Do you remember the time when video interviewing an applicant was the “in” thing in the recruitment process? Your company was probably one of the many that called on vendors to upgrade your phone and Internet connection to a more advanced IP-PBX system. That was the latter part of the first decade of the 2000s. Is your company ready to compete in snatching the best talents in the market today? What are the recruiting trends that you need to watch out for?
Recruitment Signs from the Past
The second decade of the 2000s just checked in. And if the past years were to be indicators, companies will again be dealing with the challenge in finding the right talent. Although the Department of Labor reported that there were more than 6.5 million jobs available in 2018, nearly 73% of employers expressed frustration over the difficulty of acquiring the right talent. This supply deficit is one of the critical challenges.
This phenomenon may put a strain on your company purse because to compete, you would have to hire directly from schools and offer candidates signing bonuses. Some 56% of companies in America used this approach in 2018.
Key Trends to Watch Out For
Are you ready to be creative and dig-in to your bag of tricks and beat the competition to the right talent? The technology-based tool will take the recruitment process to the next level.
- Creating the wow experience for candidates. Yes. As a company, you are screening talents. But candidates are also vetting companies to determine their fit within those companies. Experts suggest that you should focus on candidate-centric initiatives. This means making the applicant feel valued during the recruitment process. Is your online application process easy and uses automation features that make filling in forms a breeze instead of cumbersome? Candidates worry about their application if they don’t hear anything from recruiters after more than two weeks. Create an automated system of multiple customized messaging for applicants from the time of their application up to the interview stage.
- Maximizing the mobile device platform. Around 81% of Americans have smartphone devices. Part of the candidate-centric approach is making sure that candidates can seamlessly complete a job application to your company using their mobile device. You tend to lose out if applicants aren’t able to proceed with their application using their smartphones. The data suggest that for every ten job applications started on a mobile device, only 2.2 will be completed. This means that you’re losing out on the potential of 78% of the talent market.
- Emphasis on soft skills remain. The five short-listed applicants in the interview waiting room are all qualified for the job if they made it to the interview stage. Choosing the best one will not depend on their master’s degree nor from the school where they got it from. Recruiters will always lean on who’s the best communicator or who present themselves as someone who could be the most collaborative and a team player. Soft skills will continue to matter. This means that your recruitment managers and all those scrutinizing applicants must learn how to assess the candidate’s soft skills. You need to do training for your recruitment.
Since candidates are also scrutinizing companies, your company brand will also play an essential role in attracting candidates. Part of the brand is how you communicate your company’s culture to the outside world. The competition is fierce but watching out for these trends will prepare your company for your next recruitment move.
