The ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and a world that’s becoming more digital by the minute are just a couple of the factors that are leading to new hiring trends in 2021. Mental health, data tracking and virtual interviews are among the key aspects of hiring that organizations need to keep up with if they want to find top talent and retain their employees in a changing job market.
We found 8 of the most important current and future hiring trends that will help your company stay on top of the changes that are affecting the recruiting process in Canada and the rest of the world. Let’s dive right in.
Employer branding
As the talent market becomes more competitive, an attractive and welcoming employer brand can make a big difference in attracting the best candidates. Organizations with a strong and positive employer brand receive more applicants and increase their likelihood of finding the right fit for those hard-to-fill positions.
One aspect of employer branding that makes it an upcoming trend in the recruitment industry is its massive impact on recruiting costs. Companies with a well-executed employer brand could reduce their hiring costs by a massive 43%. Those that fail to do so, or have a negative employer brand, might be paying up to US$5,000 extra per employee. These points make a compelling case for the importance of employer branding in the future of recruitment.
Employee mental health and wellbeing
An important hiring trend for 2021 is employee mental health and wellbeing. Although there may be some benefits to working from home, most employees are experiencing much higher levels of stress and burnout than before the pandemic.
This may seem like an issue for your existing employees only, but potential candidates will want to know how your organization will support them in dealing with work-related stress, anxiety and other mental health issues. Clearly communicating your company’s benefits and resources like benefits programs, paid time off, mentor programs and upskilling will work wonders in showing them that they’ll be part of a supportive and understanding work environment.
Read what Canadian employers are saying about employee wellbeing in Adecco’s Lead Magazine: Wellness at Work.
While mental health is a priority, it’s important to also address your employees’ physical safety during the pandemic. Share your organization’s COVID-19 safety precautions with candidates. Read our Employee's Guide to Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic for more information on keeping your employees safe.
Upskilling
Upskilling is one of the most powerful trends in recruiting at the moment, and it will continue to be fundamental for any organization that wants to address skills gaps in its workforce and increase employee retention. The pandemic has highlighted the critical skills shortage that some companies have and the lack of qualified candidates in the talent market in technology, engineering, and creative positions to name just a few.
Not only is upskilling an amazing way to get employees with the skills your company needs to grow, but it also saves on recruitment costs and makes your existing employees feel highly valued. This can even improve your employer brand, as your company will gain a reputation for facilitating career growth and learning. While upskilling might not be quick enough to fill urgent or experience-based positions, it’s a great way to make your hiring process more resourceful while benefitting your employees along the way.
Data-driven recruiting
One of the fastest emerging hiring trends in 2021 is data-driven recruiting. Incorporating data into your search and hiring process can make it more efficient, help you highlight bottlenecks in the process, and reach more objective hiring decisions.
Some of the metrics that your company could be tracking include cost-per-hire, time-to-hire, candidate experience level, candidate qualifications and source of hire. These are key metrics that will help you understand where to improve your recruitment process and ultimately how to find better candidates or fill specialized roles.
Remote work
2020 was the year that most people were introduced to remote work, and 2021 will be the year that employees start getting even more used to it as they adapt to a work routine away from the office. This is relevant to recruiters as candidates have come to expect remote work options, as long as they’re doing their job, deliver projects on time, and stay in touch with their team.
Industry-leading companies like Spotify are taking things a step further by officially allowing employees to work from anywhere they want. This is the beginning of a significant shift in the world of recruiting, and remote work may become a must for organizations that want to retain employees and attract top-level talent to their ranks.
Virtual interviewing
Employers had to quickly adapt their hiring processes to a remote-friendly format when the pandemic hit, and virtual job interviews look like they’ll be around long into the future of recruitment. When matched with proper planning and clear communication, online interviews can make the hiring process extremely efficient and beneficial to employers and candidates alike.
One of the clear benefits of virtual interviews is how it allows employers access to a larger, global pool of candidates. It’s also an opportunity to make a good impression on a star candidate with a well-organized, hassle-free, and communicative recruiting process that demonstrates the best of your organization.
Diversity and inclusion
The summer of 2020 saw a renewed public dialogue on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and organizations have been quick to establish this as a top hiring trend going into 2021. Diversity goals are becoming commonplace in the recruiting process, and some organizations are also hiring D&I Officers to ensure their employees have access to resources such as sensitivity training, cultural workshops and safe spaces at work.
Putting diversity and inclusion on your hiring agenda for 2021 benefits your company by building more innovative and creative teams. Making your organization a welcoming place for everybody from the very beginning of the hiring process makes a wider range of talent available to you by communicating that you care about the social issues that are important to your potential candidates.
Soft skills
Companies all over Canada and the rest of the world are experiencing a widespread skills deficit, and most of these are previously overlooked soft skills. We already saw organizations focus on soft skills soon after the pandemic hit, and this hiring trend will continue into 2021 as more recruiters seek to hire candidates with the interpersonal skills to be successful in rapidly changing work environments.
Top soft skills that are becoming more valued by the day include communication, teamwork, problem solving, time management and adaptability. Recruiters should make sure to hire candidates with these skills if they want to build resilient and effective remote teams. Some soft skills like conflict resolution and motivation can even be a strong sign of a candidate’s longevity and commitment to growth within your organization.
There you have the 8 hottest hiring trends that are sure to shape the way organizations search for and find talent in 2021 and beyond. To keep up to date with the latest in the world of work, check out our other
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