In the first part of our coverage of recruiting trends to expect this year, we highlighted the importance of upskilling as a hiring and retention tool. Part two outlined the value of automation and how much time it can save when seeking and bringing on top talent.
Next up is the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it will impact the hiring process this year and into the future. Review the benefits of utilizing a platform that harnesses the power of AI to filter applications and identify top talent based on specific, pre-determined factors.
Recruiting Trends Coming in 2024
Here’s what has been covered (and is still to come) in our five-part series:
Trend #3: More Artificial Intelligence in the Recruiting Process
In a study performed by Korn Ferry, more than 80 percent of CEOs and senior leaders of companies reported expecting AI to have a major or extreme impact on their organizations. Respondents specifically mentioned the expectation of relying on AI in the recruiting process, as it brings many appealing benefits. Using AI can save money, speed up processes and identify top candidates, even those who don’t have the traditional experience that was once expected.
But two of the risks associated with relying more heavily on AI relate to accuracy and strategy. Growing concerns around the security of AI-powered tools have led to identification of inaccuracy, especially if intruders can adjust how the platforms function. Hiring strategy is unique to each individual organization, and the capability of AI may not quite align.
In addition to recruiters and hiring managers relying more heavily on AI, jobseekers may take part in what it can offer in the process of finding employment. Candidates can utilize the functionality built into AI tools to tailor cover letters and resumes to specific roles, as well as identify positions that might be good fits.
But security remains a risk for anyone relying on AI, as scammers have found ways to leverage these tools to seek personal information and trick trusting candidates into sharing financial details. It’s vital to cross-check any job openings found with AI tools on company websites to ensure that they’re genuine.
Relying on AI will take more of a front seat this year among those involved in hiring. But as is the case with any other up-and-coming resource, verifying the information is essential.
ApplicantStack is a powerful applicant-tracking system designed with the needs of small business owners in mind. It incorporates the functionality used by big business, allowing smaller organizations to compete for top talent. Plus, the platform includes a few standout features, including text messaging to meet candidates where they are, prescreening and knock-out questions to save time, and the ability to schedule interviews instantly.
Quality employees can make or break a business of any size but are vital to the health and success of a small business. Whether you need to replace a worker who’s left or your business is expanding, hiring top talent takes energy, time, and company resources.
According to benchmark studies conducted by the Society of Human Resource Management, the average cost per hire is $4,683. Though that number might feel like it applies more to large corporations, consider that the median cost came in at $1,244. If your budget for recruiting feels small, here are five ways to help stretch it a little further.
1. Consider Hiring From Within
Small business owners and managers often have the advantage of personally getting to know the strengths and talents of their employees. As businesses grow and change, employees may want to take on new roles within the company but may not see a clear path for a changing job description. As you define the parameters of a new job in the company, consider looking around at the employees you already have. It may require some creativity to add or subtract responsibilities from an existing employee into a newly created job description, but it’s possible a perfect candidate or candidates are already a part of your team.
If your business is undertaking a multiple hire situation, something like an anonymous survey of employees may reveal current employees’ hidden career goals or talents. This information can provide clarity on both promoting from within and drafting a job posting.
2. Optimize Your Job Postings
Armed with data from your existing employees, current and future business plans, and immediate hiring needs, spend some time carefully crafting your job postings. You could involve current managers or department leaders to help describe specific duties and desired skills. Watch out for common buzzwords in both job titles and descriptions that could be interpreted more than one way. An applicant with extensive customer service experience, for example, may apply for a vaguely described “account manager” position, but in your business, that job requires bookkeeping experience. Be sure the posting includes detailed information about requirements for:
Qualifications
Education
Experience
Skills
Special requirements (such as atypical work hours or travel)
And include details for:
Flexible work arrangements (in-person or remote work possibilities)
Paid time off (such as company holidays, starting vacation time, and sick leave policies)
Salary range
An Indeed survey revealed that employers often felt the need to revise job postings because they received too many under-qualified candidates. It will save both yours and the applicants’ time if your posting is clear about non-negotiables.
3. Evaluate Where Your Budget Is Best Spent
Small business owners often carry the load of performing various tasks. Whether your business is just starting out or you’ve seen quick growth that outpaced the hours available in a day, it’s likely there are helpful tools that you may not have had time to research. A personal approach to identifying and crafting job descriptions may feel like a valuable use of your time. Once the applications and resumes start pouring in, however, delegation of some tasks might ease some of the additional load. That’s where an applicant tracking system (ATS) like ApplicantStack comes in.
