in.

Our Business Support Service is designed to provide front and back-of-house administrative support on a Temporary, Contract, or Permanent basis. We take the pain out of the process so you can focus on running your business.

Here’s what that means in practice:

Pre-vetted, quality candidates
We don’t just forward CVs. We screen, interview, and assess candidates before they ever reach you. When we put someone forward, it’s because we genuinely believe they’re right for the role.

Flexibility to suit your needs
Need someone for a week to cover unexpected absence? Looking for a six-month contract while you restructure? Ready to hire permanently but don’t have time to run the process? We’ve got you covered.

Specialists in Business Support
This is what we do. We understand the skills that make a great receptionist, administrator, PA, data entry clerk, or office manager. We know what “good” looks like, and we know how to find it.

Speed without sacrificing quality
We understand urgency. When you need someone quickly, we move quickly. But we never compromise on the quality of candidates we put forward.

Let’s Take the Pressure Off

Recruitment shouldn’t be this hard. And with the right partner, it doesn’t have to be.

If you’re struggling to find reliable, skilled Business Support staff, or you’re simply tired of wading through applications that miss the mark—we’d love to help.

Get in touch with our Business Support team today. Whether you need temporary cover tomorrow or you’re planning a permanent hire, we’re here to make it easier.