What the Latest Research Predicts about Recruiting

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“I sought out people who would fill my areas of weakness.” 

I recall former President Obama saying something to that effect when he was filling his cabinet positions. He proactively sought out talent for areas where he lacked knowledge. And when you put it plainly, wouldn’t that strategy give you a strong advantage?

Why wouldn’t you recruit for your areas of weakness, thereby creating a strong, adaptable, and versatile team? 

The most forward-looking — and effective — talent acquisition teams will. 

Break it down: 

LinkedIn just released The Future of Recruiting 2023, a comprehensive research report offering seventeen predictions for what’s to come in the area of talent acquisition (TA). 

I encourage you to peruse the full report, but today I want to focus on the predictions that stood out to me:

Talent Acquisition is a Strategic Function

LinkedIn’s first prediction is that “Recruiting will drive business-critical changes.” According to their research, "87% of recruiting pros say TA has become a more strategic function over the past year.”

We can expect that actively recruiting talent to fill areas of weakness (like President Obama) to be a critical strategic function of TA teams, including Human Resources hiring managers, and talent sourcers. 

The TA teams that function well together — that have great psychological safety — will win top talent and boast high innovation and retention. 

Hiring Favors Candidates 

The report shares multiple predictions that speak to candidates’ power in the hiring process:

• #3: “Recruiting will double down on employer branding as talent regains leverage,” and
• #11: "Gen Z will reward employers who value development and diversity.”
• #12-14: Skills-first hiring

The future of recruiting will favor talent — it will be an “employee’s market.” Candidates’ skills will be valued, rather than their alma mater or impressive past employers. In fact, LinkedIn found that "64% of recruiting leaders predict that the future of recruiting will be more favorable to candidates and employees (as opposed to employers) over the next five years."

We’ve seen this play out already: Demand for talent is high, meaning that many candidates have their pick of employment options and won’t hesitate to leave for better opportunities. Poor retention drives the need for more recruiting and recruiting becomes more difficult when cultures are poor — an avoidable double-edged sword.

This is why TA teams must improve their ability to function effectively and create inclusive workplace cultures. Gen Z, the largest growing pool of talent, won’t tolerate toxic workplace cultures, unfair compensation or workaholic expectations. 

"When you think about employer branding and how you articulate your culture to attract, engage, and retain talent, you need to go beyond performative. Candidates can see through it. They’re tapping into their networks to understand who you really are — beyond what your career site says.” - John Graham Jr., VP of Employer Brand, Diversity, & Culture at Shaker Recruitment Marketing (page 6)

Do Something Different:

As I read the report, I found myself thinking, “talent acquisition teams need to get it together.” To attract (and retain) top talent, TA teams must embrace their influence and leadership, and keep diversity, equity and inclusion at the forefront of their culture and recruiting efforts. 

I recommend two specific actions, in addition to what the report suggests:

1. Stop hiring for sameness. Many TA teams know they must at least try to recruit for difference — either genuinely like President Obama did, or for optics (sigh). But recruiting for difference does little if hiring managers and committees continue hiring for sameness. 
2. Take Unconscious Inclusion to improve how your TA team functions with DEI in mind. This anti-workshop takes your team from dysfunctional to dynamic — providing you with the skills to navigate difficult DEI conversations and create lasting change in your workplace.

I would love to hear from you. What predictions do you have for talent acquisition and recruiting teams in the coming years? Let me know in the comments, and let’s keep this important discussion going.