Recruitment Insights We've learned in 2022 for a Stronger 2023

As the year soon draws to a close, what recruitment insights can you learn from 2022 that you can use to prepare for 2023?

2022 was when the world truly started emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic and coming to terms with its aftermath as far as the job market is concerned. To say the pandemic broke the labor market and how companies used to work before this public health crisis would be an understatement.

For one, the pandemic changed many employees’ priorities and employment considerations. So their demands are so much different now compared to less than two years ago. This prompted the so-called “Great Resignation,” where workers quit their jobs in droves to look for another job that could better cater to their needs and expectations.

Second, staffing firms have also experienced changes in job candidate expectations. Many job seekers choose more fulfilling jobs that offer greater flexibility, and analysts call this “The Great Reshuffle.” Staffing firms needed to be more aggressive when attracting top talent and catering to their expectations.

Recruitment Insights and Hiring Trends in 2022

Let’s face it. As far as staffing trends for 2022 are concerned, hiring has become more challenging today compared to a few years ago.

Many staffing firms now actively engage job candidates and no longer do passive hiring – even in entry-level positions! This is because of the labor skills gap. Job seekers’ skills and training often do not match the experience required for certain jobs in the post-pandemic economy. The space between the skills that job candidates have and the skills that employers are looking for is called the “skills gap.”

Reforming the education system to offer programs that answer industry needs is vital to reducing the skills gap. Additionally, to address the skills gap, more and more companies and staffing firms are looking past degrees and formal training to give more premium to skills.

This was also noted even before the pandemic, between 2017-2019. Data shows that companies have reduced degree requirements for 46 percent of middle-level positions and 31 percent of high-skill jobs. This is especially true in the tech sector. Now, look at the staffing industry trends for 2022 and the many lessons that hiring managers can learn.

Staffing Industry Trends for 2022: Lessons Moving Forward

As hiring managers, what can you learn about the recruitment insights and statistics of 2022 that will allow you to operate better as a staffing firm for 2023 and beyond?

Given all these changes and disruptions, what handles can you use to aptly respond to the headwinds of recruitment in this ever-changing and volatile labor market?

1. Flexibility is Key.

First, let’s get something straight. Americans embrace flexible work, and your staffing firm cannot do anything about it. Going against this trend is like going against gravity. So why fight it?

Flexible working arrangements are already part of the new working norm. According to a recent survey, 87 percent of workers would opt for flexible working arrangements if given a chance. Even more interesting is that the percentage of employees opting for flexible work arrangements cuts across all job sectors and all positions in the organizational chart – from the C-suite to entry-level roles.

Many U.S. employees and job candidates now consider flexibility and work/life balance as top priorities in considering job offers. A 2020 survey revealed that 81 percent of employees said they would be more loyal to employers who offer flexible work arrangements such as remote work, shifting schedules, and hybrid setups.

Data shows that employees involved in computer and mathematical jobs have overwhelmingly embraced remote work, with 77 percent willing to work entirely remotely.

Because of this undeniable reality, companies and staffing firms must be able to accommodate the demand for flexibility from employees and job candidates if they would like to hire and retain top talent.

2. Making Thoughtful Hiring Decisions

Because of the new working norms and preferences of job candidates, hiring managers and staffing firms must also revisit the application process from recruitment insights in selecting the top candidate for each position to see if anything needs to be changed or revised.

For example;

- - Do you need to revise the necessary skills to fill a specific position?
  - Is there a need to adjust the required qualifications for a particular job vacancy?
  - Do you need more questions that check for soft skills or tech skills?
  - Do you need to be more diverse and inclusive in your hiring process and candidate selection?

Many hiring managers and staffing firms have now come to realize that the measures they utilized in the hiring process before the pandemic are no longer very much in sync with today’s job candidates. If there are changes in the preferences and priorities of job candidates, then there should also be reforms made to how staffing firms identify and select top talent.

3. Keeping Up with Technology

80 percent of staffing professionals believe that technology plays a crucial role in the success of their recruitment processes. This is why a great majority of staffing firms have also embraced digitalization.

As staffing managers investing in technology, you must ensure that you are maximizing your technological stack to achieve your hiring goals.

To understand the scope of this issue, ask yourself the following questions:

- - Does your technological stack enable you to do targeted advertising?
  - Are your job posts able to accommodate mobile-savvy candidates who use their mobile phones more than an actual computer to apply for jobs?
  - Does your technological stack allow you to communicate with top candidates seamlessly and wherever they may be?
  - Does it allow you to automate menial tasks and improve your hiring efficiency?

4. Focusing on Employee Well-Being

It may not be easy to see, but employees highly appreciate that mental health and well-being are given equal focus in the workplace. Recruitment insights from a recent survey revealed that 71 percent of employees now feel that their employer is giving more importance to their mental health and well-being. Their employees greatly appreciate this.

Staffing firms should also make this a cornerstone of their processes – including your selection of client companies and their policies on mental health and well-being, diversity and inclusivity, and how they deal with microaggressions in the workplace. This is vital because many job candidates are becoming increasingly curious about how employers take care of their employees.

Furthermore, studies also show that a culturally diverse workforce is instrumental in fueling innovation, boosting creativity, and even increasing profitability.

If you are ready to close this year with a bang and begin the new year fully informed and prepared when hiring top talent. Consider partnering with the Fox Search Group. A staffing firm that champions flexibility and diversity, we can help you find top talent who will thrive and be assets to your company, whether onsite or remotely. Put yesterday’s recruitment insights to work. Reach out to us today!

Recruitment Insights We’ve Learned in 2022 for a Stronger 2023