Looking ahead to the new year, what are some of the recruitment trends emerging in 2023 and what potential effect do they have on business? While some trends from the past year continue with us there are definitely some interesting new things on the horizon.
Trends which have followed us into the new year include the enduring post-Covid slow return to work combined with new hybrid working trend. The Covid-19 pandemic has faded into the past somewhat, with numbers having diminished in many countries, however its effects can still be felt as the ‘great resignation’ and skills shortage continues (read more in our recent blog post: Post pandemic double-whammy: The Great Resignation & Skills Shortage) to have an impact on many organisations and both hybrid work and remote work trends of previous years now having become permanent features of the transformed working landscape.
Recruiters also have to factor in surges in both inflation and a rising cost of living – both after effects of the pandemic which continue into 2023 and which are having an effect on both salary demands and thus the crucial ‘bottom line’.
Some of the trends emerging this year, most of which are as a result of trends which emerged during the pandemic, and which you should bear in mind when it comes to your strategy for finding and retaining top talent include:
- Candidate and employee experience – many people, worldwide, took a long hard look at life thanks to the pandemic and work-life balance emerged as a strong trend post-Covid.
This saw employee experience becoming a focus for recruitment during 2021 in particular as companies sought to retain staff post-pandemic by ensuring their work experience was positive with a shift in focus to include balance, health and well-being.
This emphasis on a good experience should carry through to creating a positive candidate experience from job seeking, to application for a position and right through to the interview process. Feedback, communication, professionalism and courtesy are all key to candidates having a positive experience. - Online Interviews – almost the entire working world went online during the pandemic and along with remote working, online or remote interviews became a necessity when recruiting.
The remote interview process seems to be sticking as many companies continue to include it as part of their standard operating strategy as it is convenient. - Collaborative hiring – in line with the previous point, the remote interview and the technology and platforms that have made it possible, have also allowed for greater collaborative opportunities within the hiring as more departments within an organisation can participate in the interview and selection process than was previously possible.
- Contract work – managing a workforce became a real struggle during the pandemic due to prolonged disruption and uncertainty created by lockdowns, quarantine periods, infections and deaths amongst employees.
This resulted in a need for more flexibility in the workforce and many people switched to contract work which most have found to be better from a financial perspective as well as bringing more freedom and freedom for the individual and companies alike.
This shift has naturally affected hiring and is likely to remain a part of the recruitment mindset into the future.
At PM Connection we are always on top of developing changes and trends and our team is here to help you navigate the ever-changing landscape of ICT and Project Management Recruitment and we pride ourselves on being your Connection point for ICT and Project Management Recruitment and Resourcing by making that crucial connection between clients and candidates.
Give the PM Connection team a call and find out how we can help you today.