We’ve all been there: sifting through a long email thread with multiple people to locate some nugget of information about an applicant. Or trying to remember where and how you saved a resume file on your hard drive, only to come up with an empty search box. From your first application to making offers, ApplicantStack organizes and sorts relevant information for all involved to evaluate. It makes for smooth collaboration and prevents dreaded errors that can cause your company to miss out on a perfect hire.
4. Hire Young Talent
Experience and education are hard and fast requirements in some sectors, but consider if your company has room to grow by hiring young people just entering the workforce. These individuals may bring an level of enthusiasm and willingness to learn that benefits the team, and come in prepared for a starting salary commensurate with their position. Your company may consider mentorship as one of its core values to prepare new workers for a long and fulfilling careers.
5. Re-Evaluate Your Public Brand
Ask yourself (or your marketing team) some probing questions about how potential candidates are introduced to your company. It’s common practice for a job candidate to start their research with the basics.
How do you present yourself publicly?
If you have social media accounts, are they updated regularly with useful and informative posts? If you don’t post regularly, do they look neglected? Are they an important part of your business identity?
Does your website accurately reflect the current course of your business? Are hours of operation, contact information, or staff pages updated? Does it function properly or are there broken links or pages?
In terms of cost, social media and website updates can take anything from company time to the investment in an agency rebrand. Low-cost solutions like courses from a social media coach or simple text and photo website updates might make a big difference in your public persona.
New hires in a small business represent exciting growth. Hopefully these five tips can help you recruit quality talent even on a budget. Success awaits with careful consideration of your internal resources and external tools like ApplicantStack. You’ll be organized and on the way to hiring the best workers for your company.
In the first part of our coverage of recruiting trends to expect this year, we highlighted the importance of upskilling as a hiring and retention tool. Next up is the value of automation, specifically in hiring.
The recruiting process can be very time- and labor-intensive, often involving multiple people within the organization. Between posting open positions, sifting through applications, scheduling interviews, and conducting all the work on the back end, your team could end up spending hours to fill just one role. Explore the advantages of automation in the hiring process and how this trend can cut the time and energy spent on finding and bringing on top talent.
Recruiting Trends Coming in 2024
Here’s what has been covered (and still to come) in our five-part series:
According to a talent survey focused on the future of work, more than 90 percent of HR professionals plan to increase their use of automation in the hiring process, among other everyday tasks. In the recruiting world, automating certain processes can minimize the time spent on tasks substantially, freeing up bandwidth for team members to focus on other things. Additionally, automation can shorten the time-to-hire and reduce the cost-per-hire when used effectively.
So, how will automation factor into your hiring processes in 2024? The answer to that question depends on what you want to adopt. Using an applicant tracking system like ApplicantStack allows you to simplify many of the steps in the process of bringing on a new team member. The system can post job listings to multiple boards instantly, as well as support candidate outreach and follow-up efforts.
When you want to schedule an interview, you can meet candidates where they are with text-based communication. Some outreach efforts happen automatically, based on workflows set up early in the process. You can also utilize integrations to handle background checks and other tasks.
Screening candidates is easier than ever with automation, as the platform can look for specific keywords and phrases to weed out candidates who may not be qualified. The result is an automated process that is highly convenient for all involved, including applicants.
The Benefits of Automation in Hiring
Every organization aims to improve productivity among its team members. And hiring automation can help you move closer to that goal, as it eliminates manual processes that take a lot of time and effort. Those involved in recruiting can focus on more meaningful tasks rather than spending hours sifting through resumes or posting to multiple job boards.
Another advantage is the ability to boost the quality of each hire made. When your team members focus on the quality of the candidates, they can identify individuals with characteristics that align with the company culture and job responsibilities. Automation can also eliminate some of the variables that don’t necessarily predict performance, making it a must-implement in high-volume verticals like call/contact centers, quick-service restaurants and retail facilities.
Explore how ApplicantStack can help you feel more prepared for this 2024 hiring trend and stay competitive with the countless organizations that are planning to expand their teams this year. You can even try it for free! Post your job, utilize the tools built in, and enjoy an easier hiring experience from start to finish.
Keep an eye on our blog as we cover the next four 2024 recruiting trends to expect. In the next post, we’ll highlight the use of artificial intelligence among recruiters.
