Slow Hiring Drives Talent Away: Ukrainian Retail Chains Face a Growing Workforce Crisis

Workforce Crisis in Ukrainian Chain Retail

According to Hurma Blog — HR: Ukrainian retail chains are grappling with an escalating staffing crisis fueled by labor shortages, military mobilization, and emigration. A 2025 survey by OLX Work and the European Business Association found that 60% of employers now view this crisis as a critical issue. Meanwhile, data from Work.ua indicates that by 2026, one in three companies will experience higher employee turnover than the previous year, intensifying the challenge.

Root Causes of the Talent Shortage and Potential Solutions

A major driver of the talent deficit is the slow pace of hiring, which causes companies to lose prospective candidates. According to the Candidate Experience Report, 66% of job seekers say their decision to accept an offer hinges on the quality of their interaction during the recruitment process. Furthermore, 26% of candidates turned down job offers due to poor experiences or a lack of communication. Research from GRC.ua shows that job hunting in Ukraine typically takes between three and six months, further dragging down hiring efficiency.

To address this issue, experts recommend adopting the HURMA applicant tracking system (ATS), which automates the entire recruitment workflow. HURMA includes features such as multi-posting, AI-driven candidate communication, scoring, IP telephony, preboarding, and analytics-enabling companies to hire three times faster. Volodymyr Fedak, CEO of HURMA, explains:

“Time is a critical factor. If you take several days to make a decision, you risk losing the candidate.” - Volodymyr Fedak

It has been noted that companies aiming to grow cannot rely on manual processes, as these are inefficient and lead to wasted time. Olha Kukhtina, a personnel development and HR projects manager at Pharmacy 9-1-1, states:

“A company that wants to develop and grow cannot manage spreadsheets and reports manually. It’s inefficient and inconvenient.” - Olha Kukhtina

Meanwhile, Olena Turchak, HRD of the Olena Zelenska Foundation, highlights the difficulty of collecting feedback from multiple platforms: “The hardest part is gathering responses from all platforms at once and processing them all.”

HURMA not only automates processes but also integrates with ERP, LMS, and other systems via API, making it particularly suitable for chain retail environments. It is also crucial that recruiters can respond more quickly to candidate inquiries, as in today’s competitive landscape, speed is essential for successful hiring.

In summary, the staffing crisis in Ukrainian chain retail underscores the urgent need for modern technology to optimize recruitment processes. Automating hiring workflows not only accelerates the pace of filling positions but also reduces the risk of losing candidates due to lengthy application reviews. This could prove to be a decisive advantage for companies operating in a competitive and rapidly shifting environment shaped by external factors.

As the staffing crisis intensifies, understanding the effectiveness of various recruitment platforms becomes crucial for Ukrainian retailers. Recent comparisons highlight how different services perform in matching candidates with employers. For insights on which platform might provide the best results for your hiring needs, explore our detailed analysis of candidate matching services.