2020 was a whirlwind of change. The recruitment industry today looks very different than it did one year ago. And many of the key changes that emerged in 2020 will continue to be a focus in 2021.
So, what sort of recruiting industry themes can we expect to see more of throughout the new year?
Diversity has always been a priority in recruitment. But thanks to efforts such as the BLM movement, the push for diversity has finally taken the front seat that it has always deserved. It is rightfully being treated with a sense of urgency across all industries and will continue to be a major focus.
Additionally, while cultural and gender diversity continues to be an important factor, we expect employers to also push for more diversity in terms of thought process. Assembling teams who have tendencies to think differently from one another in order to bring a wider range of ideas to the table. For example, this could mean finding candidates who are “disruptors,” or creating teams that are multi-generational. Large text.
Because of COVID-19, switching to a completely virtual recruiting process had become a necessity. Of course virtual recruiting remains key as we are still in the throes of the pandemic. But even once the pandemic subsides, it seems as though many pieces of virtual recruiting may be here to stay.
At this point, many companies have been able to see that they are able to effectively hire remotely. They’ve been able to recognize some of the benefits of virtual recruiting, such as reduced recruitment costs, more flexibility with interview scheduling, and reduced time-to-hire.
It’s important to continue perfecting our virtual recruiting processes because once it becomes safer to connect face-to-face, we expect to see a mixture of in-person AND virtual strategies. It will be up to us as recruiters to define which strategies will be best based on the roles we need to fill.
Strong employer branding will give companies an edge as jobs start coming back. Candidates these days are looking for companies to take stronger stances on social issues and are interested in learning how companies support their employees and communities during a crisis.
Rather than spending most of our time appealing to candidates by showcasing flashy items like a company’s products or office amenities, it will be important for us recruiters to highlight a company’s initiatives related to current events.
Put your best foot forward by staying on top of the key recruitment themes in 2021.
