Dramatic shifts in the talent landscape have forced recruiters to become more innovative and agile. Recruitment isn’t simply matching a candidate’s profile to a job description. Recruiters need to think more creatively than ever about growth plan solutions, provide on-the-spot advice and guidance to clients who are struggling to find the right talent for their teams, and be incredibly well informed of every situation you can think of in a candidate’s life to make a successful placement.
The demand for talent is greater than the supply, and talent shortages are at a 10-year high. Did you know by 2030, it’s predicted more than 85 million jobs could go unfilled because there aren’t enough skilled people to fill them. At the same time, we’re dealing with a Great Resignation boom that’s seen 38% of workers plan to look for a new job in the next 12 months, and a further 39% open to new opportunities.
I would like to share my top 3 recruitment trends for 2022 so, whether you’re hiring for your team or perhaps, you’re looking for your next role as a candidate, I’m hoping the information within this article offers an insightful view about recruitment in 2022 and beyond.
Recruitment Trend No.1: Employer branding becomes a competitive differentiator
In 2022, the way organisations will present their brands will have a direct impact on the ability to attract and win new talent. This is where presence on your career site, social media presence, and advertising on the right job boards is crucial to your business. Is your brand consistent, engaging, and attractive to candidates?
Some organisations have dedicated pages to diversity, equality & inclusion (DE&I), female leadership, LQBTQI+, CSR, and veteran pages.
Businesses have to think about what is going to appeal to a wide range of audiences and what you’re doing as a business about some of the things that really matter to candidates on a personal level. It helps businesses compete for the best talent and establish credibility. It should connect with an organisation’s values and must run consistently through its approach to people management.
According to LinkedIn, a company with a stronger employer brand than its competitors on average see a 43% decrease in the cost per candidate they hire. Why? I hear you ask? Because by simply investing in your employer brand, you don’t have to spend all your hard-earned profit on advertising and marketing campaigns creating awareness for your business.
A win-win situation I say!
Recruitment Trend No.2: Candidate experience becomes the cornerstone
With demand for talent outstripping supply, job seekers are in control. Very good and talented people know that they have multiple options, and they won’t be afraid to say no to an offer if their expectations aren’t met whether that’s from a salary point of view or expectations about hearing back about an outcome in a timely manner.
Did you know that a poor candidate experience has repercussions? A staggering 49% of job seekers would reject a job offer after receiving a bad candidate experience.
To go into this in a bit more detail, I specifically asked my network earlier this month about when they would expect to hear back if they completed an interview process.
The question I asked my network was “after completing a final stage interview, how quickly do you expect feedback?”
Here are the results from those who took part in the poll:
* 10% said they expect to hear back on the same day.
* 62% said they would expect to hear back within 24-48 hours of completing the final stage interview.
* 27% said they would expect to hear back in less than 7 days!
* Whilst only 1% said they would be okay with hearing back 10+ days.
The above shows that most candidates would expect feedback 24-48 hours after the final interview. I would also agree the timeline of 1-2 days is realistic. If you’re the hiring manager, my advice would be move sooner rather than later, regardless of what the outcome is. Candidates appreciate an update even if it’s a no.
In addition to this, the market does move incredibly fast and hiring duties have to take priority. If it doesn’t, this will simply result in losing out on talent…now think about all the time you invested in the screening & interview process! I call this the 101: how not to hire ha!
Recruitment Trend No.3: Jobseekers expect employers to support hybrid work
We’re well and truly at the stage where hybrid work models are the norm, with candidates expecting a flexible, clear plan for remote work. Today’s workers are used to the flexibility and freedom of a work-from-home lifestyle.
Speaking to many contacts in my network, most people are happy to be in the office 2x – 3x a week as it’s a place they can network, socialise, and share best practices. The best candidates want to know the ins and outs of their hybrid work commitments. What flexibility is offered? How does the organisation utilise technology to support this? What is the team culture like?
Candidates want to know that ‘flexible working’ isn’t just used as a tagline to throw around. I’ve spoken to many organisations in the last year where I’ve tried to understand what makes them different from the rest in the last 12 months. Unfortunately, the hybrid working approach isn’t a USP any longer, organisations are already embracing this therefore, we need to be thinking of alternative ways to stand out in the market.