Is your company planning to hire in 2024? If so, you’re among the nearly 60 percent of businesses that expect to add new permanent positions in the first half of the year. This number comes from the State of U.S. Hiring Survey, conducted by Robert Half, a talent solutions and business consulting firm. Another 39 percent of respondents reported anticipating hiring to fill vacant positions.
As you gear up for recruiting processes and efforts, take a look at what you can expect this year. We’re rounding up the 2024 recruiting trends to expect among companies of all sizes.
Recruiting Trends Coming in 2024
Here’s what we’ll cover in our five-part series:
An Increase in Upskilling
The Value of Automation
More AI in Recruiting
Hybrid Work Shifts
More Entry-Level Hiring
Trend #1: Increase in Upskilling
Upskilling is a trend in the workplace that involves expanding an individual’s skillset and abilities. In the past, college grads went into roles feeling like they had the skills needed to perform their duties. But in today’s fast-changing workplace, needs shift and people take on all different roles, particularly when working in startups or establishing their own companies.
In the recruiting world, upskilling is important because it gives potential new hires a glimpse into what they can expect in a role. Providing opportunities to learn and develop additional skills is essential in any workplace, as doing so can contribute to improved retention. Among jobseekers, more than half report wanting to work in a place where they have access to learning and development programs.
Another advantage of upskilling is that it can make existing employees more qualified to take on new roles. If you have a star team member who is reliable, supportive and willing to work hard, why not help them move up and continue to bring their existing talents to your workforce? Offering the chance to learn new skills and become more ready to take on additional responsibilities will only help your business.
According to a survey of CEOs across the globe, more than 90 percent of company leaders who introduce upskilling opportunities see significant benefits. Some of these include improved talent acquisition, higher employee retention rates, increased productivity, and a workforce that includes resilient individuals.
By investing in upskilling, your company may be able to attract more talented individuals and retain those who are interested in improving their abilities. It’s a trend that likely won’t be going anywhere soon, so jump onboard and look for ways to help employees, whether new hires or seasoned staff members, in their efforts to grow and advance.
Keep an eye on our blog as we cover the next four 2024 recruiting trends to expect. Next up: the value of automation in hiring.
If your organization is struggling to find and recruit top talent, you’re not alone. In fact, filling a new position takes an average of 44 days, with more specialized roles taking as long as multiple months. But with the right approach, your business can improve its hiring efforts and strengthen the teams. Find out more about the role of recruitment marketing in building a strong and happy workforce.
What is Recruitment Marketing?
Recruitment marketing refers to the efforts made to promote a brand as an appealing place to work. Throughout the recruitment process, a business should continue to emphasize the advantages of working there through discussions of the core mission, vision, and values, as well as the overall culture. Using this strategy can boost brand awareness and encourage top talent with shared values to join the team.
What’s the Difference Between Recruitment Marketing and Recruiting?
Recruiting is the process of finding and screening candidates to fill job vacancies. It’s something that happens in nearly every organization that has employees, as people leave and their roles must be backfilled. Additionally, small businesses may invest in the recruiting process when experiencing growth that requires the addition of staff.
By contrast, recruitment marketing is the process of targeting people who might be interested in working for the organization, whether now or at some point in the future. Through the use of tools like employer branding and awareness, targeted ads, and social media platforms.
Goals of Recruitment Marketing
As you consider incorporating recruitment marketing into your hiring strategy, think about the goals you may be able to achieve.
Increase the number of applicants for job listings: With more applications to consider, it becomes easier to find well-qualified individuals for open positions.
Improve applicant quality: The quality of the people who apply for jobs determines the success of the hiring process. Improve applicant quality by casting a wider net and reinforcing the appeal of working for your organization.
Support nurturing efforts for candidates: Candidates need to feel supported and nurtured throughout the process, whether they receive an offer or not. Maintaining these efforts when filling positions can also generate more positive awareness around your organization as a supportive and appealing place to work.
5 Advantages of Investing in Recruitment Marketing
As mentioned, it can take a long time to fill an open position. With every day that goes by, the team members of that unfilled role are likely taking on additional tasks and responsibilities, potentially increasing the risk of burnout and declining morale. Reducing the time it takes to hire can make a big difference in overall satisfaction while keeping costs under control.
Lower cost-to-hire
Speaking of reducing costs, recruitment marketing can also aid in lowering what your organization spends on bringing on new hires. As you create a framework for the hiring process, you can reduce the time and money typically spent on various efforts that become obsolete. Additionally, getting employees involved in building the brand doesn’t cost a lot, yet can have a significant impact on the overall success of finding top talent.
