Recruitment Trends You Should Know About as a Job Candidate

Recruiting has changed a ton in the last 10 years, even in the last five. Artificial intelligence and automation, for example, are used frequently when recruiters interact with candidates, from the moment a candidate applies to the day they are hired (or not).

Recruiters use automation even before they ever have contact with candidates.

Why should this matter to you, the job candidate?

Because the more you know about the recruitment process, the more you can use that information to your advantage during a job search

Here are five recruiting trends to be aware of moving forward:

1. The candidate experience.

This is what recruiters refer to when they talk about how you “experience” your relationship with their company – and with them as individuals – as you look for work.

It starts – or should start – before you ever apply for a position, even before you ever see a company’s job ad on a job board or its website.

Your experience starts with the company’s brand – Its reputation – and recruiters and hiring managers hope it’s a good one so that you’ll be happy when you see a posting or when a recruiter reaches out to you on LinkedIn.

It’s rough out there for recruiters right now (and probably will be for the foreseeable future) as they struggle to attract the best of the best.

And they want you to have a “great experience” with them because if you’re happy overall with how you’re treated during your application, interview, etc., you’re 38 percent more likely to say yes when offered a job.

When candidates have doubts about a company and/or its job, 87 percent of them said a great candidate experience could help them change their minds.

Here’s a brief overview of what employers think constitutes a great candidate experience.

2. Artificial intelligence.

That personal-feeling email you received from a recruiter letting you know what you could expect during an interview with the company? That probably was generated by AI/automation.

Automation is often used in sending out emails, notifications, etc. AI in recruitment is used in various ways: chat engagement, resume/profile matching, etc. It can even identify work experience, qualifications, location, etc., and then rate potential candidates.

AI/automation isn’t used to replace human interaction but to optimize recruitment processes. There’s a lot of repetition in recruiting (sending out emails, acknowledging applications, etc.), and these tools help “augment and enhance human recruiters’ abilities” rather than replace them.

3. Social recruiting

Clean up your social media profiles because recruiters/hiring managers are looking at them more and more to check you out but also to engage and interact with you.

Channels such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and (especially) LinkedIn allow recruiters to target candidates based on region, current and past job descriptions, interests, skills, and more.

So don’t be surprised if recruiters reach out to you on these channels (if they haven’t already). And, even if you’re not looking for a new position right now, it’s always wise to be professional, polite and ask that the recruiter keeps in touch because – after all – one never knows.

4. A focus not only on the candidate’s experience but the employee’s experience with the company’s overall culture once hired

Employers have noticed that a strong, positive company culture often results in more satisfied employees and even customers, better employee retention, and a healthier bottom line.

Glassdoor found in 2019 that 77 percent of candidates take an employer’s corporate culture into account before even applying for a job there. In addition, 56 percent of respondents said a company’s culture is more important than salary when it comes to their work satisfaction.

5. A focus on recruiting passive candidates.

A “passive” candidate is someone currently employed and not actively looking for a new position.

Recruiters and hiring managers love passive candidates for that very reason: they’re not looking; they’re employed. Therefore, they must be pretty darn good at what they do!

This is not true, of course: many terrific people lose positions all the time for reasons utterly unrelated to the quality of their work: a company closes or lays people off, as just two examples.

But the perception persists.

So if you’re working right now, don’t be surprised if you’re approached by a recruiter/hiring manager. And if you’re not interested in their opportunity? See item 3 above.

Working now or not, The Intersect Group has exceptional opportunities waiting for finance/accounting and IT professionals

Take a look at our current opportunities. If none appeal to you, consider registering with us anyway: our clients always send us new positions. If you’re registered with us, we can contact you ASAP should a position that meets your criteria pop up.