Top Recruitment Trends for 2021
For HR leadership, 2020 was a year of battling a crisis, the likes of which the world had scarcely known. As 2021 rolls on, there will be much adaptation to the work of HR professionals. Traditional methods of work and life will not work, and reinvention will be the need of the hour so that the industry is able to stay in sync with multiple changes.
As with other HR responsibilities, recruitment is expected to see several changes too. AI in recruitment is making inroads, and from sourcing candidates to conducting interviews and bringing new hires on board, new HR tech means every step of the process could soon look very different.
Here are the top recruitment trends for 2021:
👉🏻 Rise of remote work: Social distancing compelled as a means of reducing the risk of infection in the pandemic was the direct cause promoting the rise of remote work. Many HR leaders found the transition to be surprisingly smooth and relatively seamless, also saving the cost of office space. Even workers were pleased with the flexibility. This does bring the challenge of some workers needing to improve their IT skills. Freelance work could see a big uptick due to no need for paying out benefits, though it means screening processes will change as compared to full-time workers. Also, companies will need to invest in new HR tech.
👉🏻 Remote hiring as the norm: A new process for most companies, it was relatively easy to adapt to, given the ease of scheduling and conducting interviews without the need for presence at a physical space. Leadership in HR is making good use of AI in recruitment especially for online candidate assessment and video interviews, as this helps to overcome the issue of judging body language and verbal cues easily seen in face-to-face interactions.
👉🏻 Focus on candidate experience: A trend catching on even before the pandemic hit, this stems from HR leaders recognizing how the candidate forms an opinion of the company right from the first contact. A candidate with a pleasant experience of recruitment with the company is more likely to take up a job offer and give referrals, while the converse is equally true. Candidate influence on company reputation is high due to the popularity of employer review websites, so it is important to take cognizance of candidate concerns both for those hired and those not selected.
👉🏻 New talent pools: A relatively less used source, applicants for previously open positions are expected to become a popular talent pool companies will tap in 2021. The advantage for HR leaders is in knowing the candidates ahead of a new position opening up, and being aware those persons were interested in working for the company. Combined with remote hiring and remote work, this widens the availability of good talent for the company. It is important to also consider internal talent in such expanded pools.
👉🏻 Diversity continues: Recruiters need to stay proactive when it comes to creating a diverse workforce, as it is an ongoing task. HR technology can be of great help in this endeavor, helping companies to look not just at age, gender, or race but also diversity in workforce skills. A diverse workforce improves the company’s performance and image as well as employee satisfaction.
👉🏻 Use of HR tools: Streamlined hiring is just one of the benefits of HR technology. AI in recruitment is helping to not just source candidates but sift through numerous applications and profiles in much lesser time than earlier, giving high-quality hires and creating efficient applicant databases.
👉🏻 Employer branding in focus: Especially for the most popular roles and positions, the employer brand gives a huge advantage in the war for talent. The ‘Ultimate list of employer branding stats’ from LinkedIn suggests that around 75 percent of candidates look at work philosophy, values, and team structure in addition to administrative details.
Originally published here — Top Recruitment Focus Areas in 2021
