A lot has happened in regards to employment over the last few years, mostly thanks to the recovering economy. While unemployment remains at a steady low rate of just above 5% nationwide, employment rates continue to rise as nearly every industry (with the exception of Oil and Gas) flourishes and continues to add jobs to their sector.
Each year brings a slew of hiring trends to watch out for and attend to. Here’s our list of the top 5 hiring trends that will be most prominent as we head into 2016.
Employee Retention
Employee retention is at the top of the list for employers this upcoming year. With the scarcity of quality candidates in the market for a new career, it becomes even more important to hang on to the talent you’ve already got and worked so hard to get the first time around!
This can mean that you make arrangements and be more flexible in an employee’s role or be sure that you are offering growth in a role and the opportunity to be dynamic. This also means recruiting and promoting internally in order to allow more versatility in a candidate’s role.
Flexibility
Ask any candidate what they want out of a career while in their job hunt and they will list flexibility in a schedule, options for remote work, and benefits as one of the top reasons for either sticking with a company or looking for a new place to land. This is becoming more of a main point of interest, especially for the millennial generation as they move into new parenthood and value a greater sense of work/life balance and extended maternity leave.
Another great thing about remote work is that your talent pool is not only limited to local candidates. When you offer remote work, you have the opportunity to recruit from a much wider talent base, so your chances of landing a top performer are much greater.
Employer Branding
Employer branding is always an area of focus as it remains important to stay competitive in the employer marketplace. When candidates are searching for their next career or opportunity, branding can make or break a candidate’s decision, among other obvious things like opportunity and benefits.
Branding, ultimately, is an employer’s footprint on the marketplace, their reputation, and the overall effort put forth for how the world sees them. This blog describes how employers are focusing their efforts in directing and promoting their employee brand to make sure it it in line with how they want candidates to perceive their company.
The New Workforce
As the Millennial generation begins to fill in for the retiring baby boomers and Generation Z moves into the workforce, mostly jaded and cautious because of the recent recession, the workplace will inevitably change and will need to remain flexible to keep up with technology to stay cutting edge.
Millennials make up 35% of the workforce now, which is expected to rise to 40% within the next several years, and account for 1 in 4 managers at companies. Millennials are also seeking out companies with a collaborative culture and environment versus a more traditional competitive one. Recognizing this shift in workplace culture puts you ahead of the curve and allows you to be better prepared when hiring your next generation of workers.
Workplace Evolution
With the changing job market and new workforce, the nature of employment is shifting. Instead of applying for a job because one has all of the required skills and qualifications, candidates are applying for positions to gain and develop their experiences and even possibly create a position for themselves based on their skills and interests.
Technological changes are expected to impact the work environment as well. Video conferencing and interviewing is quickly gaining popularity over the days of PowerPoint presentations. Technology continues to allow the workplace and recruiting experts to evolve and be connected with others more than ever.
Being aware and staying current is the best way to keep up with the changes happening in the employment marketplace, thus positioning your company at the forefront of these hiring trends to stay competitive.