We’re only just now starting to see the real ramifications of an era built on digital foundations. From smartphones to machine learning and everywhere in between, we live in a blessed age when it comes to powerful tools, but we don’t always realise how to properly utilise them.
The trends below encapsulate all facets of the recruitment landscape in 2019 – from executive recruitment right down to the university graduates making their first tentative steps in the working world.
Recruitment marketing essentially refers to marketing your business (and its available positions) to potential candidates, rather than waiting for them to come to you. We are seeing more companies rely on the same programmatic tactics the advertising industry has been utilising for the last few years.
However, there are definite limitations to the approach, particularly where social media is concerned. That’s where utilising a specialist recruitment firm could be a real benefit. They have been tackling these limitations head-on whilst the rest of us are still catching up.
The human element will always be essential, but artificial intelligence (AI) is bound to have a major impact on recruitment further down the chain. AI is powerful and reliable enough now that it can confidently automate many business processes, and the immediate benefits will be found in recruiters using this technology to help them do their jobs more efficiently. AI won’t replace recruiters, it will just improve their game.
According to McKinsey & Company, companies in the top-quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 21% more likely to outperform on profitability and 27% more likely to have superior value creation. Diversity hiring makes perfect business sense.
Diversity hiring initiatives have proven to improve employee happiness, productivity and retention. Not only that, but a diverse team reflects very well on your brand. Throughout 2019, expect to see diversity hiring really hit its stride.
Finally, the post-millennial generation is starting to find its stride within the workforce. These young and enthusiastic workers (born between the mid-90s and the early 2000s) are digital natives that have probably been using smartphones and tablets for almost as long as they’ve been able to form full sentences.
In 2019, as this generation starts to leave university and enter the workforce, recruitment firms will need to adapt to this new generation if they hope to get the best talent. With short attention spans and limited time, targeted content that its the spot quickly and decisively should be created.
The workplace paradigm is shifting, with a recent YouGov survey revealing that around 73% of Brits work either part-time or via a flexible working arrangement. This allows them the freedom to work from home on certain days, leave early or late on others and generally work in a less traditional, 9-to-5 manner.
Recruitment firms reiterate to clients that candidates now expect flexible working to be part of the conversation from the get-go, not added to their package as a special condition. It’s also indicative of a continuing move towards a more candidate-led market.
It’s a candidate-led market and most candidates know this. That’s why they spend so much time building their own personal brands on social media. Recruitment firms, in kind, are spending more time recruiting on social media, but that’s only one avenue.
A specialist recruitment firm will be able to scan through the noise and bluster source not only the best social media stars, but those that might have otherwise slipped through the cracks.