Not only is it a new year, it’s also a new decade. And while the economy continues to grow stronger in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, there is still uncertainty in the market. Today, employment remains low at 3.60% — but many positions are going unfilled and recruiters are increasingly faced with the challenge of finding the right prospects to take on important job positions.
Needless to say, we can expect the ways in which recruiters search for and engage prospects to continue to evolve. When it comes to recruiting trends, 2020 will surely have a few things in store — including a few surprises. Here are just some of the things we anticipate to see more of this year.
Looking at Transferable Skills to Defeat the Skills Gap
According to a 2019 survey from the Society for Human Resource Management of HR professionals, 75% of those facing recruiting issues cited a skills shortage, otherwise referred to as the skills gap.
While the unemployment rate remains low and some positions are going unfilled, prospective employers may increasingly look to hire outside their traditional target markets with the idea of growing recruits into their roles — rather than expecting them to have all the skills from the get-go. This means companies may increasingly place value in transferable skills — which can cover things like a prospective candidate’s abilities to organize, be dependable, provide leadership, communicate strongly, and more.
Recruiting With Flexibility In Mind
Prospective employees are increasingly looking for workplaces that provide flexibility in terms of scheduling and being able to work remotely. According to a 2019 study from the International Workplace Group, 85% of respondents said productivity had increased because of more flexibility.
Meanwhile, 80% of prospective employees in the same survey said that when considering two job prospects, they’d reject the one that didn’t offer flexibility in preference of the one that actually did. Flexibility is just one perk that can be offered, and while it’s not necessarily ideal for all job types, it is something that can be exercised with advantages for both employers and employees.
Automating the HR Process While Maintaining a Personal Touch
HR automation is growing more sophisticated and allowing recruiters to streamline the hiring process at a rate that was previously not possible — and with better results. According to a 2018 study completed by the firm Korn Ferry, 69% of respondents surveyed indicated that artificial intelligence had resulted in the hiring of higher quality employees.
And while there are a wide variety of AI recruitment platforms with different features, AI can help administer personality tests that help find better fits, verify background information, expedite finding the most applicable resumes, help with scheduling interviews, and much more. This, however, doesn’t mean that employers should put their faith entirely in AI; it’s also helpful to personally work to help employees feel valued throughout the recruitment process by going beyond the AI features.
Employer Branding That Doesn’t Turn Prospects Away
Employer review sites like Glassdoor are nothing new, yet they continue to increase in influence in terms of whether or not prospective employees even decide to interview with companies in the first place. According to Glassdoor, their website receives around 67 million unique monthly visitors, which is no small feat. So how can employers avoid being bashed on the platform and improve their branding?
Part of it is about fostering a great company culture in the first place. Practices such as having solid onboarding processes in place, allowing for growth opportunities, and building diverse teams can help create a healthy work environment. For additional information on company branding and what a brand audit entails, check out this useful post from Caroline Forsey on Hubspot.
Recruitment trends, without a doubt, can be difficult to predict. What remains true, however, is that companies that embrace innovation — whether technology or otherwise — all while making prospective employees feel valued, are the organizations that will likely hold the advantage on effective recruiting well into the future.
About the Author:
Angela Harder is the Director of Consulting at CorTalent and has a background in traditional HR and start-up operations. With an MBA and a passion for the human element of business, she provides a perspective on both recruiting and retention in the workplace.