What will recruitment look like in 2022?
What will recruitment look like in 2022?
The new year is often a good time for recruitment as people look for a fresh career start. Many have time off, which aids in the job search process.
I’ve had a reasonable amount of recruitment activity leading up to Xmas and the new year, but response has been more or less the same as always:
If the job is good you will get good applicants
If the job is just a job you will get the usual random results
COVID - the "gift" that keeps on giving!
The COVID normal summer that we’d all expected has been severely disrupted by new variants and large numbers of infections. This will have a serious roll on effect on workforce numbers and hiring new staff.
I doubt that there’s any magic answer to these problems other than managing them with empathy and understanding.
Is it time to reset expectations?
In the "before COVID times" people had become used to most things being pretty efficient, inexpensive and reliable. This is no longer a realistic expectation as people battle with "unprecedented" supply chain shortages and disruptions.
Maybe we need to outsource a little less and become more self reliant, even if it means paying more or having to wait a bit longer?
Weird candidate behaviour continues to be “a thing”
To me, it defies logic that people apply for jobs, book and reschedule interviews multiple times, only to finally disappear without trace? I’m sure there's actual valid reasons for some of this weird behaviour, but what I can’t understand is people who aren’t prepared to say “I’ve changed my mind” or “Now’s not the right time for me”.
If you are experiencing this as a hiring manager, do not take offence; just be grateful that the candidate who "no showed" or who went MIA, saved you the pain and suffering of working out their weaknesses after you hired them.
EMPLOYER TIP
Always have a plan B
Many hiring managers interview a candidate that they “like” and immediately focus solely on that applicant and stop considering other options.
I do understand why it's tempting to do this, especially if the preferred option is outstanding, HOWEVER, things do not always go according to plan.
The preferred option can fall over for a hundred different reasons, by which time, the other candidates may have moved on.
So, what's the answer?
"Hope for the best, plan for the worst!" - Jack Reacher
Here's why you should keep things moving forward and include all viable applicants in the selection process:
Give your superstar applicant a chance to prove themselves on the field of battle - confirm your opinion
Non-preferred candidates might interview better than expected and prove to be viable or better alternatives - open your end to other options
Most importantly, if plan A fails, plan B is ready to go!
Please understand that I would NEVER endorse hiring the wrong person; it's better to be understaffed than wrongly staffed.
