Only 33% of HRDs say they are 'good' or 'excellent' at coming up with innovative strategies for finding and recruiting new talent, according to Alexander Mann's Future Fit Recruitment Report (part 2).

The report finds that that 60% of HRDs purposely have tough criteria, with 64% having ‘minimum’ requirements. Yet it also finds that 86% of HR leaders polled said the skill criteria that candidates must meet were too rigid, with one in five HR leaders admitting there was a lack of flexibility around finding candidates.

"With nearly three quarters of businesses facing up to a shortage of skills, HR professionals need to look beyond their traditional practices and adopt more flexible, innovative methods," said David Heath, global director of international business and people capital, Alexander Mann Solutions.

Rosaleen Blair, CEO and founder of Alexander Mann Solutions, added: "As competition to attract this top talent hots up, it is essential organisations take a more strategic and innovative approach when implementing recruitment policies."

The report finds 55% of HR leaders said they had experienced difficulty recruiting in the past six months.