The key theme from the 2021 job market left us with two words — candidate driven. Fundamentally, there are more roles out there than skilled candidates to fill them.
As we draw into 2022, there is a predicted shift to fuel workplace transformation and how you can retain your talented team for the long term.
Bloomberg reported that as we trudge into our third year of the pandemic, new research shows more employers face the prospect of employees resigning. On top of this, 60% of managers within the private sector said ‘it is now harder to recruit for job roles than it was pre covid-19’.
The US market is shaping up similarly with Korn Ferry reporting that 4.5 million Americans quit their job in November 2021.
“The Great Resignation” is fueling numerous discussions about the attitudes of job seekers and the changes companies need to make in order to keep up.
We can reflect on the aggressive dip the job and labour market took during the pandemic. But as of January 2022, we are back to relatively normal unemployment rates (4.2%) compared to pre-pandemic levels.
The current attitudes of job seekers though have substantially changes since the start of the pandemic. The most prevalent change is being flexible working and working from home. 89% of organisations now offer flexible working, compared to 58% before March 2020.
The UK reaction to this is positive, with 85% of working adults wanting a hybrid approach of home and office working long term.
To bolster this, it is reported in one study that more than half of employees globally would quit their jobs if not provided post-pandemic flexibility.
The overall attitudes of UK businesses seem open to these types of changes. With emerging sites such as Flexa, alongside Meta (Facebook) recently sharing their plans to hire fully remote staff, this seems to be the key way to penetrate the talent pool.
At Rise Technical, our knowledge lies across the technology, engineering, construction and energy sectors. We reinforce ideas on remote working and have been educating our clients over the last few years. If you are looking to hire into Tech/Software or IT, the option of being fully remote is necessary.
On the other side of the argument, there is also the worry that the move towards hybrid working will relinquish the opportunity for work connections. In a recent analysis of female employees, Gallup reported that those with a ‘best friend’ in the office were likely to be more engaged at work, therefore being more productive.
So is it possible to find these connections if you are remote based? The general contentious across various surveys on LinkedIn seems to be yes.
Fast Company suggested a few ways to help build connections, even if you are working remotely. Below are a couple of ideas which can be a friendly reminder either to your staff or colleagues:
1. The power of Zoom–set up some quick 10 minute catch up calls or even a virtual social event. You may have staff based all over the country or even the world. This can be a great culture builder.
2. Communication–send some email updates or ideas about new projects you are working on. Perhaps a WhatsApp group to keep up to date with everyone’s achievements. Celebrating the big and small wins is positive for the team culture.
Of course, many roles within a manufacturing or similar facility will not have the option for remote work.
Understanding the motivational content of the role you are recruiting for is key to isolate what is important to each individual staff member. This can include a good company culture or overtime for some and then clear progression or a technical challenge for others.
Building brand awareness is key in this current market. Below I’ve outlined some key points we are discussing with clients;
A competitive overall package - we have discussed flexible working, but being open about your business benefits is also key. It is important to be open about holiday allowance, pension, bonuses, overtime, healthcare, etc.
Company culture - how do your staff feel coming to work? Focus on gaining positive employee reviews using Google, Glassdoor and other providers.
Dual branding - if you are engaging with a recruitment agency exclusively, have you considered dual branding? This can strengthen the awareness of your brand across the top job boards.
Positive recruitment process - ensure that any job seeker that engages with your business has a positive experience, even if they don't end up getting the job!
If you are a job seeker looking for the right opportunity for you, or if you are a business looking for advice on any of the above, get in touch with me on alice.hulme@risetechnical.co.uk
Please see the full article on LinkedIn with information via hyperlinks on all citations - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/recruitment-trends-shaping-2022-alice-hulme
