Comment
By Matt Alder
As 2022 picks up pace, it is very clear that the talent and retention problems dubbed the “Great Resignation” in 2021 will be with us for some time to come.
The last two years have been highly disruptive and very unpredictable, making it impossible for companies to plan. However, we now have a better understanding of the long-term recruitment challenges that will be with us for the foreseeable future.
Employers need to make some permanent adjustments to evolve their talent acquisition strategies if they want to be sure of hiring the talent they need. There are two key areas to focus on. Firstly, where possible, anticipating vacancies and planning early. Over the last decade, there has been an explosion in the number of tools and techniques available to understand talent markets and find and engage with potential hires long before the employer actually needs them.
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This kind of proactivity takes planning though, and one of the most common complaints from recruiters is that they are often the last to be told about the business’s talent requirements. This is something that needs to change if employers want to get ahead of the market.
The second area of focus is the recruitment process itself. Speed is critical at the moment, and an overly-long or poorly thought through recruitment process risks candidates dropping out or accepting other offers from employers who were moving more quickly. Recruiting is evolving rapidly, and at the cutting edge, companies are now using artificial intelligence to improve communication with candidates and automate parts of the process.
However, improving the speed and quality of the recruiting process is not predicated on expensive technology. It is something any employer can achieve with the proper focus.
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Scrapping any unnecessary procedures and making sure hiring managers work effectively with human resources and recruitment teams is obvious first step. Consideration of the candidate’s needs also remains vital. The quality of the candidate experience is a real differentiator in the competitive talent market.
It’s also essential to make sure potential hires have access to all the information they need to make a decision as early in the process as possible. Careers websites have a huge part to play here.
This year will be another challenging one for many employers when it comes to hiring, but unlike 2021, these challenges are now not just understood, they are expected. Employers need to have new strategies in place – the companies that do will be setting themselves up not just for the next few months but for years to come.
Matt Alder, host of The Recruiting Future Podcast, is a guest writer on behalf of s1jobs.
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