TOP 5 HIRING TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2023

As we enter into 2023 and with the competition for talent at an all-time high, recruiters are excited to experiment with new and outstanding methods of convincing people to work with them. In this article, we bring to you some of the top practices that are expected to elevate the whole hiring experience for an incredible pool of talent in 2023 and beyond!

Given the pace of radicalisation that we've witnessed over the past three years, we have finally come to terms with the fact that whatever seems urgent at the moment will soon become a thing of the past. So how do we accommodate ourselves to this kind of shift? Conveniently, employees too have been taking an easy approach to navigating the work landscape by constantly hopping from one job to another and if you ask them the reasons for this development, they will quote 'growth' or 'flexibility' as their leading priorities. And it is true! The companies are no longer waiting for the talent to come to them but the talent on the other hand is waiting for organisations to make the right space for their evolved needs. Talent retention or acquisition and hiring, therefore have become the leading concern for organisations and leaders worldwide and they are certainly doing the due diligence to fill the gaps. As we enter into 2023 and with the competition for talent at an all-time high, recruiters are excited to experiment with new and outstanding methods of convincing people to work with them.

In this article, we bring to you some of the top practices that are expected to elevate the whole hiring experience for an incredible pool of talent in 2023 and beyond!

1. Quiet Hiring

The second half of 2022 saw a viral wave of ‘Quiet Hiring’ surfacing on our social feeds, with leaders from all over the world making headlines for the potential causes and solutions. In 2023, however, leaders are swooping in to implement a 'Quiet hiring' approach with the intent to add new skills and capabilities to the organisation without actually making changes in the headcount. As opposed to the Quiet Firing phenomenon which is discouraging in its very essence, the practice of Quiet Hiring ensures that their existing talent is growing in every professional and personal capacity that they can and this is achieved with a greater focus on internal mobility, upskilling and reskilling opportunities or by bringing in a contingent workforce for maximum support and development.

2. Automation in recruitment

A recruiter's time in this day and age is too precious to waste on things that can easily be automated and streamlined. Certainly, the use of data in hiring is not a new concept but the use of new-age technologies to make hiring practices more efficient and precise is rapidly taking over the hiring function. Choosing the right technologies to facilitate chatboting, candidate screening, video-conferencing, employee verification, remote screening, etc has extensively helped recruiters make hiring possible from anywhere across the globe and this will continue to dominate the workspace in 2023 as well.

However, as we continue to speed up our recruitment processes with AI and automation at scale, organisations must also realise its ethical implications which emphasises the need to be more careful and transparent with the data.

3. Tapping the non-traditional candidate market

As per Mckinsey and also highlighted by David Green as one of the top 4 trends to look out for in 2023 in his recent LinkedIn post, hiring for skills is five times more predictive of job performance than hiring for education. As employees continue to take the non-linear career paths and choose jobs that are outside their current area of expertise, organisations in 2023 will have to become more comfortable in assessing candidates solely on their ability to perform in the role instead of the credentials or prior experience. We've already stepped into an era where traditional sourcing methods have become obsolete and hiring managers will be seen prioritising the nontraditional career bucket in their pursuit of finding the right talents for the right jobs. Additionally, with different generations entering the workforce, organisations need to create new job titles and careers for people who don't fit into traditional roles.

4. 'People-first' employer branding

Organisations that allow employees to see the company's cultures and values throughout the employee lifecycle will have a competitive edge over others. A positive and people-first employer branding will go a long way in attracting the right talent that prioritises values over compensation today. According to a CareerBuilder study, 75% of job seekers consider company culture and workplace demographics when assessing a job offer while 39% of the candidates said they would reject an organisation that lacked inclusive practices. Employer brands therefore must showcase why their companies are the best fit for job seekers. In an attempt to allow candidates to get a glimpse into the future at the companies, employers in 2023 will take an active approach to create a people-first employer branding strategy by sharing more authentic employee stories and sustainable company practices and initiatives with their potential candidates.

5. Personalised onboarding

The typical one-size-fits-all approach to onboarding will no longer work in this dynamic world of work and recruiters certainly understand the power of personalising the employees' onboarding journeys today. The term 90-day rule has time and again come up on our feeds throughout the year, which essentially means that the first 90 days of an employee in an organisation is a make or break factor for them and that begins with how well you get the employees acquainted with the company practices in the onboarding process. The competitive nature of the workplace or even a poor onboarding process has often led employees to 'Quick Quit'. To combat this, recruiters in 2023 will be dedicating enough time t ensure that their new hires get acclimated with the company's culture. Efficient cross-boarding and remote onboarding also help in setting good expectations for new hires. But most importantly, it is all about adjusting the onboarding process for different roles and employees' needs that count. Recruiters in 2023 must focus on personalising onboarding instead of the information overload approach. Building a plan for the development of your employees right from when they are hired gives them all the more reason to stay. Understanding their expectations to steer them in the right career direction is many tasks that recruiters will be seen taking up this year.

In this super dynamic and competitive talent landscape, it is the candidates who are in control of the jobs and not the other way around which gives them the power to say 'No' to job roles or experiences that don't match their shifting expectations. According to a PwC survey, nearly half of the job seekers said they would turn down an employer if they received a poor candidate experience. Another survey highlights that 54% the Gen Zs won't complete an online job application if they think their recruitment methods are outdated. Speed and efficiency are also critical for candidates who, for long have endured painstakingly long interviews and onboarding processes, not the mention the blatant 'ghosting' on each rejection. Transparency, communication, growth, and speed therefore have become the focus areas for the new hires who expect to be included and informed in every situation.

So, as we step into 2023, what is your strategy for navigating the hiring landscape of 2023? Are you ready to get started? Do share your best hiring moments with us in the comments below!

-       Hrsea ET