We’re nearing the end of 2021 and unfortunately the pandemic’s end is still nowhere in sight. With cases on the rise again and the possibility of lockdowns looming due to the Omicron variant, it seems remote work will continue to be the norm.
As companies around the world both familiar with and new to remote working are faced with the reality of continuing to hire remote workers, recruiters need to improve their hiring practices in 2022.
One of the most significant changes in recruitment is for the first time in years, there has been a shift to a candidate-driven market. There are more jobs available than candidates, giving applicants the upper hand in terms of employer options, salary, and benefits. Recruiters need to align their processes with this and other recruitment trends in 2022 in order to attract top talent.
We’ve compiled a list of what to expect in recruitment in 2022 to help you prepare for the year ahead and come out on top!
Improve job descriptions
In a candidate-driven market, applicants have their pick of any job that is looking for their skill sets. They can afford to wait for a job that reflects their values in a company that excites them, so recruiters need to up their game in attracting these applicants.
One way to do this is by telling employers to improve the descriptions in their job postings. A common complaint of applicants is when salary information is not included in a job post. No one wants to waste time going through the application and interview process only to find out that the company’s offer is lower than what they expected. Be upfront with what you are willing to pay people in return for their skills.
Another complaint is when employers ask for applicants to upload their resume but then proceed to ask for information that can already be found in the resume. Getting rid of this feature in job posts will at the very least set employers apart from other job postings.
Finally, employers need to get rid of wordings that raise red flags to applicants. “Fast-paced environment” tells candidates it’ll be a stressful job. “We’re a family” means boundaries won’t be respected. Anything that describes what they’re looking for as a “rockstar” means they’ll be called to do tasks beyond their scope of work. Be straightforward in the skills and responsibilities required of the job so applicants know how their position contributes to the company.
Advertise company culture
Candidates no longer just focus on salary and benefits when it comes to jobs these days. They also look at the company culture and whether or not it matches with their own work ethic and values. Some companies highlight a culture that attracts career-driven individuals who want to move up the corporate ladder as fast as possible while other cultures are more suited for individuals who prefer to be nurtured and supported on the job. Does the company’s mission and vision resonate with the applicant? Will they be motivated to work there and contribute to its goals? Ultimately, applicants want to know where they can thrive and feel valued.
With that in mind, companies need to establish an emotional connection that will resonate with the talent they want to attract. This can be done by developing their Employer Value Proposition or EVP which will not only help them land the most suitable candidates for the job, but will greatly contribute to retaining those candidates when they become employees.
Focus on retention too
When hiring new employees, it’s easy to forget about the employees you already have. But when you focus too much on finding new talent, your existing team could feel neglected and with a candidate-driven market, they could be rethinking their own careers and considering moving to another company.
As all companies are looking to grow, turnover can cause many issues. It puts a pause on scaling while you set aside valuable time, money, and effort into filling critical positions. Giving retention proper attention and importance is a sustainable effort in growing your business.
Employee retention is also good advertisement for new hires. It tells them the company’s current employees are satisfied with how they are being managed and treated, and so they are more likely to apply and accept an offer.
Become niche experts
For years, recruiters have been hiring for the usual positions: copywriters, graphic designers, administrative assistants, etc. However, as remote work becomes the norm, niche industries will start to explore it as well. Not to mention new and more intricate jobs will arise. It’s important to know the ins and outs of niche industries and their associated jobs, yet not a lot of recruiters are knowledgeable enough to effectively hire for them.
Niche positions are tricky to recruit for if you aren’t well-versed in their industries. Candidates, who are of course very knowledgeable about their niche skills, can easily filter out job postings that don’t sound like they know what the position entails.
Recruiting exclusively for niche industries will become sought after by those companies so it’s a good idea to start studying them now for 2022.
Partner with us
Find your best talent and retain them in 2022 by partnering with Remote Workmate. We not only do the heavy lifting of finding, vetting, and interviewing applicants for you, we also help with onboarding and ensuring you have a successful work relationship with your Workmate.
Our Client Success Managers serve as mediators between you and your Workmate to help both of you be effective managers and employees respectively. We help you with both talent acquisition and retention!
Our Recruiters are also well-versed in niche industries such as IT and real estate to help you find virtual assistants with specific expertise in those areas.
Book an obligation-free Discovery Call with us today to talk about your hiring needs!
