Several companies face a dilemma with their recruitment strategies. Approximately 40 percent of American employers have trouble filling positions, according to a 2014 survey from Manpower. Employers must learn to watch job search trends as the labor market turns to include more candidates who have the upper hand during the recruiting process.
One of the most ubiquitous job search trends includes job boards on various websites. Recruiters looking to find job candidates love this method, as candidates can apply for positions, submit resumes and add cover letters. Digital recruitment strategies save employers time, money and effort through applicant tracking systems, and online job boards foster that type of technology. Keywords and automated applicant trackers continue to dominate the field as a first line of vetting candidates in order to save tons of money and staff time.
Nearly 86 percent of candidates use mobile devices to search for jobs. Recruiters should have websites that optimize mobile searching or simply have apps for people to find jobs. Similar to shopping, job search trends have moved increasingly to smartphones and tablet devices, although traditional Internet use remains a huge aspect of the recruiting process.
Social media represents one of the most prominent job search trends, and not just because of everyone's LinkedIn profiles. Recruiters create dedicated accounts on other sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Google and Pinterest to actively find the right talent. Social media searches cost little to no money and basically just need someone to maintain the accounts. Although posting advertisements through social media can cost money, larger firms may benefit from using this strategy. Some recruiters also vet candidates through social media accounts, so job seekers should be wary of posts on Twitter and Facebook that may disparage an employer. Employee referrals also remain a viable trend, but even that human aspect requires some tech know-how as more professionals rely on LinkedIn to make connections.
Perpetual searches happen on both sides of job recruiting. Companies and employees both passively search for new positions on a constant basis. This occurs when someone inputs a saved search through LinkedIn or job boards, and then someone receives an alert saying a job or candidate has become available. Nearly 86 percent of professionals intend to look for a new job in 2015 now that the job market is more stable and companies are willing to spend extra money to get the right talent.
Freelancing and outsourcing talent has become one of the relatively new job search trends. As many as 34 percent of American workers freelance, according to a survey in 2014 from oDesk. Freelancing saves firms money for temporary or fixed-term projects that do not need a full-time employee. Freelancing puts the onus of health benefits on the worker, while companies can find the best possible talent for the lowest price with respect to bids for jobs. Several websites cater to this type of recruitment model, and employers may flock to this paradigm more as candidates seek freedom to work from home.
The overall theme of job search trends continues to point towards technology. Employers and candidates should be mindful of technological trends moving forward to make the most of the job-seeking process.
Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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