Hiring Challenges in Ukraine’s Retail Chain Industry
Ukraine’s retail chain sector is facing a severe hiring crisis, intensified by a growing talent shortage. According to forecasts, by 2025, 60% of employers surveyed by OLX Work and the European Business Association will encounter a staffing crisis driven by mobilization, migration, and a lack of qualified workers. This situation demands that companies accelerate their hiring processes, as traditional manual methods are proving inadequate. In response, automating the entire candidate workflow within a single system—such as through the HURMA product—has become a critical solution.
Data from Work.ua indicates that by 2026, one in three companies will lose more employees than the previous year, highlighting intensifying competition for skilled talent. A key factor in candidates’ decision-making is the quality of their hiring experience: according to the Candidate Experience Report, 66% of respondents said this influenced their choice. Furthermore, 26% of candidates turned down job offers due to poor experiences or lack of communication during the process, underscoring the need for recruiters to maintain proper communication.
Automating the Hiring Process
The average job search in Ukraine takes between three and six months, jeopardizing the ability to hire quickly. Candidates frequently cite poor communication with recruiters as a major issue.
Volodymyr Fedak, CEO of HURMA, emphasizes: 'Time is a critical factor. If you take several days to decide, you risk losing the candidate. People in the linear segment often consider multiple options simultaneously, so in recruiting, the one who responds faster wins.'
Companies aiming to grow need new approaches to organizing their hiring processes.
Olga Kukhtina, Personnel Development and HR Projects Manager at Pharmacy 9-1-1, notes that 'a company that wants to develop and grow cannot manage spreadsheets and reports manually. It’s inefficient and inconvenient.'Automation can help reduce errors and speed up the process. Olena Turchak, HR Director of the Olena Zelenska Foundation, also confirms that automation can significantly cut the time spent processing candidate data—which previously could take up to three hours.
Another essential component of effective hiring is timely communication. Alina Gurova, HR Director at JustSchool, points out that about 60% of communication with candidates occurs via phone calls, making quick contact critical for success. Amid a talent shortage, companies must find ways to improve their hiring processes to avoid losing skilled professionals.
Speed in hiring is a matter of system architecture, not individual recruiter heroics. For the retail chain sector, this is not a one-time inconvenience but a significant operational risk. In the context of a staffing deficit, automating hiring processes is not just desirable—it is essential for business survival and growth in Ukraine.
Given the projected talent shortage in Ukraine, it is crucial for companies to adapt their hiring strategies by implementing automated solutions that reduce time costs and boost process efficiency. This will not only help retain talented professionals but also ensure competitiveness in the labor market—a critical factor for successful business development in an increasingly competitive environment. Successfully adopting new hiring approaches may be the key to overcoming current challenges in this area.
As the competition for talent intensifies, understanding the effectiveness of various recruitment platforms becomes crucial for businesses. Analyzing options like the best platforms for candidate sourcing can provide valuable insights into how companies can improve their hiring strategies and attract the right candidates more effectively.