Recruiting? We want small and medium business owners be informed and stay on top of trends in recruitment, thus being able to connect with strong talent and build great teams. So we’ve put together a short summary of some trends we’re seeing in recruitment and how SMEs can act upon those trends.
Be Smart with Technology
Artificial Intelligence is going to play a role in the future of recruitment but be cautious of how much you lean into automation. AI and technology can help in some places, such as screening and processing applications, however now leaders need to think reasonably about what can be automated and what needs a human touch. When people are new to your organization, a human touch is essential. Not everything needs to be powered by AI.
Being smart with technology means knowing what can be technologically assisted, and what is excess. For example: prospective employees are not willing to go to great lengths for a role, spending little time per application. Using different programs to make your acquisition programs as convoluted as possible, such as the enlisting of VR tools, can drive them away. Think about what is realistic to get the information you need from your candidates; you can impress them with your technology stack once they are hired into the role.
Candidate Experience is Still Important
It’s evergreen, but that’s because the importance of candidate experience cannot be overstated! Whether a job offer is extended or not – every candidate walks away with an impression of a company after experiencing its recruitment process. Sometimes the impression is good, sometimes bad.
For those candidates you do not give an offer to, they might re-enter the process later for another role or end up working for another organization in your field. It’s advantageous to have them think highly of your organization. Not to mention, should you make an offer, a negative experience might lead your selected candidate to refuse the offer. These are both in addition to the reality that follow up in a timely manner, demonstrating respect and professionalism are simply the right thing.
When reviewing your candidate experience, think about the number of touchpoints your candidates must go through, and how effective those are for you to learn about them, and them about you. Their time is valuable, thus being able to deliver information and communications to them in a succinct manner is important. This touchpoint analysis can also improve internal efficiencies for your recruitment process too, as your team’s time is also valuable.
Read: How Candidate Experience Improves Recruitment
Transparency Gets you the Best
This one in particular can be your golden goose if you’re looking to hire younger talent, who more often go for organizations they view as transparent and authentic. Regardless, transparency should be the standard operating value for businesses in today’s landscape, as people tend to build longer lasting relationships with organizations that operate transparently.
What does that mean in a recruitment sense? A few things. First, make sure there are no surprises for the candidates during the recruitment process. This means laying out expectations around the recruitment process, deliverables in the role, work environment, and – crucially – your companies’ approach to hybrid work. Second, throughout the recruitment process, informing the candidate of their impression on you, and what you’re expecting, fosters transparency and mutual respect.
For businesses in Ontario, they’ll also want to watch the passage of amendments to the Working for Workers Act, which would mandate businesses to disclose the use of AI in job posting and screening, as well as pay ranges. People want more transparency, and governments are stepping up to make that a requirement.
Recruitment Today
This is not an exhaustive list, rather just three of the most pressing topics in the world of recruitment today. Ever present is the need for businesses to be transparent, to be honest with their applicants, and to think long term about their talent acquisition system. As our Managed Recruitment lead has said, “think about it as a talent acquisition program.”
We’re available to go into a deep dive review of your recruitment apparatus at just moments notice. Whether you want someone to help you with the hiring process, or just want input into how to improve your approach to get the best candidates, we can help.
