5 Recruiting Trends to Watch in 2020

Last week we looked at five HR trends worth monitoring this year, but a more specific piece of HR is the recruitment process. Recruiting has never been simple, but it’s becoming even more difficult in this tight labor market. As positions remain unfilled, employers are scrambling to attract new, long-term talent. To better prepare you for this task, here are some recruiting trends to watch in 2020.

1. Scrutinizing Candidates Thoroughly

Just because the number of applicants is dropping doesn’t mean your screening standards have to. In fact, some employers are taking the opposite approach—as candidate options remain limited, businesses are seeking quality over quantity.

This means employers are scrutinizing candidates more and vetting them on soft skills as well as technical skills. Some organizations are doing this by conducting phone interviews, in-person interviews, and quizzes. The idea is that a well-rounded individual is more valuable in the long term than someone who only fits into a single role.

Obviously, adding extra steps to your screening process will slow things down, but many employers think the higher quality of new hires is worth it. And as technology improves, most of the screening can be done autonomously.

2. Utilizing Chatbots

HR teams spend countless hours coordinating interviews with candidates. What if you had a robot to take care of that for you? Well, now you do.

Chatbots, artificial intelligence systems that can reply to individuals electronically, are changing the recruiting game. Employers are using them to handle the less-personal aspect of the job: scheduling interviews. Since the chatbots can view a recruiter’s calendar, scheduling interviews can be handled without ever lifting a finger.

As chatbots evolve, they will likely be able to handle more complex responsibilities, but even their current abilities are invaluable. IBM said their applicant chatbot saved their company $107 million in a single year.

3. Using Flexibility as an Incentive

Workplace flexibility will remain a top trend in 2020. Employees want to know their personal lives can supersede work when needed. In fact, 80 percent of employees will choose an employer with workplace flexibility over one without, according to an International Workplace Group survey.

This illustrates how valuable flexibility is to employees, which is exactly why some employers are using it as a recruiting talking point. The flexibility of each organization will differ, but the types offered typically include flextime, unlimited time off and remote working arrangements.

Consider whether more flexibility would suit your workplace and its employees. Adding even a little more might help attract new talent.

4. Tracking People Analytics

Technological improvements in the HR realm aren’t confined to chatbots and candidate screening applications. There are also emerging solutions that track, measure and assess the most important drivers to your business: people. These predictive solutions are sometimes called “people analytics.”

Employers are discovering that they can use people analytics to understand and predict any aspect of their operations, not least of which is recruiting. And this capability is alluring to many. In fact, 71 percent of companies view people analytics as a high priority, according to a report from Deloitte.

With these analytical tools, organizations can redefine recruiting practices. They enable employers to make sense of complex data and can help inform operational decisions. For instance, some employers track their top performers to understand why some are retained over others. Other employers use people analytics to figure out which recruiting pipeline is the most successful, then focus their resources there. With the level of insight these analytics offer, employers no longer have to guess where to channel their recruiting efforts.

5. Telling a Compelling Story

Your company’s brand has a tremendous impact on how prospective candidates view your business. According to a LinkedIn survey, 72 percent of recruiters agree that an organization’s brand has a significant effect on hiring. More to the point, candidates say their primary obstacle when job searching is not knowing what it’s like to work for a certain company, according to the same report.

These findings illustrate how important a compelling brand story can be for recruiting. You should ensure candidates understand your workplace culture, company mission, and core values before they ever set foot in your building.

Some of this is outside your direct control, as many job seekers will research a company themselves, usually through social media and similar outlets. This means you (and your employees) need to tell a consistent brand story on all your online channels and in person. In fact, 75 percent of job seekers research an organization’s brand before they consider applying, according to the LinkedIn report. Make sure your brand is telling the story you want candidates to hear.

Putting It All Together

These recruiting trends might not address all your organization’s needs, but they can help inform your strategy by showing which direction the industry is heading. Consider reviewing your candidate feedback to better focus your efforts and to address specific concerns. As these and other trends reshape recruiting in 2020, expect candidates to look for this level of attention when applying. Ignoring any innovation outright might put you to the bottom of their lists.

The right applicant tracking solution is an important component of your recruitment strategy. GTM makes it easy to attract, recruit, and bring on talented individuals with isolved. Post to hundreds of job boards with a single click, reduce time to hire, improve the applicant experience, and decrease the cost per hire, all while delivering a seamless way to manage documentation and avoid bottlenecks in the hiring and onboarding process. Request a free quote today.

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