Recruitment in housing isn’t easy - but we love it. The chance to connect purpose-led organisations with brilliant people? That’s what drives us every day.
Still, we know how frustrating it can be when hiring doesn’t go to plan. Especially in social housing and third-sector roles, where time, resources and services are constantly under pressure.
If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a drawn-out recruitment process, losing the perfect candidate due to delays, or sitting through an interview thinking “this isn’t what the CV promised” you’re not alone. We hear this all the time.
So, we asked our incredible partners across the housing and third sectors one simple question: “What’s the most frustrating part of recruitment for you right now?”
From clunky internal processes to candidates who have leaned too heavily on Chat GPT, it's clear that many teams are facing the same blockers.
But here’s the thing, only when we share these issues can we start to fix them.
Let’s break down the top three frustrations we heard, and how best to address them.
A Senior Caseworker at a charity, voiced a big one:
“The most frustrating part of the process is getting CV’s through from direct applicants that say they have the full range of floating and tenancy support knowledge - then they come to interview and can’t answer any questions on these topics.”
Sound familiar? It’s a classic scenario, but it wastes your time and ultimately leaves teams without the skilled people they so desperately need!
An Operations Manager at a housing association (and others) shared the same frustration: internal HR processes that turn a four-week recruitment timeline into a 3 to 4 month slog!
And this doesn’t just affect the timeline - it loses candidates, stalls vital projects and raises frustrations.
Another common theme: when CVs come through internal portals so stripped of personal details that hiring managers can’t tell whether they’ve met before.
As one manager put it: "No contact details, no access to original CVs, no idea who I’m actually reviewing."
However, it’s important to understand that many organisations remove personal details to help reduce unconscious bias in hiring. And that’s important. But sometimes, too much redaction can make it harder to assess who someone really is, especially in values-driven roles.
Recruitment can be tough - especially when it’s purpose-driven and often time sensitive.
But at the heart of every successful hire is:
There’s no one-size fits all solution. But there are better ways of working and small changes can make a huge difference. Whether it's refining your interview approach, tweaking internal processes or teaming up with a recruitment partner who genuinely understands your environment, it is possible.
That’s where we come in.
At Moxie, we don’t just fire off CVs and hope for the best. We partner with you. We listen to understand. We challenge. We care. And we move fast - because in this sector, that matters.
Are you struggling with delays, drop-offs or roadblocks in your hiring process? Get in touch and let’s have a chat. No pressure, just honest support and solutions that work.
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