Guest Post: What’s New in the World of Recruiting Trends?

Adrian Dixon

May 3, 2017

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What does recruiting look like in the year 2017, and how can your business cut through the noise to find the best candidates possible this year? Recruitment trends are constantly changing, reflecting a shifting economy, the job market, new legislation, popular professional fields, and much more. Here are the trends that seem to be defining recruitment this year and what they mean for your company.

The Trend: Top talent is becoming harder to find.

What it means:

Since the start of the economic recession in 2008, there have been more job seekers than there have been desirable jobs for them to fill. The strong demand for jobs and the relatively low supply of rewarding, engaging, and high-paying opportunities has created one of the most competitive periods in the history of our job market.

Now, it looks like the supply and demand relationship is shifting back. According to a recent survey conducted by the ManpowerGroup, 40% of employers are currently reporting talent shortages. In key industries like sales, accounting, and engineering, there are more jobs than there are qualified workers to fill them. In other words, for the first time in years, the economics of the job market are in favor of the job seeker.

Thanks to this trend, companies are going to have to compete for top talent. Salary, employee benefits, engaging work, and vibrant company culture are all selling points that employers must emphasize throughout 2017.

The trend: Employers are embracing the gig economy at every level of their organizations.

What it means:

The “gig economy” has transformed our lifestyles in many ways over the past few years. It’s now more likely for the average consumer to call Uber when seeking transportation-for-hire than it is for them to call a traditional taxi service. More and more people are looking for freelance work opportunities, contract jobs, or other “gigs” as an alternative to seeking full-time employment.

Employers are responding to this fact, acknowledging that workers want the flexible work schedules and multi-faceted professional lives that the gig economy can provide. Employers can cut costs by maintaining fewer full-time workers to support with benefits, office space, and more. The gig economy is proving beneficial for employers and job seekers alike.

Granted, many companies have always contracted out jobs or services. However, the rise of the gig economy has inspired employers to open higher level positions to freelance contractors. From lead graphic designer to project manager, job seekers today can find temporary work opportunities that pay well, look great on resumes, and offer engaging and challenging work. Recruiters will need to keep this fact in mind as they look for new talent in 2017. By restricting certain jobs as full-time, on-premises opportunities could limit the depth and quality of the applicant pool.

The trend: The application process needs to be faster and more convenient than ever before.

What it means:

Recruiters are discovering that speed and convenience are major points of concern for their job application processes. More than ever, applicants are aiming to shoot out a high quantity of job apps or resumes in a limited period. If your job application process is complex or time-consuming, many potential candidates are going to skip it. Think of it this way: if candidates can either apply for your job or apply for three other similar positions in the same amount of time, which option do you think most people are going to choose?

The trend toward faster and more convenient application processes doesn’t mean you have to lower your standards. A big part of making your application process convenient is using technology wisely. You should invest in a robust job portal that candidates can use to fill out your application and submit their resumes or cover letters. You should also make this portal mobile-friendly, as many job seekers—particularly those in the millennial generation—do a lot of their browsing on phones or tablets. Of course, if your application is extremely long or detailed, consider trimming it down and saving some of the questions for the in-person interview process.

The trend: Automation and artificial intelligence will soon become vital parts of the recruiting process.

What it means:

With social media sites like LinkedIn and resume boards like CareerBuilder, recruiters and hiring managers have access to a massive amount of data that they can potentially draw on to find quality candidates. The problem at this point is quantity: the amount of data is overwhelming, and no recruiter has the time to sift through endless profiles and resumes to try to find perfect candidates. Overall, this traditional approach is inefficient and provides no guarantee of finding the best talent out there.

The future of data-backed talent acquisition will transform the recruiter role. As low-value, time-consuming recruiting tasks become streamlined and automated through AI technology, the recruiter role has the potential to become the strategic link between HR and C-suite. Instead of replacing recruiters, AI will make the recruiting role even more critical. Forward-thinking recruiters will reap the benefits of increased efficiency through the dozens of hours saved per hire on sourcing, resume screening, and candidate matching.

Conclusion

As you can see, the world of recruitment is changing. In the coming years, economy, technology, and numerous other factors will continue to impact how companies recruit and hire talent. The trends discussed in this article represent the start of a new age of recruitment. Familiarizing yourself with these trends today will prepare your company for the recruiting strategies of the future.

 

 

michael_klazema_ideal

Michael Klazema has been developing products for criminal background check and improving online customer experiences in the background screening industry since 2009. He is the lead author and editor for Backgroundchecks.com. He lives in Dallas, TX with his family and enjoys the rich culinary histories of various old and new world countries.