Developments in HR: The future of recruitment, current trends, and challenges

Technology has strongly influenced work everywhere, including HR and recruitment. As a result of automation, jobs that require a human workforce have to some extent been replaced by AI, machines, and software. Modern technology has triggered a change in the labour market as the positions of human privileges become more critical. These jobs have a more significant effect on all companies and require more creative talent. Rethinking the labour market has put HR and department experts in high demand. As a result, the field faces unprecedented challenges, requiring drastic changes in policies, procedures, strategies, skills, and the capacity of recruiters. Traditionally, the roles and functions of HRs and recruiters (in some cases, they are still applicable) have been limited to responding to the need to recruit, hire and pay salaries. The HR role has been bureaucratic and routine. But as talent and skills supply has become the most critical asset for organisations and companies to grow and survive, it needs to change, and many organisations have come a long way. HR and recruitment are the departments that need to make that happen, and then HR must change to a more business-oriented and creative decision-making organisation. HR now needs to do extensive data collection and analysis to help and guide the organisation’s vision and organisational strategy development. HR needs more extensive competence and expertise in marketing, data analysis and marketing in social media than before. Today, HR most often uses the tools traditionally used in marketing and networking to reach a broader market and spread the word about the organisation, its values, vision, benefits, and employee brand. If the HR department is to meet future challenges, HR and Recruitment need to become more Evidence-based and data-driven. New tools and innovative ideas need to be used.

The HR field is changing and now faces modern technologies and new demands. The job market is also transforming the broader picture, technological innovation, and the overall rethinking of the global understanding of traditional systems. According to a CareerBuilder survey, 72% of employers think that some roles within talent acquisition will be automated within the next ten years. In the recruiting market, as many as 50% of the firms in the US are already using AI to source and screen candidates. Yet, they lose an average of 14 hours a week per person on tasks that could be automated and digitalised.

Automation will continue to increase, although it should not replace the human element in recruitment. Recruiting has changed drastically in the past 20 years, moving from a paper medium to an almost paperless one. It has also brought many improvements to the field. And as it will continue to change and develop, it is always good to look ahead and stay one step ahead of the current trends. Increasingly, businesses build on creativity, excitement, and technologies rather than investing in the traditional lucrative industries. The demand for a specific set of talents and abilities of an employee is also transforming. As a result, the needs and expectations set forth by the Human Resource (HR) specialists and Human Resource Management (HRM) are also changing. A recruiter is traditionally considered a bureaucrat who follows the policy requirements associated with a company's strategic goals and aspirations. HR as a function is now going to act in decision-making and then construct those very goals and aspirations.

Historically, recruitment has been conducted in office settings, but the future will undoubtedly incorporate more remote working. 2020 forced recruiters to reevaluate how and where they work for many white-collar industries. The dynamic of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the rate of transition to a remote professional environment. As many people now are working from home, they have been experiencing a much better work/life balance, and they are highly likely to want to keep flexibility at least some of the time. Candidates in the future can assume that, if possible, roles will come with the possibility of homeworking as a standard. The technological infrastructure with video meetings, chats, and digital workspaces is in place to support remote working for many employees. Managers support teams in various locations, and employers no longer need to come into the office. We will see many employees worldwide working for companies with offices in other cities or countries. The more creative and out-of-the-box modern businesses and their goals become, the more flexible and advanced a recruiter will need to be. Having a sharp vision and understanding to look for and find suitable talent in a global market adds maximum value. Along with the changing requirements and expectations, HR needs to transform its How, What, and Why processes. Many experts see high technologies as the path to meeting market goals and their respective performance standards. The modern labour market and labour force are undergoing vast transformations, including demographic changes, developments in understanding and implementing Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and digitalisation. The future of recruiting will include Automation, strategic planning, and better integration with company objectives. Companies now need to focus intensely on a recruiter's skills to manage and execute recruitment in a future market. The traditional skills and practices associated with the regular recruiter are becoming irrelevant and nonsensical, thus losing their value and demand. To preserve and further enhance the importance of HR and HRM in business and the global market, it is vital to match specific skills needed and adeptness upon assessing and evaluating other required competencies and talents, including creativity and critical thinking and emotional intelligence. These are talents that machines cannot perform, yet they are within the skills needed for the future.

Historically, a recruiter's function was the role of a bureaucrat, who follows the company's strategy, follows its vision, registers data, and finds the type of candidates asked for by leadership. The recruiting team was praised for how fast it found and hired a candidate that fit the requirements requested. However, the field is changing drastically within a rapidly changing business environment. We are rethinking the role and importance of an employee while considering the day-to-day difference between the market and demand, the prevailing high competition, and the current information and technological advancements that compel HR to adapt to the new reality.

Digital hiring tools are rising as the pandemic has accelerated their use. When companies rethink how they hire, AI and Automation are necessities for growth in a post-pandemic workplace. To screen a large talent pool, recruiters must adopt hiring technologies such as Automation and AI. The benefits increase hiring quality, time savings, and improvement at pre-and post-hire talent acquisition stages. Companies will learn to achieve these goals without losing the critical human connection. Companies fear using AI as part of the screening and hiring process, making the company seem impersonal. But it is the opposite; Automation can offload the repetitive, process-driven tasks to a bot, allowing people to be more available and have more time to connect with candidates.

An effective hiring process should include people from start to end. AI will not replace the recruiter's role. Instead, intelligent Automation can supplement the work by filtering data quickly, transparently, more BIAS free, and without error. AI and digitalisation will free recruiters to focus on the most important aspects of hiring, such as making personal connections with candidates. The candidate wants more updates on the recruitment process, and those recruiters with support from AI will be able to do it more often.

Bias should not be present, and if it appears in the screening and hiring process, AI-driven tools, automatisation and digitalisation can help end discrimination through data. For example, automation and AI-powered video interviews enable decision-makers to conduct the same interview with each candidate and ask the same questions. Digital reference checks will decrease bias and increase diversity instead of over the phone. The same questions apply to each reference check. Screenings with a psychometrics test both on personality and logical thinking will increase. Recruitment tests are more automated, with less human interaction; some systems are AI-powered, with instant feedback to the candidate instead of human-led input. The result is fewer human interactions and less bias.

Personal development, the ability to add new skills, is quickly becoming the fastest-growing skill for recruiters. Recruiters bridge a company's hiring needs and vital human resources (HR) initiatives. Skills including diversity and (D&I), decision-making, and strategy are rapidly becoming the most sought-after skills in a candidate. Recruiters will clarify the talent data, reshape employer branding, and streamline the virtual hiring process.

In a post-COVID environment, remote hiring will play an essential part in the globally professional landscape. Technology, workplace models, and organisations' faces are expected to drastically change to accommodate a rapidly evolving professional landscape.

Recruiting is about more than just hiring for the next position, the next quarter, or the following year. The employer must consider the evolving recruitment trends that have not yet affected the organisation. A successful recruitment strategy should encompass current needs but be flexible enough for tomorrow and a few years.

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(PDF) Developments in HR: The future of recruitment, current trends, and challenges. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360527908_Developments_in_HR_The_future_of_recruitment_current_trends_and_challenges [accessed May 18 2022].