Encourage engagement
Beyond just those directly involved in the hiring process, recruitment marketing encourages the entire employee base to get involved with recruitment efforts. Employees can serve as brand ambassadors, sharing their experiences with the organization to encourage others to apply for open positions. You can also request feedback and insights from employees, using this information to market the employer brand more effectively.
Improve candidate quality
Candidate quality is a key factor in hiring top talent. When you don’t have high-quality candidates applying for open roles, you can’t bring on the best people. But utilizing recruitment marketing tactics allows a company to seek candidates who already have similar experience and may be good cultural fits. As a result, you can target better candidates who may not be actively searching for jobs, yet open to better opportunities that come along.
Build diverse teams
Diversity in the workforce contributes to enhanced opportunities for solving problems and responding creatively to challenges. Additionally, a diverse group of people is able to pull information from a wider range of experiences and sources, leading to educated decisions that benefit the organization as a whole.
With recruitment marketing efforts, your business can target specific individuals to fill open roles. Doing so can aid in building more diversity across departments.
Technology for Recruitment Marketing Efforts
Access to the right technology can make a big difference in your company’s efforts to find and bring on skilled individuals, as well establish the organization as a welcoming and supportive place to work. As you think about how you can increase the number of applications and generate a wider talent pool, consider the following tools and resources:
Job board listing management tools
Candidate management technology
Text-to-recruit capabilities
Content creation and graphic design tools
Recruitment Marketing Tactics to Consider
Wondering how to make the most of this process? Check out these tips:
Make the most of job posting sites: Job boards are among the first places people go when looking for new opportunities. Make sure all open roles with your organization are accessible across a variety of boards, including those targeted to specific groups and niches.
Utilize online paid advertising to recruit: It may be worth putting some money behind your efforts, as paid advertising can get your message in front of a wider audience. Some options allow your business to target those in specific locations or with unique skills. Consider sponsoring or boosting job listings to reach more potential applicants.
Use traditional advertising channels: Similar to other marketing efforts, your organization should utilize traditional channels when getting the word out about the employer brand.
Develop a social media recruitment strategy: Social media has skyrocketed in the recruiting world, so get your piece of the pie by developing a strategy that utilizes the top platforms. Advantages of this tool include the option for two-way communication, an easy option for brand ambassadors to share information about open roles, and a wider reach.
Rely on employees in recruiting efforts: Include your current team members in efforts to find and bring on talent. Employee referrals tend to be higher-quality candidates, and current team members may be able to reach passive candidates who aren’t currently looking for work yet would be excellent fits in specific roles.
Showcase talent and subject matter experts: Think about how to incorporate your existing talent and subject matter experts in your efforts to find talented individuals.
Utilize customer base as recruiting source: Use every resource available to you when seeking to fill open positions, including reaching out to your customer base. You never know who may be open to changing roles or knows of someone who would align well with the organizational culture.
You could also look into video recruitment marketing tactics, such as creating video-based employee testimonials or interviews with brand ambassadors and including the media on your hiring page or recruitment ads. Other options include offering virtual office tours, showing remote work setups, and providing a “day in the life”, behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to be an employee of your organization.
Recruitment Marketing Metrics: Measuring Your Efforts
After you take steps toward creating and implementing a recruitment marketing plan, it’s essential to keep an eye on the success. Metrics like time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, and how long an employee sticks around can indicate how well your efforts are working and what you can change to make the process even better for all involved.
Other metrics to look at for online channels include:
Content impressions
Click volume
Click-through rate (CTR)
Cost-per-click
Cost-per-application
Cost-per-hire
Application rate
Even offline channels have metrics that your hiring professionals can keep an eye on to determine what works and what doesn’t. These include:
Phone calls
Landing page visits
Cost-per-application
Cost-per-hire
Use your data to identify the top candidate sources and measure the effectiveness of new tactics. You can also use the information to determine what your company is spending, on average, to bring on a new hire and whether it’s more worthwhile to hire and promote from within or seek out external talent.
Invest in Your Hiring Efforts with ApplicantStack
ApplicantStack is an all-in-one hiring and onboarding platform that can aid in your efforts to bring on top talent. You can easily use the system to create and post open jobs across hundreds of job boards, as well as connect with social media platforms for a wider reach. Plus, you can maintain your company’s transparency with consistent communication, like email notifications and texting, to hire the best candidate with less effort. Try it for free today to learn how it can complement your plan to invest in recruitment marketing and build a stronger employer brand.
