Recruiting is no walk in the park, according to new research from global staffing firm Robert Half. Companies face a number of challenges throughout the hiring process, the greatest being generating interest from qualified candidates (35%), asking the right interview questions (20%), and developing compensation packages and negotiating salaries (19%), as reported by more than 2,800 senior managers.

Making an offer to a candidate isn't the end of the recruiting road. When asked to name the most common reason prospective hires decide not to join their company, three in 10 senior managers said it's because the compensation and benefits are lower than expected. An equal number reported that applicants declined to accept another position or counteroffer.

Additional Findings

Among the 28 U.S. cities in the survey, Indianapolis, Nashville, Cleveland, Sacramento and Minneapolis have the most employers who said capturing candidates' interest is their top hiring obstacle.

The biggest stumbling blocks for senior managers when writing job descriptions are separating essential from preferred qualifications (29%) and identifying the necessary interpersonal and soft skills (24%).

Aside from poor performance, 30% of senior managers said a mismatched skill set is the leading cause of failed hires. Unclear performance expectations (26%) and personality conflicts (23%) together account for nearly half of hiring mistakes.

"Unemployment is at its lowest level in 50 years, and skilled professionals have more options than ever in terms of where and how they work," said Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half. "Companies are stepping up all aspects of their recruiting efforts, relaxing hiring requirements and offering remote jobs to engage prospective candidates and access a broader talent pool, resulting in an even more competitive market."

McDonald added, "Just as job seekers have countless career opportunities, today's employers have numerous ways to find the talent they seek. Companies can gain a recruiting edge by consulting a specialized staffing firm that can help hone human resource needs, find good candidate matches, and provide project management and oversight, when appropriate."