There is no doubt that the way we work and the workplace are changing. Indeed, many commentators believe the way we work will change dramatically over the next 3-5 years. At EGM we are shortly releasing a White Paper on this topic (click here).
(For those readers who are interested in finding out even more about this fascinating subject we recommend the work of Jacob Morgan; who is releasing some excellent books, videos and podcasts - https://thefutureorganization.com/).
As we see it, there are 5 main reasons why work will change:
Technology – the rate at which technology is developing in our personal and work lives is unprecedented. This trend will change many aspects of how we work and the skills that will be in demand
Generational Differences - millennials now make up 50% of the workforce and are increasingly being promoted to supervisory and managerial positions. Millennials have different attitudes to work; for example, how long they will stay in roles and the kind of work they prefer
Data – companies are collecting huge amounts of data about employees and using it to drive decisions; for example, who to promote. This trend will increase as companies understand the implications of how much data they have
The Gig Economy – the days when a person worked at one company for their entire career are gone. Companies will need to have strategies to deal with different kinds of workers and contractors. Each group will demand distinct working arrangements
Employer Brand – employees are becoming overwhelmed with the pressures on them. Employers, therefore, are making efforts to understand and improve the employee experience. Otherwise, competitors will be able to attract staff based on a perception that they are better to work for.
But if the world of work is changing and employee experience is rising in the list of strategic priorities, what does the future of the recruitment process look like? After all, the employee experience starts with the very first contact the person makes with the company.
We asked the EGM team to brainstorm the changes that will happen to the recruitment process and these are the five predictions that were top of the list:
The candidate experience will become even more important and transparent.
In a podcast with Jacob Morgan (link below), Sjoerd Gehring, Global VP of Talent Acquisition at Johnson and Johnson says that they are taking an approach ‘where the candidate is at the centre of everything we try and do.’ He explains that in their personal lives, candidates deal with consumer platforms such as Amazon, Uber and Netflix and they will expect similar experiences in all areas of their professional lives.
For example, candidates will expect to know exactly what the selection process is when they apply for a role and where they are as they move through the process. They will want to use consumer grade technology and applications to do this which are truly personalised and match those they use in their personal lives.
The distinction between the ‘active and passive’ candidate will disappear.
Traditionally recruitment has meant targeting people who are actively looking for their next role. However, research by Indeed.com suggests that technology is all but eroding passive candidates and the implication is that far more people are open to their next job move.
Candidates will have more ways to find out about vacant roles and more choice – work location, for example, is becoming less of an issue – so employees will constantly keep one eye open for their next move.
Resource planning will become a ‘strategic business activity.’
The need to bring enhanced skills into organisations will mean there will be more competition to source talented people.
This will drive hiring managers to think strategically about the kind of employee they want (permanent, fixed term, contract) and where best to source them. They will also need good competitor intelligence on what others are doing to attract talent.
Recruitment will not only be the job of a few people but the job of the whole organisation.
Existing employees will become more important in helping develop perceptions of the employee experience – through platforms such as Glassdoor, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Candidates will leverage more channels to make decision about potential employers. They will have opinions about the company long before they are ever approached to discuss a role.
Data will be play a bigger part in the recruitment process.
People analytics will be used increasingly by to identify the attributes of the best performers; whether they are the top salesmen or high performing customer service representatives.
It will become much more common to use data and analysis on what makes a top performer in the recruitment process. This will make it easier to select candidates who will be a success in their roles.
References:
‘The Future of Work Podcast’ - https://thefutureorganization.com/behind-scenes-talent-acquisition-employees-need-know-organizations-need/
Indeed.com research report - ‘What matters most to the modern candidate’
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