It may seem a little early to start thinking about 2022, but the reality is, it will be here before we know it. Business leaders are beginning to put plans in place for the new year, whether assessing budgets or preparing new strategies for success. It’s a great time to evaluate what’s working and what needs to change so that you can prepare for a change in the new year. A new year is a fresh start, so it’s a great excuse to experiment with new strategies in all business areas. And, with the dust finally beginning to settle on a few years of uncertainty, it’s becoming clear that now is the ideal time to adjust tactics and refine your business approach across all areas. So why should your recruitment strategy be any different?
Here are some reasons why you should start putting the wheels in motion now so that your recruitment strategy is ready for 2022.
The talent market is changing
The talent market is changing rapidly, and TA teams must be agile and ready to adapt alongside it.
With growing skills gaps and the extra demand for talent, we can’t expect that talent acquisition will get any easier, but we can prepare for change. Rather than relying on the same old recruitment tactics, talent teams need to be considering what they can do to be more agile and flexible when it comes to hiring practices. They need to look at the processes that are in place already and consider which tools will allow them to reach talent quickly as their business needs grow. This could be adjusting your candidate experience to be more streamlined or adopting some AI and automated technologies that will speed up the recruitment process. There are plenty of new tools and options on the market which can help your recruitment strategies to withstand a constantly changing talent market.
Also, remember the priorities of candidates are changing as a result of the pandemic. Whether it’s thinking about their work-life balance, a company’s impact on the environment, or even looking at their skills and opportunities for progression, motivations for joining a company are not the same as those two years ago. Now, in the run-up to the new year, it is an excellent time for employers to look internally at what makes them unique and work out how to connect with candidates on an emotional level. For example, do you offer great benefits for parents? Do you provide opportunities for learning and development? Or do you have a vibrant office culture that will appeal to younger talent starting their careers? Think about what candidates are looking for and how your business matches up; then, you can adjust your employer brand and EVP accordingly.
Get ahead in the race for talent
Recruiting takes time. The average time to hire for a tech vacancy in the US is around 30 days. With such high competition for talent, this is set to increase. Therefore, if you know you’re planning on hiring in the first quarter of 2022, it may be worth prepping those job advertisements and descriptions now to get ahead. The days of advertising and filling a role quickly are over unless you happen to be a tech giant every candidate wants to work for. If you’re trying to find niche or experienced technical talent, your talent pool may be particularly small, and with more demand for these candidates, it may take longer for you to fill these roles. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to plan in advance and get a head start.
There are more obstacles facing talent acquisition professionals which delay the hiring process. For example, some candidates now have to deal with extended notice periods, which causes problems for employers as new hires can’t start as quickly as planned. There’s also a risk that candidates will accept another offer in the middle of their 3-month notice period. Plus, with more choice on the market and employers desperate to hold on to their talent, the chances of your offer being rejected for counteroffers or another opportunity are higher than ever. Therefore, it can take longer to find the right person, or at least for them to begin working with you. To be proactive about hiring in the first half of the year and plan for these situations now, you should start planning for the roles you need. If they’re very specialist, it may even be a good idea to start advertising before the year is out.
Demand is high
The talent market, especially in skills-based sectors like tech, is hot. Demand for new hires is high, which means there is a considerable amount of competition out there. Therefore, the same old tactics and budget allocations that you’ve always used may no longer be enough to help you stand out from the crowd. Every business in your industry and beyond is competing for the same skills. They’re all using the same strategies to attract these candidates. Therefore, the talent pool of active candidates is limited and will be snapped up quickly. This is why the talent teams are starting to think outside of the box; we can expect to see more of this trend in 2022. Imagine just how many job adverts are posted every day for a role similar to yours. How can you make sure yours stands out? How can you reach a wider talent pool? Tools like digital attraction campaigns can help you capture the attention of passive candidates, and thinking a little more creatively will help you stand out against the plethora of demand.
Plan strategically for future roles
The end of the year is the perfect time to plan ahead, and this can mean considering the roles your business will need to hire in the future. Talent mapping will help you to assess the skills within your organisation and look at your businesses plans for growth. By doing this, you can ensure your talent acquisition strategies match your goals. If you have ambitious plans which require high-volume hiring, you can give your talent team plenty of time to prepare. Anticipating any major hiring projects, whether it’s a senior role or mass hiring of technical roles, will allow you to prepare. If the market remains as competitive in 2022, your teams will be able to begin the hiring process earlier so that growth plans remain unaffected and talent is in place for when you need them most.
Prepare your Employer Brand
As we come to the end of the year, hiring may slow down to make allowances for the holiday periods. Now is the time to consider the type of employer you wish to be thought of by candidates and employees. Create the type of culture which will both suit your employees and allow your business to succeed. Employer branding is becoming key in recruitment. As salaries and benefits level off, culture, values and employee wellbeing are taking priority. Therefore, it’s time to celebrate what makes you unique. We’ve been saying for months that it’s time to get loud with your employer brand, the more you amplify your unique selling points, the easier it will be to attract like-minded talent. Going into the new year will help your talent acquisition efforts if you have a clear idea of the business you want to be and the personality type of employees that will thrive in your working environment. Celebrate the aspects that make you, unlike any other workplace, whether you’re cut-throat, supportive or a relaxed place to work.
Find the right RPO provider
You may have decided that to help your recruitment efforts in 2022, you’d like to outsource and work with an RPO provider. This could be to make up for laying off internal recruiters during the pandemic, or it could be to relieve the pressure on HR teams who will be working hard to meet talent demands over the next year. Whatever your reason for outsourcing recruitment, finding the right talent partner takes time. You have to pick an RPO provider that’s right for you; with the right skills and industry experience, that is easy to work with and can help you strategically. You need to work well with this RPO provider for your partnership to succeed, especially if they become an embedded part of your talent function. They should not only relieve HR pressure but improve your talent acquisition efforts. Finding the right partnership isn’t instant. It takes time and consideration. Therefore, if outsourcing recruitment is on your agenda for 2022, it’s worth speaking with RPO providers now to identify the most suitable for your business. If you begin an RFP and pitching process, there really is no time to lose. If you start searching for an RPO provider now, you could be ready to go in the new year and enjoy recruitment support throughout 2022.
