Brexit, Trump, AI, Big Data, Microsoft+LinkedIn, and the Randstad Monster…
It’s no secret that this year has been a massive year for politics, technology, and economics, but what are the real knock-on effects to agency-side recruiters working as third-party talent suppliers? How is the recruitment landscape adapting? Will your business boom in the new year, or are you doomed? Will advancing recruitment technologies be your career killer, or make you a top biller? How can you up-skill to keep ahead of the pack?
To help you cut through the endless conjecture out there, we called in 13 of the industry’s best to forecast what the face of recruitment will look like in the future. Read on for their interesting takes on the biggest trends set to rock the recruitment world next year:
Bronwen Hann
“One big trend that’s taking off more than ever is companies recruiting contingent workers. Whether you want to call it contracting, or consulting, or the “gig economy,” more companies than ever are choosing to “rent” rather than hire talent, even at the director level and above. In addition, skill requirements are becoming broader and more stringent. Some enlightened companies are beginning to hire creatively to attract the best people – for example hiring back “boomerang” employees, hiring from the plethora of highly-skilled newcomers arriving daily, having less of a stigma against “job hopping” – but some companies will continue to be rigid in their hiring requirements and they’ll miss out on the best people because of it.”
Bronwen Hann is President & Senior Partner at Argentus Supply Chain Recruiting
David Morel
“I expect the New Year to start slowly as the reality of Brexit and the triggering of Article 50 puts many businesses off hiring until there is further clarity on free trade versus free movement of labour. That said, there will be a pick-up of some sorts in week two or three. Candidate flow will pick-up in January as it is a prime time for many to look for a new role. On the assumption that Article 50 is triggered by the end of March as promised by the government, then I expect an immediate pick-up in business in the short-term regardless of whether the outcome is perceived to be positive or negative for the UK economy. If negotiations look as though they will be complicated or there is a delay in the triggering of Article 50, then I expect the recruitment industry to suffer as a result. The outcome of the US election is a positive for the UK recruitment industry as, in my view, businesses are less likely to relocate staff, unless they have no choice through regulatory reasons. European elections will also have little effect.”
David Morel is CEO & Founder of Tiger Recruitment
Angela Bortolussi
“This year, rather than dismissing data as another recruitment fad – it’s something that many of us [recruiters] have learned to appreciate. Why? Well, I can speak to my experience in the use of data – leveraging HR technology tools and sites. I can better assess whether a candidate will fit the right skill set of a role – that just skims the surface, I’ve been able to build concrete-robust queries allowing for better candidate searches – unveiling a plethora of sites to find candidate information and use that information to engage with candidates. To be clear, leveraging data in your recruitment process presents both a challenge and an opportunity. I think data will enhance the human-centric aspect to recruitment, rather than eliminate it. In addition, candidate experience – a topic widely spoken about – will be a continuing trend into next year. The approach to candidate experience though may be a different. How? I see organization’s focusing on mapping out their candidate journey – which allows organizations as a whole to view the journey of candidates’ experience through the recruitment process (i.e. initial reach out -to offer stage). Giving companies visibility on engaging quicker, and closing faster.
Angela Bortolussi is Partner at Recruiting Social
Billy Smith
“With job seekers pressed for time and job hunting on the move, recruiters and employers will need to think mobile first ensuring their web pages are optimised for display on mobile screens. as money becomes less important with jobseekers, Standout job ads will also play a huge part in recruiting talent as the competition to attract quality candidates increases. Money isn’t the be all and end all for today’s job seekers with employers needing to show personality and benefits in their job adverts.“
Billy Smith is Managing Director at FGS Recruitment
Iain Hamilton
“Over the next year, recruiters, both in-house and agency, are going to be given the opportunity to use the data they create for actionable intelligence. Until now we have focused our data analysis on the source of a hire, how long it takes to hire someone and the more advanced have been using data to remove blockers in the recruitment process. Now we are going to be able to understand every interaction a candidate has with our business and hence the content which best influences their decisions to apply and accept a position. Talent Generation Managment is here.”
Iain Hamilton is Founder of People Traction
Adam Glassman
“While it’s not new per se, I do expect to see a greater emphasis on employer branding and an improved candidate experience. It’s largely a candidate’s market right now, and selling the “why” of your company, along with providing a positive impression, are two winning combinations.”
Adam Glassman is Recruitment Strategies Manager at Alorica
Gill Buchanan
“The balance of power will continue to shift from employer to candidate. Candidates will feel more empowered to seek new opportunities and to negotiate terms. Employers will be expected to focus on their brand and engagement strategies to help attract and retain top talent. From a technology perspective, CV screening using on-line questionnaires is growing in popularity, particularly for high volume roles or where there is a stronger pool of candidates. Applications are increasingly being received and delivered on smart phones and instant messaging, rather than emailing, is on the rise. “
Gill Buchanan is Director at Pure Resourcing Solutions
Chad MacRae
“Design thinking. It’s a mindset, a way to solve complex problems. It really helps you empathize with your client, your hiring manager, your candidate. It helps you come up with unexpected, imaginative solutions that really benefit the stakeholders you’re working with. I really believe that we’re going to see design thinking practices and tools, like candidate journey mapping, used in recruitment.”
Chad MacRae is Founder of Recruiting Social
Lisa Jones
“New recruitment trends? I’m hoping for innovation without tech! What I mean by this is getting to grips with process, rather than the current trend of FOMO (fear of missing out) and hence using every bit you can lay your hands to source talent.”
Lisa Jones is Director at Barclay Jones
James Nathan
“I can see hiring volumes continuing to grow and a subsequent move by employers to push for employee referrals as a sourcing focus in order to control increasing costs. This trend is not different to what we have seen before in growing markets, and it is important for recruiters to take a long term, relationship approach to their client development and candidate development work. The better the relationship you build and the great value you can add for your clients, the less likely they will be to look for other avenues for attracting new hires. “
James Nathan is Founder of The James Nathan Experience
Dualta Doherty
“More automation tools to cut administration. More focus on Digital Marketing & Content Creation. More focus on social analytics in reviewing performance. An increase in remote/flexible/work from home options.”
Dualta Doherty is Founder of Pro Recruitment Solutions
Lysha Holmes
“I expect to see a lot more through video and engaging the “candidate” experience through social media channels such as instagram and snapchat. Real people being spoken to. More recruiters need to look at what the brands are doing – like innocent, the body coach- and realise that your marketing has to reflect where people spend most of their time- on the smart phones on these apps. Not on job boards. My instagram channel is my busiest now @LyshaHolmes and its a combination of real video ads and also pics of what I eat for lunch :)”
Lysha Holmes is Founder of Qui Recruitment
Caroline Stokes
“Talent acquisition and placement expediency will never go out of style. Neither will the fascination of the next technology solution that can help us find the right candidate for the right role, in a fraction of the time. The real trend I see is less about technology, but about individual development of emotional intelligence that will enhance performance and productivity. The unexpected side effects of this will be slower burnout of recruiters and improved relationships with HR, hiring managers and talent.”
Caroline Stokes is Founder of FORWARD
