Hiring Trends in 2022

It’s safe to say the past 12-18 months have been filled with endless change and adaptations to our new ‘normal’. Hiring has been no different. For those recruiting or job seeking through a continued candidate-short-market, it’s crucial to understand these adaptations and prepare yourself or your business accordingly.

I thought it would be beneficial to comment on the core hiring trends forecasted as we continue to move through 2022 at record speeds:?

#1 Remote Hiring is not going anywhere

I had to make this my first point. It is probably the most asked question I am getting from job seekers at the moment. It’s a genuine make or break.

I know initially, this might make businesses feel uncomfortable, especially when someone is green, or perhaps unproven. However, this will assist with trend #2 which is diversity and inclusion because it will allow for a larger and more diverse talent pool. This also gives you more of a chance to hire the right candidate.

A shift I’ve notice this year is clients being less willing to hire employees with a commute greater than 30-40 minutes irrelevant of their willingness to travel. Employers are increasingly aware of the potential for burnout and therefore their lessened chances of staff retention. A regularly spoken about topic is employee’s needs for security given the pandemic, however employers are now feeling similar pressures. Just a personal note here that I think could be worth considering - in many countries around the world, travelling over an hour to and from work is so so normal. A lot of expats in Australia are probably used to this and totally ok with it too.

Remote hiring also drastically shortens the interview process given for at least the first round, neither the recruiter, nor the candidate are required to travel or even take leave in some instances. My core take away here can be summarised in three words: flexibility is paramount.

#2 Diversity & inclusion is no longer a “nice to have”, it’s a “must have”

With, in particular, Gen Y and Gen Z becoming increasingly aware of social issues around the world, they are actively attempting to bring these issues to light and rectify them as much as possible (Hire Digital 2022). In turn, they are quickly identifying any of these potential issues at interview stage and are aligning themselves with businesses that have transparent values and are actively inclusive workplaces.

A McKinsey report reveals that more diversity has increased profitability, with companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity on executive teams being 33% more likely to have industry leading profitability (McKinsey 2022).

Here are some ways you can incorporate D&I into your hiring strategy:

• Write inclusive position descriptions – inclusive language is non-negotiable?
• Prepare for interview – I made a small LinkedIn post about this a few weeks ago. Ensure you have planned the questions being asked and are clear on how you will be scoring.
• Include a diverse interview panel
• Run unconscious bias training for TA and hiring managers

#3 Employer Branding is Critical

If you don’t know how important your employer branding (reputation) is now, please listen up! This was always important to candidates. However now, dare I say, ‘almost-post pandemic’, with candidates truly feeling like they can find their dream jobs, what your business says about you, says all.

The more potential employees know about your mission, culture, vision, purpose, the more likely they are going to want to be involved in your recruitment process and ultimately, stay working for you! “A strong employer brand can lead to a 28% reduction in turnover and 50% reduction in cost per hire” (Hire Digital 2022). Those are insane stats!

Here are some ways to create strong employer branding:

• Create your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) – basically, why should candidates apply for your advert? What are your main selling points? Why is your business a good place to work over your competitors?
• Use social media – how else are people going to know about your business in this day and age? Keep your website up to date, post content which reflects your brand.
• Build brand advocacy – coming off from the above point. When your employees are being treated well, they are also more likely to post on their personal social medias why your business is a great place to work. Candidates will also probably trust your employees’ opinion over the business itself.?

#4 Training & Development

The words ‘skill shortage’ have echoed through my phone one too many times this year. There’s only so long we can claim a skill shortage before businesses start investing in the talent they already have! Of course, there will always be times you need to recruit and grow through recruitment. However, an area many industries are drastically overlooking is the potential of the people they sit at lunch with every day.?

Upskilling will save time and money as it is more expensive to begin a recruitment process. Further, upskilling will increase employee satisfaction and retention. What could this then do? Improve your EVP.

At Pace VIC, we are the experts when it comes to hiring so if you’re in a place of growth or have a role you can’t seem to fill, these areas can serve as important food for thought. If you’re not recruiting, they remain highly relevant when it comes to employee happiness and staff retention. It’s been a tough two years and caring for your employees needs to remain front of mind.?

References:

https://hiredigital.com/blog/top-hiring-trends-emerging-in-2022

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters