A recent study shows that Human Resource is one of the most stressful professions. The current COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people work, and the way talent is acquired. What is talent acquisition going to look like in 2021? Will there be new strategies in place? Here’s a look at some predictions for 2021 and recruiting strategies to keep abreast.

Recruiting predictions for 2021

Let’s start with recruiters themselves. The role of recruiters is more critical than ever before. The market for recruiters is getting increasingly competitive, and while repetitive tasks are automated, recruiters must be more creative and less predictable. 

1. Hiring plans will look different

Hiring needs are rapidly changing; the talent market is continually evolving and becoming increasingly diverse. As a recruiter, you will be expected to prepare yourself with new talent acquisition strategies to hire diverse workers.

Your hiring plans will have to change to keep up with these changing needs. New recruiting tools will have to be a part of your hiring plan to ensure you can keep pace with rapidly changing business markets, models, and goals. In addition, you will have to hone your recruiting skills.

2. Recruiters will be expected to do more

While in the past, recruiters’ tasks were streamlined and focused on sourcing, interviewing, and hiring candidates, hiring teams will have to go beyond the line of duty to deliver results.

Recruiters will need to do more than just identify the right candidates, they need to engage with them, entice them, and hire them. For this, recruiters must take on a more personalized approach.

Recruiters are also be expected to hone their strategic thinking, business acumen, and problem-solving abilities and take a proactive approach. Hiring teams will need to involve themselves with myriad activities like designing a hiring plan, teasing out long-term business results, forecasting hiring needs, analyzing talent data, and calculating strategic and impactful metrics like quality of hire, the effectiveness of a sourcing channel, and time to hire.

3. There will be better ways to improve your performance

Technology, flexible working hours, and various training and development opportunities are designed to improve your performance as a recruiter. For example, did you know that a recruiter spends around 23 hours screening and sourcing candidates for a single open job? Imagine how many hours are needed to source for multiple jobs in multiple departments? Recruiting software can save you this time by giving you the tools needed to automate your workflows.

TalenX uses human psychology and modern technology to fit the right person with the right job. Whether you are looking to build a diverse workforce, place people strategically where they will thrive, or simply ensuring the right people are chosen to get a job done right, TalenX will help you achieve this and more.

How to hire more strategically in 2021

Strategic hiring involves diversity, speed, and quality. Here are some practical tips to help you become strategic and improve your hiring process.

1. Get hiring managers involved in the process from the very start

Recruiting pipelines are a common strategic way of recruitment. Each pipeline corresponds to a job. Several potential candidates enter the pipeline at one end and progress through it step by step. The qualifying candidate is the only one who emerges at the other end of the pipeline. Traditionally, recruiters conducted this entire process. But candidates are more proactive about reaching out to hiring managers than to recruiters. So, instead of just being a part of the final recruitment stages, hiring managers must make themselves visible and available throughout the hiring process.

Hiring managers should be encouraged to take part in conversations within communities from which they will be sourcing candidates, as well as on social media channels. These conversations are key to attracting passive talent.

Some other ways that hiring managers can take part early in the hiring process is by hosting thought-leader webinars, sourcing jams, and even hosting meetups.

2. Understand the source-of-hire mix

A source of hire (SoH) mix gives you a thorough understanding of what percentage of overall hires entered each pipeline from each recruiting source (referrals, direct sourcing, job boards, etc.). 

Measure the SoH by determining the sources you want to track. You could also track internal and external hiring separately. You can decide to track only hires, or you can track all your candidate sources. Once you have determined what you want to measure, ensure you measure it consistently.

• Ensure the hiring mix is attuned to what the department leaders require.
• Direct more resources to the required and most valuable channels.
• Let go of or adjust sources that are consistently lagging.

You must also decide on whether you want to chase passive candidates or active job seekers. Those who are unhappy with their current employment or those who do not have a job are generally active job seekers. Those who are happy and satisfied with their current job are passive job seekers. While traditionally active job seekers were targeted, you must also devise new strategies that will attract and interest passive job seekers.

3. Save time when possible and quicken the hiring process

As a hiring manager, you can save several hours by giving your recruiters the power to screen candidates right up to the final rounds. 

Another way to save time is by streamlining the interview process. Reducing the number of people involved in the interview process will reduce bad consensus decisions and hasten the hiring process.

One other way is to use a service like TalenX that helps you find the right candidate from a wide pool of candidates. Simply get your candidates to take up a test. The TalenX system ranks the candidates automatically for you. You can skip the filtering stages and simply focus on the best and most suitable candidates. You will also get ready-to-read reports of each candidate’s skills and strengths, so you know if they will meet your organization’s needs and goals.

4. Get candidates interview-ready

Setting up your candidates for success and to bring out their best selves during the interview is critical, and recruiters can help by coaching them on what to expect. Some ways recruiters can help is by

• Ensuring candidates are aware of their strengths and weaknesses.
• Ensuring candidates are aware of and prepared to talk about their most significant accomplishments.

Providing candidates with access to employee resource groups.

5. Rethink the approval process

The process of opening a new requisition is tedious. For talent acquisition professionals, the process starts when the job is posted. For hiring managers, the process begins several weeks before this. In most cases, position vacancies can be predicted, so there is no need for a person to resign before the hiring process begins. If the process begins earlier, then approvals can be sought and obtained earlier as well. The sooner the process begins, the quicker you will find the right candidate.

Let the company know that requisitions must be opened asap if jobs are to be filled in quickly when required.

6. Conduct batch interviews and save time

Planning and scheduling interviews can add anywhere between 5 to 20 days to the interview process. If you want to reduce the time to fill, conduct batch interviews in a single day. This will quicken the interview process and ensure the quality of the interviews is maintained.

Ensure you have dedicated sources and enough recruiters to fill 10 to 12 interviewing slots for the days you conduct the interviews. By doing this, you can ensure you make same-day decisions and even dish out same-day offers.

7. Invest in an applicant tracking system (ATS)

An ATS is a software that completely automates the process of posting jobs and finding qualified talent. The right ATS can save the company both time and money. An ATS posts jobs to multiple sites, sort through applicants, and even schedule interviews. Finding the right ATS for your organization is a must, and since there are many types, it is important to research the right one for your company. Take your company’s budget and size into consideration when choosing an ATS.

The bottom line is, recruiters are in demand today like never before, and this requirement will continue in 2021. As there is a demand for recruiters, there will also be an increasing demand for them to do more. No longer is a recruiter’s job description constricted to hiring – the definition of talent acquisition and all that it encompasses will get more vast and deeper.

You now know recruitment is predicted to be different in the coming future and what 2021 will look like as far as talent acquisition goes. Preparing and planning today for the future will help you get better equipped for your organization’s talent acquisition requirements. The right strategies, preparation, and technology will ensure you do your best and hire the right candidates again and again.