This past year has been quite the adventure! The end of the global COVID-19 pandemic never came, but despite that, the economy came roaring back. Everyone who could, worked from home and companies scrambled to create total WFH or hybrid workplaces. With the Omicron variant now dominant, we are all still feeling our way forward. Returning to ‘normal’ is no longer on the table.

During the tumultuous past year, we have shared some great content to inform you on a variety of topics near and dear to us.

Of course, we talked about talent acquisition. As vaccines were being rolled out, we wondered “Will the End of Pandemic Restrictions Put an End to Working from Anywhere?” We reasoned that the unintentional experiment of working from anywhere combined with the ongoing talent shortage would make job candidates bolder about requiring flexibility from employers.

Candidate experience has been a topic of interest, again because of the talent shortage. In particular “Hiring Tech in the New Normal” explored how companies can draw top talent, hire them and retain them. Flexibility came up again and again when talking about candidates with skills that give them options for when and where to work.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was increasingly important as a response to widespread civil unrest. It turns out that recruiting software can discriminate and filter out excellent candidates. Taking the time to review and update inputs to hiring programs and algorithms and auditing the output to make sure it adheres to the standards set for them will help employers move towards the DEI levels that will inspire top talent to work for you.

Climate change and renewable energy were top of mind, too. COP26, held in Glasgow Scotland, resulted in a Methane Emissions Mitigation pledge, among other milestones. Methane is a valuable commodity and just plugging leaks will help mitigate climate change and even make money for the companies that invest in fixing the leaks. Investors and job candidates will find the companies that follow through on their climate pledges more attractive.

Another promising path to mitigating climate change is Innovation in Renewables. Start-ups tackling the circular economy issues, green hydrogen advances, and hydrokinetic energy are just a few of the bright spots in advancing renewable energy.

The climate crisis has become a seminal issue for Gen Z. More than other generations, they feel the burden of the damage that we have caused to our planet and are intent on making it their life’s work to do something about it. Colleges are stepping up by offering relevant coursework and majors to meet the needs of students looking to literally change the world.

Renewable energy is all about mitigating climate change, but another result is that it creates resilient, well-paying jobs.  Clean energy is also giving new life to old steel and coal plants, providing jobs in the process. Rural areas will also reap substantial benefits from the transition to solar and wind power as long as the government facilitates the change and doesn’t stand in the way.

While 2021 did not fulfill the promise of ending the pandemic, we have been resilient and have adapted to the changes as they were thrown at us. At Hire Tomorrow we look forward to turning the calendar to 2022 and continuing to provide our insights into these topics and others.

Enjoy the last few days of 2021, we will see you next year!