2020 has almost become old news. Last year brought in a wave of changes in recruitment. Various industries had an impact because of the pandemic. Hiring trends that were relevant in the past few years are not applicable now. Traditional methods of recruitment have become less and less applicable or practical. In 2021 we hope to see a lot of variety in the working environment. Not just in the conventional feeling of individuals’ experiences and where they come from, yet additionally in the manner in which they consider and approach their work.
Talent acquisition is very much a competition for top potential hires, but perhaps one of the most unusual modes we may see in 2021 is a greater connection in the HR community.
One main mantra has arisen this year: How you treat people during a pandemic will be remembered. Right now furloughed employees exist en masse, and in any typical year furloughs at your organization come with bad press and disgruntled employees.
8 Hiring Trends To Watch Out For In 2021
Virtually recruiting remote workers is the new norm for many. Internal mobility and upskilling programs are being built out, many for the first time. Diversity is finally being treated with the urgency and accountability it always deserved.
Let’s give you a brief summary of what you can expect in 2021:
1. Data-Driven Recruitment By Use Of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
With more pressure to hire the right people, both cost and time-effectively, many organizations have turned to data to help them make smarter hiring decisions; and avoid unconscious bias.
AI-powered chatbots will also become commonplace as companies begin to use them for the first phases of applicant screening before scheduling candidates for virtual interviews.
Furthermore, organizations now move from traditional descriptive analytics to predictive people analytics. By maximizing previous and current metrics, they can predict upcoming trends that they can utilize to improve HR and recruitment operations.
2. Employers Accountable For Diversit
y In Work Culture
Diversity, equity, and inclusion topped the list of 2021 workforce trends. Organizations and leaders are ensuring that their associations are responsible for diversity and inclusion programs, training, or best practices.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion have become a big deal for companies linked to organizational performance, innovation, engagement, brand, ethics, mission, and leadership.
Organizations are being held to higher account for how they source, recruit, hire, and employ with increased diversity. This includes getting help from technology to eliminate any unintentional bias from your job descriptions and recruiting materials.
3. Increase In Virtual Working Using Technology
78% of Asia-Pacific’s talent professionals agree virtual recruiting will continue post-COVID. 72% say virtual recruiting will become the new standard.
Companies will focus their automation efforts on helping remote employees be more effective, with one in four information workers receiving help from software bots, robotic process automation, and AI while some frontline workers receive help from physical robots (when social distancing isn’t possible, for example). HR leaders will get support from better tools for analyzing and acting on workforce data while also ensuring employees’ health and wellness.
4. Remote Work To Stay In Trend For Longer Time
In the future, most companies will employ an “anywhere-plus-office hybrid” model in which more people will work outside the office more of the time.
While there is no clear endpoint to the pandemic yet, the number of employees working remotely will begin to dwindle, eventually settling in at 300% of pre-pandemic levels at the minimum.
With that many people working remotely long-term, companies will need to rethink what that experience is like — not just from a technology and environment perspective but from leadership, change management, and career-growth perspectives, as well.
5. Adaptability To Be The New Skill For Recruiters
Becoming an adaptable recruiter means approaching each candidate in a personalized way. Personalization makes you a more relatable recruiter, and it lets candidates know that they’re being heard. Considering the problem with employee churn, being treated as an individual is a great step forward in creating a strong company culture.
The great thing about technology is that it helps you become a more effective recruiter with less effort. Using real-time candidate matching is nearly the pinnacle of adaptability because it gets your job ad seen by the people who fit it best instead of sending it out into oblivion and hoping for the best.
6. Complete Digital Experience For Candidates
2021 will experience a rise in the adoption of technology for paperless and contactless onboarding including employee authentication.
This will help organizations mitigate the risk of hiring employees with dubious backgrounds, provide genuine employees with a great onboarding experience and employers will enjoy a quick TAT while hiring new employees.
7. Focus On Retention
The new developments are expected to affect retention strategies of companies like employee benefits, health insurance, leave structure, and performance evaluation. An employer with a good reputation increases the chance of recruiting candidates that are looking for long-term employment.
8. Rise In Freelance And Project-based Hiring
The 2020 pandemic has changed the way organizations work. Companies will move towards project-based or freelance hiring since work from home is the new normal and employers are free to hire the best of the talent across the globe. Moreover, this will also provide opportunities to domain experts in taking up projects on a short-term basis. The trend is expected to continue for the entire 2021, and with improved productivity of employees working from home, who knows this can be the new normal too.
What Does The Future Hold For The Talent Acquisition Industry?
Recruiting is becoming even more specialized now. Recruiting is becoming more technical, concentrating more on the skills, and recruiters are expected to have a technical approach during the entire hiring funnel. Prominent companies are moving in this direction, allowing them to find candidates for specific positions. All it requires is a tweak in your recruitment process and you are good to go.
In our previous report named Global Recruitment Report 2020, we discussed in detail the hiring trends of the past (2018–2019, 2020) and their impact on recruitment. In order to endure the coming decade, human resources managers need to remain on the ball and use underestimated aptitudes. This is a detailed report for you to better understand the scene of the Recruitment pre & post-pandemic era.
