Changing Trends in Recruitment: What to Know for 2022

According to Jobvite’s 2021 report , there have been many shifts in priorities in the recruiting industry. 80% of recruiters say that their priorities have changed over the past year. 

Some of these recruitment trends are interesting and even surprising. For example, some recruiters say that their priority on improving the candidate experience has decreased. On the other hand, more recruiters focus on updating recruiting technology and automating processes.

If you want your company to succeed during the rocky time of the Great Resignation, keep reading to learn about these trends and what you can do about them. 

Candidate Experience

One of the most surprising statistics from that Jobvite report is that only 16% of surveyed recruiters said that they are focusing on improving the candidate experience. This priority is down 10% from 2017. 

Josh Jones, the manager of talent acquisition for Jobvite, commented that he found this statistic surprising: “It surprises me that recruiters would not focus as much on that, especially in this environment. If [candidates] are looking at one company that’s providing them a phenomenal candidate experience, and then another company that is not being very communicative and not providing that experience, they’re going to go with the one that provided the better experience.”

During the Great Resignation, many companies are having trouble retaining employees. This means they’re trying to recruit and hire like crazy to find the best talent in a competitive candidates’ market. 

Improving the candidate experience helps with making the recruiting process more efficient. Some studies  show that the best job candidates are only on the market for ten days before another company snatches them up.

So if you don’t have a recruitment solution focused on candidate experience and providing a quick interview process, you may be losing out on great talent. 

Treating candidates with respect and politeness could also help your business. When qualified candidates start a new job and already feel respected and welcomed because of the interview process, they’re more likely to have a good mindset going into their first day of work. 

Preparing to Automate Hiring Process and Improve Efficiency 

In 2017, 2% of recruiters said they were focusing on automating processes to help improve efficiency. In 2021, that percentage jumped up to 10%. 

This change shows that recruiters are becoming busier, and companies expect more from them. In fact, in October 2021, 11 million jobs  in the United States needed to be filled. 

As some recruiters are finding, automation can help speed up the recruitment process so that they can fill these jobs. For example, there are software and tools that can help recruiters find and source candidates who might be a good fit for an open position. 

Using automation software can also help schedule interviews when recruiters connect with the right candidate. Instead of wasting time emailing back and forth with candidates to see what times work, the software can manage the calendar and free recruiters up for other, more critical tasks that need a human touch.

Growing Employer Brand

Another statistic that changed over the past five years was recruiters making growing the employer brand a priority. In 2017, 35% of recruiters said it was their priority, but only 16% were now making it a priority.

However, Jones thinks that this is one of the most important aspects to focus on, especially when recruiters or the HR department get an increase in the budget: “I think we’ll see a lot of that [money] go towards employer brand or career website. The tech tools, the advertisement, and the employer brand are the three buckets that I would recommend putting that money towards.”

But why does the employer brand matter when recruiting people? When many job seekers start their search, they might start by researching what the best companies are to work for. If you’re on that list, you could have top talent applying to job postings at your company. 

Many job seekers also research reviews to see what other people have said about your company and what it’s like to work there. If many people have complained that the company doesn’t treat employees well, you’ll have top talent looking elsewhere.

So focusing on employer brand is still important. To do this, update your social media and be active on your website. Be careful with how you reject candidates and avoid ghosting them. 

You could even set up a referral program for current employees to refer high-quality candidates they think would be a good fit. This way, you can grow a strong company culture that will help your brand. 

Updating Recruiting Technology

Another trend that increased was focusing on getting the most effective recruiting tools and technology. In 2017, 16% of recruiters said this was a priority, but now 21% say they’re focusing on this. 

Some recruitment technology that a recruiting team might use is artificial intelligence software. 

This software can plug in specific requirements and pull from a talent pool. Some software can also help send out automated emails to reach these potential candidates.

Future Recruitment Trends and Priorities

The report also surveyed recruiters to understand their future priorities over the next twelve months. 

48% of them said that they were focusing on improving the quality of the hire. To enhance the quality of a hire, you might want to try hiring for soft skills rather than hard skills. Jones suggests that companies be adaptable and modify their traditional recruitment methods:

“The big one is looking for adaptability in candidates, but as organizations, we need to be adaptable as well. What I mean by that is maybe with the talent shortage out there, we need to look at candidates with transferable skills. Maybe look for people we typically wouldn’t have hired for specific roles because they don’t have that exact experience. But [by] being more flexible and having those transferable skills…they could still be a great employee.”

In addition to hiring quality candidates, 28% of recruiters want to improve the time to hire, and 26% want to increase the retention rate at their company. However, Jones suggests that the retention rate shouldn’t solely fall on recruiters.

“Organizations need to look at the bigger picture. What else can organizations do? Is it reviewing compensation rates more? Organizations can look at comp packages that their current employees have, and that will help spin that tide away from resignations.” 

Additionally, 25% of recruiters want to focus on growing the talent pipeline, and 18% want to improve diversity at their company. 

Do these priorities line up with yours at your company? 

If you’re ready to hit the ground running in 2022, you should start coming up with your recruitment strategy and plan. 

One way that you can prepare for 2022 is by contacting us at Recruiter.com . 

We are here to help you with all your hiring needs so that you can start the new year on the right foot.