Attracting and retaining talent is still top of mind for many organizations. According to a Gartner, Inc. survey, hiring and staffing is the most difficult task facing companies in the next 12 months, and the competition for talent is not expected to ease for some time.
The July Jobs report was a big surprise to everyone who expected to see hiring slow down. In August, employers added 315,000 jobs, down from 526,000 in the previous month. Although down from July, it still represents a strong pace of growth.
Strong growth is good news for employees, less good for employers. However, hiring the right talent is still necessary and possible with some attention to the current trends in talent acquisition.
Be Proactive
Actively search for and nurture relationships with candidates. Nurture talent pools looking towards the future skills needs of your organization. Stay on top of recruiting trends, especially for your difficult to fill positions.
Recruit on Social Media
Building relationships happens on social media, as does tending the company’s brand. Digital recruiting is a valid use of platforms such as LinkedIn. Candidates expect you to find them where they hang out.
Offer Benefits Employees Want
There is an emphasis on employee health and well-being, and offering a mix of benefits including health care, retirement benefits, and financial and mental health counseling is a good way to show your support for your people. Create and manage reward and recognition programs to help people feel engaged with their jobs and the company.
Hire for Soft Skills
Instead of focusing on the technical skills needed to fill a position, consider if those skills can be taught to someone who fits the company culture and brand. Soft skills are notoriously difficult to teach, but a candidate with the right mindset can easily pick up a new tech platform or internal process if given the opportunity.
Recruit Internally
Provide ongoing opportunities for employees to learn new skills, enabling them to be talent mobile. Smart companies train current workers for hard-to-find skills and then allow them to move to new positions inside the company. Current employees will appreciate the investment in their future, and candidates will see that internal mobility as a positive trait when deciding between offers.
Offer Flexibility and Remote Work
We learned during the pandemic lockdowns that there are positions that can effectively be filled by remote workers. The trend wasn’t new two years ago, but the pandemic greatly accelerated its adoption. Consider which positions can be hybrid or fully remote. Embrace video interviews and remote-friendly platforms for collaboration and engagement. Expanding the candidate pool by excluding a geographic requirement can make a difficult position a bit easier to fill.
Stay Ahead of Recruiting Trends
Talent acquisition and recruitment is a complex and dynamic process. Keeping up with trends and understanding their impact on your business is critical. You can increase the odds of effective hires by enlisting the help of a Talent Acquisition specialist who will augment your existing hiring team. A specialist will be on top of the latest trends, have a network they can tap, and understand what you need to do to be competitive with qualified candidates.
