Since March 2020 we have been labeling our circumstances as “unprecedented,” but at what point do they become precedented? It’s been nearly two years since COVID-19 became a key player in our lives, both personal and professional, but society has adapted remarkably well, considering. 

We don’t fully know what to expect in 2022, (we hardly know what to expect next Thursday) but we can make an educated guess about what might be important for recruiters to consider in the coming months.  

It will remain a candidate’s market for the foreseeable future 

The power of choice is in the candidate’s hands right now, and it’ll probably stay that way through at least the first half of 2022. “Seventy-three percent of recruiters report an increase in negotiating for higher salaries among candidates and current employees—up more than 20 percentage points since 2020,” says Kerry Gilliam, vice president of marketing at Jobvite. Odds are, you’ve seen something similar, regardless of industry.  

Candidates are comfortable asking for more: more salary, a better title, a promotion, training or further education, etc. And because the labor market is so tight, companies will need to continue to be willing to negotiate.  

DEI initiatives are no longer optional 

If you want to succeed as a business, you have much better odds of doing so if you have a diverse and equitable workforce and culture. Repeatedly studies have shown that the businesses with higher rates of diversity are more profitable than ones without. Additionally, per the McKinsey Diversity Wins report, candidates are actively looking for future employers with a formal DEI strategy.  

If you aren’t sure where to start with your DEI initiative, check out these 7 steps your organization can take to reevaluate your recruiting practices and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.   

Resume gaps are not an issue 

At the beginning of the pandemic thousands of people lost their jobs. Although some were temporary, many more were permanently laid off or furloughed as businesses struggled to keep their doors open when society came to a standstill. This means that thousands of people now have gaps on their resume, some for a year or more. The loss of employment was not due to any lack of effort or success on the employee’s part, but rather a nasty symptom of COVID-19. It would be silly, not to mention a poor recruiting strategy, to hold these candidates responsible for the gaps in their resume. Plus, depending on the industry you are recruiting for, it might be the case that the majority of candidates you screen have these gaps during the same time period. Take them lightly, as there are better ways to determine a candidate’s work ethic and accomplishments.  

Increased work flexibility 

Chances are that you have heard about companies waging war with their employees about remote work and workplace flexibility. Apple was a high-profile case, in which thousands of their employees formally complained that the company was going to require them to come back to the office. These employees did work that didn’t need to be completed in any specific location, so why require it to be done in the Apple office? Add in the fact that Apple touts itself as a partner in remote work when selling their products, and you have a great recipe for turnover. Apple later moved these return-to-office plans back from September 2021 to January 2022, although their reasoning was due to the new Coronavirus strain. 

If the most profitable company in the world has employees threatening to quit over being able to work remotely, you may want to consider your own policies on the subject.  

There are certainly things to consider: company culture, new hires and onboarding, or spontaneous interactions that spur creativity and social interaction among teams and departments. But ultimately, if a job can be done remotely, that is what the majority of candidates are going to want. We have informative? guides on recruiting for a remote workforce, remote onboarding, and managing a hybrid team to get you started.  

It remains to be seen whether these trends play out in the new year, but it seems likely they will appear in one way or another. We at Skywalk Group anticipate no slowdown in any of these in the near future, and urge companies and their recruiters to add them to the discussion when looking at talent acquisition strategies for 2022. If you need some guidance on developing your recruiting strategy, contact us today for a free 10-minute consultation.