Trends, be that in fashion or some other industry, evolve from year to year, and those in the world of employee recruitment are no exception. The most significant factor in this area is the continual progress in technology, as well as changes in the mindset of our society. The year 2020 has taught us that unpredictable circumstances can arise at any moment and completely disrupt our lives. Due to lockdowns in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that struck the world that year, many businesses suffered. Since then, businesses have realized that they need to be prepared to adapt to these sudden situations. Thus, there have been some changes among the hiring trends, highly influenced by the global pandemic, as well as technological advancements and cultural shifts in general. The following are the biggest global trends you can expect to see in 2022.
Scouting for talent on social media
Social media is evidently highly integrated into our lives. Not only has the number of people who have at least one social media account reached colossal amounts but their daily use is also extremely high. That is why social media platforms are a popular place to seek potential candidates for an extensive range of different job positions. Statistics suggest that the percentage of recruiters utilizing social networks for this purpose has reached a staggering 91%, and the number seems to keep rising. Posting job ads on Facebook and Instagram has proved to be a great option to attract individuals who aren’t necessarily actively looking for a job. One of the major benefits of promoting job vacancies on social media is that, by utilizing targeted advertising, companies can reach the audience that matches certain criteria in regard to information such as age and location, specifically. When it comes to social networks for recruitment, the most popular is LinkedIn, which may not come as a surprise to many, given that this platform was designed for that purpose.
Automating the recruitment process
Automation of many work-related processes is constantly on the rise. As mentioned previously, job ads are most often promoted across various social media platforms, as well as job search websites, so they reach enormous amounts of people. Thus, it comes as no surprise that companies usually get flooded with high volumes of applications. Recently, in order to improve their efficiency when it comes to reviewing all the candidates, recruiters are relying on different kinds of software more and more, as these tools become more advanced. For example, resume screening software is a highly time-efficient option, which can help recruiters automatically exclude applicants whose skills and knowledge don’t match up to the basic requirements. Recruiters also often automate emails to keep their candidates informed about the status of their application. With the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI), some software can even analyze video interviews to recognize valuable candidates. The use of chatbots is also on the rise, as this allows recruiters to focus on other aspects of recruitment while these AI-powered “texters“ handle administrative tasks. This involves giving basic information to the candidates upon their requests, scheduling interviews with them, inquiring about their contact information, and so on.
A steady increase in the demand for remote positions
The global pandemic has not only forced businesses to become more adaptable but has also uncovered the benefits of remote work. For that reason, although remote positions have existed for quite a while, the demand for them continues to grow. This involves both the employers’ and employees’ perspective. Working from home has been shown to increase the productivity of employees, as well as cut costs for both the company and the workers. Apart from that, offering remote positions allows employers to look for talent globally, without being restricted by geographical boundaries. As far as candidates are concerned, these positions appeal to those who prefer to set their own work schedules and save time on the commute. Therefore, in current times, building and managing a remote team has virtually become a requisite for companies.
The rise in project-based hires
With the popularization of remote work, project-based hires are also becoming a huge trend. This allows companies to look for individuals that possess the required skills for a particular project. The appeal of outsourcing on an as-needed basis is the ability to choose the candidates that are perfect for that specific task. Also, oftentimes, the needs of a company change and it may not always be possible to precisely define all the tasks to be handled by a candidate for a full-time role. Thus, project-based hiring can be a more effective approach than trying to find someone who possesses the appropriate skillset to conduct various work assignments. Given that hiring workers on a project basis means that a greater number of employees is required than when solely offering full-time positions, it becomes incredibly easy to unintentionally neglect them. This means that companies need to find effective ways to motivate their remote employees, so they don’t lose capable and hard-working individuals, and subsequently maintain the chance to collaborate with them on future projects.
Promoting inclusivity in the workplace
Companies around the world are realizing the importance of giving equal opportunities to everyone. In other words, they have recognized that candidates should be hired when they possess required skills, and not on the basis of characteristics that don’t influence their ability to handle their work responsibilities, such as their gender, ethnic background, or having a certain disability. This allows the employers to hire the most capable individuals, without the limitations that this kind of segregation imposes. What is more, research has shown that a diverse environment in the workplace fosters better overall performance of teams, because the input comes from employees with varying perspectives.
All in all, when observing the current state of job recruitment, it becomes clear that we can expect even more employees to start working from home. What is more, with the continual refinement of the available tech, recruiters can rely on automation to increase their efficiency even more than before. This also allows them to hire a wider range of workers for specific projects. Lastly, social media broadens the horizons and enables hiring a diverse group of candidates.