Now more than ever, organisations should be considering why would the top talent want to work with them. Skills gaps are becoming evident in many industry sectors and the competition for talent is fierce.
So what can you do to increase your ability to target and attract the best talent in the marketplace?
Defining an employer brand
Defining your employer brand is about communicating your employer value proposition, sharing what you stand for, your company’s narrative, and ensuring this resonates with your target talent pool.
New hires will be looking for organisations that offer support, flexibility and are able to adapt to changes in circumstances, such as the global challenges we have all just faced. If you have an authentic employer brand that tackles these issues then that’s a great start.
Most importantly though is proactively communicating and sharing their employer value proposition, be it across social, at employability events or through Corporate Social Responsibility programmes.
Delivering a great candidate experience
The candidate experience is where the candidate can see first-hand how you support and encourage your employees, this starts early in the process, during recruitment. It is critical that the candidate experience delivers a positive first impression of your company.
Location, Location, Location
In 2020 the world was forced to become more mobile, with a surge in changes across work-from-home policies, hot-desking and online meetings. With this new technological infrastructure now in place, 2021 is set to be an interesting year for the traditional work environment.
Employees now value the option to be more flexible in their work lives as this offers many advantages and is becoming an expectation.
The virtual, becoming the new reality
Despite a move to working from home, with greater independence and flexibility, there is still a great need for face-to-face interaction. In 2021 this will continue to strengthen with the likes of Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams becoming the norm not only for working but for interviewing too.
The remote revolution
Even pre-pandemic, remote working has been a big trend for the last few years as employers seek to motivate their workforce to optimise their time and work-life balance, for a more productive and sustainable working culture. The shift in 2020 accelerated this move and has shown that even more traditional office-based roles are able to function remotely and that there are great business benefits, such as cost savings to be had with this remote revolution.
Building a talent pool
An emerging recruitment trend for 2021 is a return of the emphasis on building a strong talent pool. In a competitive recruitment environment, especially with highly skilled and specialist roles, it can be difficult to find qualified and experienced candidates. A growing talent pool will support you in managing your cost per hire and time per hire. It is vital to keep this audience engaged and interested, regardless of the live opportunities and this is a great way to continue to share your employer brand proposition.
Intelligent social targeting
There is great overlap between recruitment and marketing, and a large part of advertising roles is understanding your target talent and where they are most likely to be receptive to your opportunities. With social media playing a heavy role in the day-to-day lives of most people, it can no longer be seen as a supplemental platform for recruitment. It is a must.
Streamlined processes
Delivering a personal and positive candidate experience, organisations are using automation to source and screen candidates. In addition, streamlining the recruitment process while striking the right balance that allows the organisation and candidate to make the right decision will be key to recruitment success over the coming year.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
2020 has brought a positive step in raising awareness of the importance of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in the workplace.
Although this may seem like a recurring trend in recruitment from recent years, in 2021 we think this recruitment trend will evolve further as we expect to see neurodiversity and the way in which different generations work feature alongside gender and cultural diversity as part of a company’s recruitment strategy.
Sought after EQ
As we further embrace the digital world of work, it is becoming increasingly important to consider the emotional intelligence of employees, alongside qualifications and specialist experience. It is estimated that at least two-thirds of jobs heavily rely on high levels of emotional intelligence demonstrated via communication and empathy and relationship building.