It’s no surprise that employers have been searching for talent in increasingly smaller and more competitive candidate pools, and traditional ways of recruiting may no longer be relevant for finding, hiring, and retaining top talent. In December 2019, the national unemployment rate was 3.5%, which is the lowest since the late 1960s and early 1970s. EG Workforce is checking the pulse on what’s predicted for what staffing will look like in the year ahead with the five trends we’re predicting will face both candidates and companies hiring.

Non-traditional Recruiting Channels

Recruiting through traditional means such as online job boards such as Indeed, ZipRecruiter, or Glassdoor are still major players when it comes to finding and hiring top talent, even, social media has become a new norm for finding candidates. A study by Jobvite found that 77% of hires came from LinkedIn, and 63% came through Facebook. Even this isn’t a significant shift in utilizing non-traditional recruiting channels – more and more; recruiters are turning towards Instagram and peer to peer social sites like Snapchat to stand out amongst Millennials and Gen Zers.

With Millennials and Gen Zers continuing to make up an increasing percentage of the workforce, employers must adapt to the recruiting needs Millennials and Gen Z are expecting. Unlike previous generations before them, Millennials are much more likely to leave or change a job if they feel unsatisfied with the work. In fact, yearly Millennial turnover costs the US economy $30.5 per year. This translates over to the recruiting and hiring process as well. Millennials want the process to be simple and hassle-free. They are not interested in spending an hour filling out an application on your website; they’d rather upload a resume. They also expect to be “delighted” by the recruitment process. This includes attracting them through and communicating with them through the process on non-traditional platforms such as Instagram, Slack, or Reddit.

Summary: recruiters and HR professionals need to start innovating by taking advantage of both traditional and non-traditional recruiting channels to find, hire, and retain candidates in 2020.

Candidate Engagement as a Priority

Gone are the days where it’s been “acceptable” to gather resumes and let the ones who aren’t a fit fall into the “black hole of unread resumes.” Candidates are expecting to receive some type of communication either way on if they will be moving forward in the hiring process or not. With the rise of technology, it’s become even easier for employers to have the ability to communicate with candidates, and we predict a 2020 trend will be to place a high priority on candidate engagement.

Phone calls and emails have been the traditional way of communicating with candidates, but in the age of instant communication, texting has become a more mainstream method. Jobvite found that 43% of Millennials used it as their preferred method of communication, and even that 46% of Gen Xers were open to texting as the primary means of communication. It’s essential for recruiters or HR professionals to get permission to text their candidates, but if/when you do, you have an added way of communicating and engaging with your top talent during the hiring process.

Summary: phone calls and emails are still accepted methods of communication and means of candidate engagement; however, texting has entered the scene and is promising a new way to engage with your candidates instantly, so you don’t lose them during the hiring process.

Showcasing Company Culture

In today’s labor market, recruiting has become just as much an “interview” for the company as it has for the candidates. This is especially true for Millennials, who will make up 75% of the workforce by 2025. Candidates are looking into a company’s culture, mission, values, and what current/past employees are saying about them. In fact, 64% of candidates reported they would not accept a job if the company did not align with their own values.

If a company culture is negative or undefined, that can hurt recruitment efforts. Companies must work on their employer branding; you can learn more about that from our previous blog to stand out to candidates. A company should focus on hiring candidates with the characteristics that complement the culture, and this culture needs to be highly visible. Companies should take advantage of social media and their website to showcase their culture. When done well, this can even act as a way to recruit top talent without having to spend money on advertising jobs through traditional recruiting means.

Summary: your company culture matters beyond being just another “buzzword.” Candidates are looking for and paying attention to if your company practices what you preach. Establish what you want your company culture to be and then hire the candidates whose characteristics match.

Broader Talent Management

Plan for more companies to be open to hiring remote workers, contractors, and temps in addition to full-time positions. Recruiters will have to increasingly expand their services to hire for a multitude of types of roles, too. With the continued rise of the gig economy, hiring for a single type of position will no longer be the norm going into 2020. With 57 million people working as part of the gig economy, companies should consider the candidate they’re hiring may be working at least one additional freelance/contract position and may not be willing to take on a traditional full-time role.

Depending on the position, companies will need to shift their mindset and be able and willing to allow for remote working and flexed schedules if their top candidate is working outside “gigs.”

Summary: 2020 will see a continued increase in the “gig economy” and will push even harder for companies to allow for remote work and flex schedules, and businesses will have to adapt to attract, hire, and retain top candidates.

2020 brings a new decade and a new set of challenges to recruiters and HR professionals while providing more opportunities for candidates. EG has over 60 years of industry experience that have helped us predict the five biggest trends for staffing in the coming year.

About EG Workforce Solutions

We’ve been in this business for decades and have developed a deep network of professional connections. Whether they’re companies looking for talent, job seekers looking for work, or an up-and-coming store in need of some temporary help, we know the right people to bridge the gap between the hiring and the hired.

But what’s more, we get to know people. From employers hiring to candidates looking, we take the time to listen and learn. We hear your likes, talents, and needs. We gain an understanding, and with it, we’re able to facilitate lasting relationships between businesses and people.