What 2020 taught us about emerging recruitment trends: LinkedIn report

Before COVID-19, there were already significant changes in how talent professionals did their jobs. The arrival of the global pandemic saw talent professionals rise to fresh challenges.

Suddenly, transitions to remote work and virtual recruiting, which previously might have taken years, happened overnight. talent professionals’ understanding of people and skills were in demand as they helped our organisations communicate, and importantly, reassure employees and customers. It also meant looking for ways to recalibrate existing talent plans for the future amid all the uncertainty.

So which of these adaptations are here to stay, and more importantly what is going to come next? At LinkedIn, we went straight to the source and asked ⎼ what is the future of recruiting?

We surveyed more than 500 of Australia and Asia-Pacific’s talent professionals on how they see their work evolving. From their insights, and combined with in-depth interviews with global talent leaders as well as LinkedIn’s own unique data points, we have been able to make six bold predictions that are set to shape the future of recruiting.

Hear from your peers on how COVID-19 is transforming recruiting across the Asia-Pacific region.

Diversity matters and your employer brand has to demonstrate your values

Employer branding is an increasingly important element of recruitment with 70 percent of surveyed Australian recruiters expecting spending on branding to stay the same or grow.

But just what will be key features of that brand, particularly with the growing focus of seeing companies deliver real action on diversity and other social justice issues?

This year has seen companies find their voice, and express their values ⎼ whether it was offering support and reassurance during the pandemic, to speaking out against racial and other social injustices. But these conversations have to be followed with actions, to truly meet community expectations.

Delivering on diversity goals is an area which particularly resonated with the Australian talent professionals we surveyed. A whopping 90 percent agreed that diversity, inclusion and belonging was something that their employer cared about, compared to 76 percent across the region. Australia also consistently performs as a global leader for hiring diversity-focused roles.

All of this tells us that Australians care that workplaces represent the country’s multicultural makeup. This is why LinkedIn is predicting that demonstrating empathy will be increasingly important in employer branding. Potential talent isn’t looking for shiny perks but a sense of belonging and how you support your community.

Virtual recruiting is here to stay, and internal mobility will become more important than ever

Of the surveyed Asia-Pacific talent professionals, more than three-quarters (78 percent) see virtual recruiting outlasting the pandemic, in fact 72 percent think it will become the new standard.

But it is not just taking advantage of new tech to streamline the hiring process. What our talent professionals told us in this survey is that doing more with less means fostering existing talent.

Asia-Pacific has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to internal mobility. We know the benefits of creating clear pathways for talent throughout the organisation. In fact, LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends found employees are likely to stay 41 percent longer at companies with high internal hiring. Now with tighter hiring budgets, unlocking internal potential is going to be a core feature of the future recruiting landscape.

This focus on existing talent was an interesting distinction between the Asia-Pacific and global trends. 74 percent of Asia-Pacific recruiters thought employee engagement would be a bigger part of their role, compared with 67 percent globally.

Reskilling isn’t just for talent, recruiters are learning new skills too

Time spent by recruiters on training has more than quadrupled from a year earlier ⎼ a clear sign we are taking the time to foster skills we need in these changing times.

In our survey, more than half of Australian respondents (55 percent) said adaptability would become a key skill over the next year, and 60 percent said it would be important for the next five years, as they respond to growing demands on their time and skills. Many recruiters jumped onto new projects when hiring slowed during COVID-19, so in the future, recruiters may help lead talent out of work silos to help develop cross-functional teams across an organisation.

Similarly, we found 68 percent of surveyed Australian talent professionals saw advising the business on workforce planning as increasingly important to their roles ⎼ so no wonder they are learning the new skills to do that now too!

To find out all six predictions for the future of recruiting in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as new ways and tools you can use to unlock the potential of your existing talent pool, read the full report here.

Cover image: Shutterstock

This article is contributed by LinkedIn.