7 Recruitment Trends for 2021 You Should Know About
Get the inside scoop on recruitment and make this new year your best
To be fair, none of us would wish for the year 2020 to happen again. However, some excellent HR practices and recruitment trends from 2020 will stay relevant in the year to come and will keep shaping hiring. We now have a new set of recruiting trends, predictions, and challenges to perceive, master, and turn into our favor. Recruitment has undoubtedly changed over the last decade, starting from embracing tech advancements and discoveries that help recruiters automate and enhance the processes. Nowadays, traditional talent sourcing, screening, and hiring methods have moved to the past. That being said, let’s focus on the new ways. Here are the principal seven recruitment trends for 2021 you should know about.
Recruitment trends for 2021
At this point, trying not to mention the influence of Covid-19 on recruitment (and everything else) is like trying to keep some boomers away from fake news channels. Yes, the unfavorable global occurrences that took place in 2020 will unquestionably shape some of the recruitment trends for 2021.
Working remotely is the first thing that comes to mind. When thinking of the future of recruitment, accepting remote work as the newly established standard comes as no surprise. Still, there’s much more to it. Some of the future trends in recruitment are related to technological improvements. And some are emerging as a result of the current state of affairs. Here’s the list of recruitment trends for 2021 you should pay attention to:
Remote work is the new standard
GoT fandom out there will get this — the whole course of 2020 resembled the feeling we had before the Battle of Winterfell. Although physical distance and the touch of alcohol on our hands instead of in our margaritas don’t seem like a lot of fun, remote work is the employment type many people always craved. In fact, recruiters know how much appreciation tech talent always had for remote jobs. And, once we get our Covid-free lives back, remote work will remain the norm.
Offering prospective candidates the opportunity to work from home will definitely represent one of the recruitment trends for 2021 we will all stick to.
If this recruitment trend causes second-guessing, here are some remote work statistics that will reassure you:
- 90% of remote workers would recommend this type of job to a friend
- According to Flexjobs, nearly 1.5 million people already worked remotely before the pandemic. So, putting remote work right at the top of our list of upcoming recruitment trends for 2021 was no accident. It’s a data-driven, tracksuit-friendly, candidate-oriented choice.
The significance of soft skills
So, now that we have established the relevance of remote jobs for the future of recruitment, here’s another related topic — the significance of soft skills. How are soft skills associated with working remotely? Good communication skills, strong work ethic, motivation, and productivity are some of the mandatory factors to make remote work — actually work. Hence — recruiters will be discovering new ways to check these skills and personality traits out before recommending a candidate.
The new recruitment trends will equalize the importance of hard skills and soft skills. According to a LinkedIn study from 2019, 89% of miss-hires lack the needed soft skills. Companies will be looking for more than knowledge and experience. And recruiters will need to personalize their approach and add soft skills examination to their checklists.
Technical competences’ relevance for non-tech positions
Now that we have mentioned the necessity to focus on soft skills in 2021, we’ll explore the other direction. Tech recruiters know how vital technical skills are when interviewing candidates. However, with the remote work shaping the recruitment trends for 2021, some tech skills and knowledge will become inevitable for multiple roles.
The world has undergone a tremendous digital transformation. It started long ago, but it was in full swing during 2020 and will unquestionably linger in 2021. Regardless of the position, companies will expect some basic computer literacy.
The future of recruitment lies in digital transformation — in every way possible.
The importance of Employer brand
The importance of a well-built and maintained employer brand represented a hot topic and one of the crucial recruitment trends for a while now. And it will be even more significant in the years ahead of us.
Employer branding is the way employees and candidates perceive your company. It differentiates employers and helps recruiters attract top talent. Job seekers will be looking for trustworthy organizations. How they treated their employees during the pandemic and how they adapted changes will influence their employer branding.
Building and refining your employer brand is a must. Here are some actionable tips that will enhance your future recruitment strategies and results:
- Listen to your employees and value their needs
- Promote your brand through case studies and success stories
- Be open to positive changes
- Be transparent
- Always keep your website and social media pages updated
- Photographs and videos can help you showcase your company culture
- Test your candidate experience
- Ask for feedback
Automated recruitment processes
We are well aware of the continuous rise in recruitment automation. According to some studies, 50% of companies already use AI to improve and ease sourcing and screening processes. Even though it can never replace human interactions and personal contact, automation will continue to increase and will represent one of the main recruitment trends for 2021 you should know about.
Social media recruiting
Pretty much everyone uses social media daily, and it is only logical to take the recruitment efforts to where candidates are. The usage of mobile devices in job hunting (and just passing the time) is particularly popular, which is why recruiters choose to reach out to their target crowd via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. These apps are always a thumbprint or two away, making recruitment opportunities more accessible, visible, and appealing.
Social media sourcing is among the most significant recruitment trends for 2021.
Social networks will contain even more captivating written and visual content and even more #nowhiring and #recruitment hashtags.
The benefits of social media recruiting include:
- Reaching out to more talent
- Better engagement
- Better targeting
- Improved employer brand
- More referrals
- More quality hires
- Shorter time to hire
- A more personalized approach
- Stronger connections
Referrals bring more quality hires
More and more companies are acknowledging how using referrals helps crushing recruiting targets. Referrals often represent the most reliable and cost-effective way to get qualified hires. Many employers turn to internal referral programs — they encourage employees to recommend their peers. This way, employees feel like active participants in the hiring process and directly contribute to the company’s growth and future. In addition to it, referrals usually imply a financial remuneration.
Referrals are one of the most beneficial recruitment trends for 2021, and its popularity is just what we needed.
Moving to the future of recruitment
The list of recruitment trends we mentioned represents some of the best practices and norms you should keep in mind. Still, with all the tech domain advancements and with new possibilities that emerge, there will be much more to look forward to when it comes to hiring. Let these principal seven recruitment trends for 2021 be your guide and roadmap toward greatness.
If you’re looking for the most efficient way to ensure a prosperous future for your company, talk to us. Our approach to referral-based hiring might be your best chance to grow, scale, and advance while saving your time and cutting costs. Ready for 2021?
