Recruiting strategies need to be adapted to the post-pandemic business climate.
By Marta Chmielowicz
COVID-19 is transforming how organizations manage and hire people. According to Jobvite’s 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey, 71% of recruiters say their recruiting priorities for the next 12 months are different from those they had in the past year, and many of those shifts are here to stay.
Among the most dramatic changes is a move away from improving time to hire and toward ensuring greater quality of hire, with only 23% of recruiters prioritizing time to hire as a key metric, down from 40% in 2017. Growing the talent pipeline has also dropped in importance from 50% in 2017 to 23% today. In contrast, recruiters say their top two talent priorities in the next 12 months are improving quality of hire (52%) and increasing retention rates (24%).
What are some other talent trends transforming recruitment in 2020?
1. Diversity hiring is on the rise. The social unrest following the death of George Floyd has shone a spotlight on corporate diversity hiring initiatives. Jobvite reports that 33% of recruiters say job seekers are inquiring about diversity and inclusion (D&I) more than they did in the previous year. Companies have responded by setting specific diversity goals with respect to race and ethnicity (62%), gender (54%), age (37%), veteran status (33%), LGBTQ+ identity (29%), immigration status (28%), and disability (25%).
2. Social media recruiting is here to stay. In today’s digital world, 78% of recruiters say that their financial investment in social media recruiting is likely to increase in the next year. Mobile career site applications (74%), text recruiting (74%), recruiters’ professional networks (74%), and LinkedIn (72%) are also slated to see greater investment compared to previous years. The greatest areas of focus include:
- Social media (46%);
- LinkedIn (40%);
- employee referrals (36%);
- job boards (34%); and
- recruiters’ professional networks (29%).
Recruiters are also increasingly reaching out to candidates by text, with 44% using text messaging to source potential candidates and 66% using texts to engage and communicate with current applicants.
3. Remote interviewing is the new normal. While 77% of recruiters believe that in-person interviews are the most effective way to evaluate candidates, this is no longer a possibility in the post-pandemic world. Instead, companies are turning to video (67%) and phone calls (49%), with 40% reporting that virtual interviews will be the default going forward.
4. Longer onboarding times are a necessity. Onboarding in the remote environment is no easy feat, with recruiters choosing to extend their onboarding process in order to deliver a positive experience.
- Only 19% spend eight hours or less onboarding, compared to 27% in 2017.
- Forty-two percent spend one to three days onboarding new employees, compared to 33% in 2017.
- Sixty-two percent spend one to five days onboarding employees, compared to 47% in 2017.