There’s no going back. We can expect the hiring turbulence coming out of the pandemic to carry over into 2022. Tried-and-true staffing techniques are no longer workable, or even desirable in the eyes of candidates or employers. Instead, recruiting and hiring are more dynamic and more challenging than ever. HR and TA teams have had to make a multitude of adjustments to attract the talent needed to power past the pandemic.
So if we can’t go back, how will we go forward? Here are 5 trends that will drive hiring success as we head into 2022.
Trend 1: Passive Is the New Active
“Passive” candidates are not tuned out. The top people you want most are not actively trolling digital want ads, but the pandemic has inspired many people to reconsider their future. We are seeing movement in the life sciences and technology spaces and elsewhere but it’s not the headline news where you read about the wholesale exodus, people quitting their jobs with nothing in mind. The passive candidates we know and work with are open to making a change but on their own terms. In general, they are looking for:
- Financial upward mobility, and/or
- Professional upward mobility
They may love their current job, but there is nowhere to go in terms of professional development. The only way to move up the ladder, expand their responsibilities and/or earn more compensation is to go somewhere else. Will that be your firm? Only if you know how to connect with them.
Trend 2: Flexibility and Technology Pave the Way
Prior to the pandemic, HR and TA professionals used phone interviews only to narrow the candidate field. Then, they’d bring a select few onsite for a half day or so to meet with key people, engage in whiteboard sessions, role-playing exercises, etc. as appropriate. Often, this process would continue until a candidate was selected, offered, and accepted the position.
Technology got us through the pandemic. Virtual meetings via Zoom, Teams, WebEx, etc. are something we are all accustomed to now, and it will be the mainstay of hiring from now on. An initial phone interview still works for a brief introduction, though it’s probably a video call now. And the entire interview process may remain virtual, with additional video meetings for panel interviews, role-play, and so on. In many cases, you may never meet your new employee face-to-face.
To compete successfully in 2022, employers and candidates will have to trust the virtual interview process, and companies open to fully remote work will benefit from a broader pool of talent.
Trend 3: Less Is More
In this candidate-driven marketplace, hiring processes that drag on or waste time won’t fly. You won’t attract the people you want with a lengthy job announcement that’s padded with every professional skill and personal trait you could possibly want. Too much text is off-putting, so desirable candidates won’t even bother to read your novelette. Worse, the more “requirements” you list, the more potentially amazing candidates you automatically overlook. Stick to critical key points so you open the door to more (and potentially more interesting) applicants.
Less is more informs the entire hiring process. While conferencing technology may be the new normal for interviewing, other tech tools can hinder the process instead. TA teams and hiring managers that have relied heavily on online testing such as coding tests will have to rethink their value because the costs could now outweigh the benefits. Top passive candidates won’t bother with basic skills tests they see as time-wasters or as an affront to the demonstrable credentials on their resume.
Creating barriers that cause candidates to opt-out of your application process guarantees you will miss out on opportunities to make a great match. You want to attract them, not offend them, and that starts with trust.
But flexibility isn’t only about the mechanics of hiring, which leads us to our next hiring trend.
Trend 4: Contingent Workforce Numbers Are Surging
Gartner predicts that the use of contingent workers will continue to increase because companies gain greater flexibility in workforce management. Contingent labor fills gaps (or augments teams) quickly with less risk to employers. This is why Power-4’s Professional Staffing Services are so popular with many of our clients.
But contingent workers are not the only solution. In 2022, you will have to look everywhere to find the right person and be open to their preferred work style if you want your organization to grow. So, open up that funnel! Consider all types of employees – FTEs, part-time, interns, contingent labor, and consulting firms.
Trend 5: Partnership Expands Your Toolbox
In-house corporate recruiting pros have their hands full. Augmenting your existing teams with Retained Search experts who are active in the world of passive candidates can keep your talent pools filled. Establishing a long-term partnership with an agency that is vested in your best interests will do more to grow your organization than engaging in one-and-done searches.
For example, at Power-4, we co-brand with clients to sell your company as well as current and future positions to the right talent at the right time. It’s the kind of relationship that has the depth and flexibility to ensure hiring success in 2022, no matter how the trends may shift.