Jobvite’s 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey reveals profound change in industry concerns, challenges, and investments amidst ongoing pandemic 

Today, end-to-end talent acquisition suite provider Jobvite, published its 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey report. The report provides an in-depth look at the state of recruiting today and the challenges and opportunities facing recruiters as they navigate the ongoing pandemic. 

The 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey gathered responses from more than 800 U.S.-based recruiters and HR professionals. The resulting data revealed that since the onset of the pandemic, stress levels at work have increased for 61% of recruiters, with one in five reporting a drastic increase in stress. The impact of COVID-19 has also led to diminished headcount and hiring for about one-third of organizations.  

Amid the pandemic, recruiters today are getting more inquiries about mental health benefits, accommodations and flexibility for working parents, and COVID-19 safety protocols. In addition, 33% of recruiters report receiving more questions from job seekers about diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives than they did in the previous year. 

Recruiting priorities have also changed, with growing talent pipeline and improving time-to-hire fading and quality of hires growing in importance. Seventy-one percent of recruiters say their recruiting priorities for the next 12 months are different from those they had in the past year.  

“Our report’s key findings reveal how the pandemic has reshaped the recruiting process, investments, and priorities” said Jeffrey K. Rohrs, CMO of Jobvite. “We believe that many of these shifts brought forth in 2020 will be here to stay, making it vital for recruiting teams to be equipped with the right systems, tools, and channels to navigate this new reality and attract highly-skilled talent.”  

Jobvite’s 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey aims to help talent acquisition leaders understand: 

·       Industry recruiting priorities and investments 

·       Stress levels of recruiters today 

·       Challenges in hiring quality talent 

·       Importance of D&I initiatives 

·       Salary negotiation in today’s hiring climate 

·       Effective interview and communication tactics and technology 

·       Importance of COVID-19 safety measures 

·       Valuable metrics for tracking recruiting success 

·       Top-rated sources for hiring 

·       Trends in social media for recruiting 

·       Candidate evaluation factors and measurement 

·       Effective benefit and perk offerings 

·       How recruiters are using AI and automation 

Preferences when considering a candidate have also changed drastically. In today’s increasingly remote work environment, only 27% of surveyed recruiters prioritize “cultural add” when considering a job candidate, down from 83% in 2017. Additional key findings from the report include: 

Hiring trends & challenges  

• 52% of recruiters report that improving quality of hire is the most important priority  
• 58% of recruiters cite a lack of skilled/qualified candidates as biggest hiring challenge  
• 20% of respondents say having too many candidates is a major challenge  
• 32% of recruiters report that 50% or more of open roles at their organization are being hired as remote workers 

Job interviews  

• 77% of recruiters choose in-person interviews as the most effective interview mode, though half conduct 50% or more of their interviews via videos 
• 40% of respondents believe virtual interviews will be the default moving forward 
• Biggest video interview mistakes are poor internet connectivity (37%), inappropriate attire (25%), and poor eye contact (23%)  

Diversity & inclusion 

• A majority of surveyed companies have specific goals for diversity in hiring in respect to race/ethnicity (63%) and gender (54%), while substantial numbers also have goals in respect to age (37%), veterans (33%), LGBTQ+ (29%), and immigrants (28%) 

Social media in recruiting 

• 78% say social media is the area most likely to see increased financial investments in the next 12 months 
• 72% of respondents use LinkedIn, a decrease of 20 percentage points since 2017  
• 37% are using Instagram for recruiting, up from only 18% in 2017  
• 7% of recruiters use TikTok and 13% use Snapchat for recruiting efforts  

Jobvite’s 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey was conducted by Zogby Analytics in September 2020. It includes responses from more than 800 recruiters and HR professionals from hundreds of companies, comprised of both Jobvite customers and noncustomers.  

To read more about the challenges that recruiters are facing today, download Jobvite’s 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey report in its entirety. For more information on Jobvite, please visit www.jobvite.com.