Top Four Predictions When Hiring in 2020

As we look forward to the year ahead, we have gathered the top four predictions for hiring in 2020, to help our clients with their candidate attraction strategies.

We discover how candidate experience will become more important, how artificial intelligence is taking the world by storm, the uncertainty of attracting talent as the tech sector, and how employers are valuing experience and potential over physical qualifications.

Candidates will have more power, considering culture and flexible working options

With skills shortages across numerous sectors, such as Rail, Nuclear and IT, candidates are not just considering if they can do the job, but also using it to their advantage to ensure the company is the right fit for them.

Candidates are evaluating the perks of the job, such as remote working and flexible hours to improve work/life balance, which will continue to be in demand in 2020. More and more companies are matching this demand by introducing more flexible working options, in an attempt to improve their candidate attraction strategies.

Candidates also judge the kind of business you are by how your business culture comes across online. Do you have a strong online presence?

64% of candidates said they research a company online and 37% said if they cannot find information on a company, they will not pursue the offer.

Put yourself in a candidates shoes, would you want to work for your company if you were to look at your social media page? Does it truly reflect who you are?

The result from a study of workers in the UK also revealed 42% of workers would prefer working for a business that has a positive influence on the world over a higher salary and that 36% would put in extra effort if their company benefited society in some way.

Candidate attraction and hiring in 2020 will become more candidate focused, so it will become more important than ever to provide constructive feedback. Whether feedback is good or bad, make sure you touch base when you can, show your human side and keep in touch with ex-candidates on LinkedIn where possible. A simple ‘like’ on one of their posts, or a quick comment to see how they’re doing, doesn’t have to take valuable time out of your day. In doing this, they’re more likely to recommend you to people they know who are looking for a new job, if you are at the forefront of their minds.

AI will increasingly be used to screen candidates to tackle unconscious bias and save time

It’s no secret that AI is developing at a phenomenal rate, with Chatbots already dominating websites and online customer services. We predict it’s only a matter of time until it’s a standardised part of the recruitment process. Recruitment agencies are already highly invested in creating a more efficient screening process, with many companies already introducing technology to screen candidate applications.

According to a survey by Allegis, over half (58%) of candidates who were asked, were comfortable dealing with artificial intelligence early in the application process.

A staggering 66% of candidates were ok with chatbots arranging interviews and assisting in preparation for said interview.

Not only that, but Artificial Intelligence companies secured a record breaking $1bn (£803.9m) of investment in just the first six months of 2019, which suggests AI is only going to become more mainstream.

There’s still a long way to go though. When it comes down to it, robots and humans are on different wavelengths when it comes to certain things. Hiring Managers, for example, can identify quickly whether or not a candidate would be a good culture fit for your business, whereas AI creates an unbiased decision and bases its decision on what’s on the candidates CV alone; both have their pros and cons.

Employers will focus more on soft skills over qualifications

With a looming skills shortage across the UK, employers are prioritising soft skills as part of their screening process as opposed to qualifications.

Almost two thirds of employers (58%) hire staff based on potential, rather than experience or qualifications.

Some may disagree that this is the way forward but surprisingly, 94% of employers report their potential-based hires have become a valuable part of their team, and just 17% of Hiring Managers have reservations about hiring ‘potential’ over ‘qualified’ candidates.

In fact, 55% of professionals felt that learning and growth opportunities were more important to them than higher salaries.

These findings originate from a survey conducted by Walters People UK.

Phill Westcott, Director of Walters People UK said, “Every role is going to have its own unique challenges and I believe that intrinsic motivation is key to keep employees going in the long run, which is why it is crucial to get to the bottom of what the candidate seeks in working at your company. If an employee is working towards their personal and career goals, then the person will be motivated to learn and strive for success.”

Tech hiring will take a hit as the UK experiences brain drain

Due to Brexit, the UK is experiencing what people are calling a “brain drain”.

89% of employers are anticipating a skills shortage in 2020 and in an industry where talent is already scarce, changes to immigration rules could shrink the candidate pool even further.

“Employers’ Brexit-related immigration challenges will further accelerate the already growing trend toward remote work, which has been fuelled in recent years by improved instant messaging and video conferencing tech in the workplace,” says Dr. Andrew Chamberlain, Chief Economist at Glassdoor.

There is a way to shine a light on this uncertain time however. Employers are looking for more creative candidate attraction strategies to pull in the top technology talent.

Chamberlain goes on to say, “we expect UK-based employers to shift their focus to cities outside the UK for tech-related hiring. Since major cities like Dublin, Amsterdam and Paris — all easily accessed from London — will remain in the EU, employers can still take advantage of more flexible intra-EU immigration rules from there. Although splitting up company workforces geographically has many disadvantages, it still may outweigh the high costs and uncertainty posed by immigration policies in a post-Brexit world.”

Need help hiring in 2020?

What do you think 2020 holds for hiring? We’d love to hear your thoughts on LinkedIn.

If you need help with your permanent or contract recruitment, and want help incorporating the best candidate attraction strategies, then call our Sales Director, Lewis Trow, on 01925 907020 or email lewis.trow@firstrg.com.