Over a 20-year period prior to February 2021, the monthly resignation rate in the U.S. never rose above 2.4 percent. During the first two months of 2022, that national rate spiked to nearly 3 percent. In some states, the resignation rate shot up over 4 percent during the year. This time was referred to as “The Great Resignation,” and it left businesses of all sizes reeling.
But while things seemed to have settled at least somewhat, employees will continue to leave their roles in search of other opportunities. We’ve covered the hiring and onboarding process extensively on our blog, but what happens when someone leaves? That process is called offboarding, and it’s just as important. Explore why offboarding matters to your company and its impacts on future hiring efforts. We’ll also cover a few tips to improve the way your organization conducts offboarding interviews and practices.
What is Offboarding?
Offboarding is the process of transitioning an employee away from the organization. It should take place whether the employee chooses to leave or the separation is involuntary. But the steps should create a graceful and consistent process for any employee who will no longer work in their role.
Why Does Offboarding Matter?
Although it’s just as valuable as onboarding, offboarding tends to get overlooked. Management might feel uneasy about consulting with unhappy employees or simply want to move on to the new hire. But here’s what you’re potentially missing out on by skipping the offboarding steps:
A graceful separation between the former employee and organization
Protection from legal issues and other problems that may arise after termination
An easier transition within the role
The potential for growth and improvement within the impacted department and company overall
Plus, proper offboarding can provide insights into what changes can be made when seeking to fill the vacated position.
Leaving things on a positive note with a soon-to-be-former employee may also create a better experience. Current and past employees serve as brand ambassadors, whether positive or negative, so do what you can to push for the former.
What to Avoid when Offboarding an Employee
While the above points are strong evidence for the benefits of offboarding, it’s also important to remember what to avoid. The aim of offboarding isn’t to criticize an employee who has chosen to leave or been involuntarily terminated. Instead, its purpose is to create a friendly and mutually beneficial transition.
All involved in the offboarding process should show respect, particularly for the department employee. It should also serve as a tool to protect the company from potential legal concerns and explore what could have been done differently.
5 Tips to Improve Offboarding Practices
Whether your managers are currently following offboarding practices or you’re starting from square one, these tips can improve the process exponentially.
Follow a consistent process
Consistency is key when it comes to interacting with departing team members. If one employee feels they had a different experience than another, they may take legal action against the organization, claiming discrimination or unfair practices. Create a checklist and follow the relevant steps with each employee who chooses to leave or is terminated.
Assess the reasons for exit
While it’s vital to maintain consistency in the offboarding process, certain steps may need to shift based on the reasons for an employee’s departure. If someone is retiring, they will likely have different insights than someone who is choosing to seek employment elsewhere. Employees who are involuntarily terminated or laid off also require additional steps for legal protection.
Create an open line of communication
Although it can feel uncomfortable to communicate openly with an employee who is leaving the organization, it’s essential to do your best to keep the line of communication open. When company leaders avoid talking about the departure or try not to speak to the person leaving, these behaviors create a breeding ground for gossip.
Regardless of the reason, it’s always better to be as honest as possible about a resignation or termination. Of course, you don’t have to get into unpleasant details, but you can at least give as much warning as possible and discuss what the remaining team members can expect.
Aim for a successful transfer of knowledge
One of the overall aims of offboarding is to secure a successful knowledge transfer. Leaders and team members can use the information gleaned to keep up on projects and create an accurate job description when filling the vacated role.
When consulting with an employee during the offboarding process, request the following information:
What the daily routine looked like
What files and systems were used by the employee
The process for prioritizing and accomplishing assigned and ongoing tasks
Who the employee interacts with regularly
What type of training may be necessary
An employee departing amicably may be willing to create a document with all this information, which is very useful for someone filling their role.
Protect your organization
Your company needs to protect itself from legal issues as well as the risks associated with the loss of sensitive data or proprietary information. As soon as possible, secure all company assets and revoke access to private information. Ask for all company equipment back and prevent the former employee from accessing their business email inbox, social media profiles, and other systems used for client data or sensitive information.
With the right approach, an offboarding process can go from awkward to seamless. And the information gleaned in each step is invaluable for a company as its leaders seek to understand the reasons for departure, how to support the employees, and create a positive culture for all.
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