The unemployment lows we’ve seen throughout 2019 are expected to continue into the new year. In 2020, recruiters will have to work harder than ever.
With fewer qualified applicants coming your way, you may find yourself scrambling to impress top talent, not the other way around.
To get ahead in 2020’s candidate-driven market, you’ll have to take a flexible approach – in more ways than one.
1. Attract Top Talent with Job Flexibility
In many industries, jobs can survive – and even thrive – when employees are permitted to work remotely or on flexible schedules.
The 2019 LinkedIn Global Talent Trends Report highlighted the growing significance of job flexibility in the recruiting process:
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51% of talent professionals believe job flexibility helps in attracting candidates.
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71% agree that it improves work-life balance for employees.
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75% believe it will be increasingly important in the future of recruiting.
A growing number of job seekers cite work flexibility as a top consideration. Employers who can but don’t offer some form of flexibility will fall behind in 2020.
2. Take an Open-minded Approach
In 2020, flexibility won’t just be about remote work and schedule shifting; it also extends to your recruiting mentality.
With a growing number of jobs and a limited number of people to fill them, hiring managers must stay open-minded.
The Society for Human Resource Management noted that recruiters can’t be “as picky as they once were.” They advised employers to limit the number of job requirements to attract more applicants.
Look for transferable and related skills instead. Don’t discount candidates with nontraditional backgrounds, either. If necessary, invest in on-the-job training to bring new hires up to speed.
3. Automate Candidate Communications
In 2020, responsive and proactive employers will have a better chance of engaging and attracting top talent. When job candidates are in the drivers’ seat, consistent communication becomes all the more important.
A robust applicant tracking system (ATS) can streamline and simplify communications. Use it to:
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Syndicate job descriptions across multiple job boards.
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Sort and search for qualified candidates in your talent pool.
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Send automated emails to keep candidates informed.
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Move candidates more quickly through the review process.
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Nurture your talent pool until new opportunities arise.
The most successful recruiters will use automation tools to support a positive candidate experience in 2020. Make sure you’re on board, too.
In a candidate-driven environment, communication is key.
Takeaways
Since qualified candidates will be scarce, you won’t find a perfect match for every position in 2020. Here’s what you can do to get ahead when recruiting in a candidate-driven market:
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Cast a wider net during your next search.
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Promote work flexibility to attract more candidates.
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Stay proactive and communicative with automation tools.
Kelly Peters is a communications and content manager at JazzHR, where they’re on a mission to make recruiting and hiring easy, effective, and scalable no matter what growth looks like at your company. The Jazz Performer Platform doesn’t just help your company grow, it can help your recruiting process grow up, putting you on the path to hiring “Performers Only.”