1. Get Comfortable with Remote Employees
According to Global Workplace Analytics, 25 – 30% of the workforce will work remotely by the close of 2021. This may be due, in part, to the fact that managers are realising employee productivity actually goes up when working remotely. In a future of work report by Upwork, 32% of hiring managers said employee productivity had improved since employees began working from home in 2020.
Given that remote employment isn’t going anywhere, expect to see a shift in recruiting techniques that will take into account the fact that there won’t be as many face-to-face meetings. Vetting of candidates may be conducted by multiple recruiters—one to evaluate the candidate’s overall “fit” with the organization, and another with an expert in the job field who can evaluate technical skills.
Certain soft skills are a necessity for employees who work remotely. Excellent communication skills, trustworthiness, and independent productivity are critical assets when attempting to work from home successfully. Vetting for such personality traits can mean the difference between success and failure for companies with remote employees. (Recruiter.com article)
2. Automation will Become More Commonplace
Recruiters are turning to automation now more than ever to find, attract, engage, nurture, and convert potential candidates into job applicants. Recruiting automation allows businesses to automate certain tasks which, in turn, streamlines the hiring process and reduces the cost to hire.
Investing the time in switching to automation can be significant considering 28% of HR managers say they spend 20 hours or more every week completing tasks that could be automated.
3. Video Interviews
2020 forced many businesses to embrace technology in a way that was, at first, unfamiliar to many. While it is unlikely that companies will adopt a fully virtual interview process, teleconferencing as a part of recruitment is going to become more commonplace.
It’s important to remember that investing in video interviews is just that—an investment. Video interview platforms are usually web hosted and prices will vary according to need and services provided. The service allows interviews to be conducted live, or candidates can pre-record their information. When executed correctly video interviews can streamline the interview process while saving time and valuable resources. (Sparkhire article)
Conducting video interviews won’t allow you to show off on-site perks, like your company’s world-class break room, so interviewers will need to get creative to convey the benefits of the work environment. Pointing out perks like health benefits and scheduling flexibility, while providing a clear picture of the culture within the company will help candidates create a realistic picture of their potential working environment. (Employee Benefit News article)
4. The Market will Favor Job Seekers
According to the International Labour Organization, global unemployment increased by 33 million in 2020. Now, as companies try to rehire for positions vacated last year, they may find themselves up against stiff competition.
This means recruiters will need to go the “extra mile” in providing an excellent experience for candidates. Prompt follow-up calls after meetings, consistent availability to answer any questions, and keeping candidates aware of their place in the interview/consideration process will be critical in providing the hiring advantage to your business over others. (Recruiting Brief article)
5. Greater Focus on Diversity
The pandemic wasn’t the only game-changer of 2020. The Black Lives Matter movement brought about heightened awareness of social justice (or the lack thereof) and solidified the importance of employing a diverse staff when it comes to race, religion, gender, and age.
By prioritising diversity, businesses considered more current and competitive, particularly to the part of the workforce made up of millennials and GenZ, who are choosing to work for companies with which their social values align.
But this call to action is not limited to the young alone. A recent survey conducted by Glassdoor revealed that 76% of employees and potential hires said a diverse workforce was important to them when evaluating companies and new job offers.
Recruiters should be ready to proactively reach out to underrepresented candidates when trying to fill a position, and actively work to reduce biases during the recruitment process.
For many of us, 2021 has felt as though we’re experiencing a strange emerging, leaving all that was abnormal in 2020 and slowly moving toward something that resembles normalcy in 2021. Yet the effects of last year cannot be erased and, by embracing the recruiting trends noted here, we can be better prepared to recruit quality candidates in this age of “new normal”. (Greenhouse article)