So much has changed in the recruitment and staffing industry. Long gone are the use of traditional paper CVs, pen tests, and interviews that are unnecessarily long. Modern recruitment goes beyond resumes and screening candidates based on passions and skills that do not directly apply to the job.
Today, recruiters are keener on candidates who are innovative in strategy, effective communicators, critical thinkers, capable of meeting deadlines, and have basic IT skills. As a matter of fact, the more advanced your technology and digital skills are and relevant to the role, the more attractive you are to recruiters. Visit https://www.skillsyouneed.com/rhubarb/digital-skills-modern-workplace.html to learn more about the importance of digital skills in the modern workplace.
With more and more companies incorporating technology into their operations, it has become very necessary for both employers and employees to update themselves. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the staffing trends that have formed this year but will most likely continue in 2022.
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Employer Branding
More than ever, candidates have become very picky about the companies they want to work in and choose to apply to. In fact, a report by LinkedIn reveals that 75% of candidates consider an employer’s brand before they even apply for the job. The same report also shows that 72% of leaders in the staffing industry worldwide agree that employer brand has a significant impact on hiring.
If possible, job seekers try to know everything about a company, its work culture inclusive, before they apply. They go through the company’s social media and even go as far as reading reviews on sites like Glassdoor. So, you can see why and how important employer branding is to staffing and recruitment.
This year, many companies invested more in employer branding and building a solid online reputation. By building a credible reputation online, they can better attract top candidates that can contribute to the growth of the company. We expect this trend to continue in 2022 and in the coming years.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
The staffing, like the rest of the workforce, has faced challenges related to DEI. In fact, according to a report by Bullhorn, only 16% of leaders in this industry are people of color, and only about 28% of companies have a person of color in any leadership position. But between 2020 and 2021, a lot has changed regarding DEI and there’s now a global spotlight on inequity and inequality. Click here to view the full report.
Following this development, staffing companies are making a conscious effort to address DEI challenges. This trend is expected to continue in the year 2022 as the world becomes even more intentional about eradicating inequality based on race and gender.
We should also point out that incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace isn’t only the right thing to do but is also good for business. Companies with a more diverse workforce perform better than their counterparts.
Remote Work
Part of the effects of the pandemic is the rise in remote work. During the worldwide lockdown, the greater part of the global workforce worked from home. A year after the lockdown, many companies still want their employees to work remotely as they’ve realized the many benefits that remote work brings to both employers and employees.
Due to the many benefits of working remotely, many companies that mandated the return of employees to their offices saw many employees resign. These employees either applied to companies that favored remote work, became freelancers, or started their businesses.
Virtual Recruitment
The Covid-19 pandemic that hit the whole world last year had an impact on the staffing industry and many other industries, perhaps, every industry. Since most people, including recruiters, were locked in and forced to work from home, hiring processes went online and became virtual.
Today, staffing agencies can hire anyone from any part of the world. This isn’t only beneficial to employers who can now access the talent pool from other countries but also to job seekers. Thanks to the steady growth of virtual recruitment and remote work, job seekers are no longer restricted by location when applying for jobs.
Virtual hiring has so many advantages including access to a more diverse talent pool and quicker hiring processes. The year 2021 proved that virtual hiring isn’t only possible but, perhaps, more rewarding than physically hiring job seekers. Frankly, without mentioning virtual recruitment, our list of staffing challenges and trends for 2022 won’t be complete.
Final Thoughts
Jumping on trends early is key to taking advantage of them. But even more important is the fact staffing companies who fail to follow these trends will be left behind and may struggle to hire top talents. That said, the trend we’ve discussed here are only a few of those that will be seen in 2022. Staffing companies must do their best to stay up-to-date in order to remain relevant in the industry.