Take Home the Gold in 2014 when you Stay Ahead of These Staffing Trends
Mentally Prepare, Physically Train, Gloriously Fail. Get up. Repeat. And Keep Going for the Gold.
This year’s winter Olympians have done that all their lives. Truly great players like Kesler, Carlson and Quick show us how to look to the future, how to train, how to improve. And ultimately how to make a vision a reality… like playing on the 2014 U.S. Olympic Hockey team.
Here at Bond, we are honored to bring the best staffing and recruiting software to staffing pros who are poised to take home staffing gold this year. They have been studying the trends driving the industry. They dial-in and not only react, but predict and deliver what is needed in order to drive efficiencies into their staffing businesses.
With them, we have identified 5 trends which we feel ALL staffing and recruiting pros should study, and plan for carefully.
Could this year be a “Miracle off the Ice” for you? Get ahead of these 5 trends and claim the gold for yourself!
Staffing Trend 1 – The Need to Cast Wider Nets to Recruit Talent is Growing
In order to achieve great results, champions know no bounds. This approach to the game is what moves NHL greats to Olympian status.
Today’s recruiters face the same opportunity. To score the best talent, recruiters must not see obstacles. Rather, they need to set up wider nets.
Even with the unemployment rate of ~7 percent, talent seems to be scarce. According to Price Waterhouse Coopers U.S. CEOs are sharing that a shortage of skills is a potential threat to growth.
Staffing firms can get ahead of this trend by using social media, video interviewing, and actively courting qualified referrals. Managing the deluge of candidates found through these (and other) methods can be done more efficiently with well selected recruiting software.
Staffing Trend 2 – Labor Pool Access is More Open – Yet Challenging to Manage
From a VERY deep talent pool, only 25 players were selected for the men’s U.S. Hockey team. It wasn’t easy and it was definitely a thorough process.
Likewise, recruiters have few boundaries and lots of access to candidates especially online job seekers (and non-seekers). With the growth of social recruiting (from 56 percent of employers in 2011 to 77 percent of employers in 2013) the addressable labor pool has grown at staggering rates. But let’s be honest, bigger has not necessarily meant better.
The opportunity for recruiters is to invest in the right systems, processes and recruiting software designed to rapidly source qualified candidates, especially those with a high degree of specialization.
Staffing Trend 3 – Mobile Recruiting is Becoming a Must!
Olympians have heart. They have brains. And bottom line, they have the pure will to win. They are different from most of us in that they persevere when in pain. They get up and keep going when – for most of us – we might prefer to take a nap.
Mobile recruiting will be a key focus for staffers in 2014. 86 percent of jobseekers use mobile phones. 90 percent of job seekers read emails (potentially from recruiters with career opportunities) on their phones. And 82 percent expect to apply for a job via a mobile device.
Will you win market share by developing and enhancing your mobile presence? It means more work than simply maintaining a traditional web presence. For those of us not up to the mobile challenge, it might just be time for that nap.
Staffing Trend 4 – Social Staffing – It’s no Secret – Is Here to Stay…and Grow
Suiting up since they were three. That’s the story of most of this year’s U.S. Olympic Hockey team. And to make it this far, they have been dedicated to studying and practicing the nuances of their sport.
While 95 percent of LinkedIn members are open to relevant InMails from recruiters, the magic is finding the right candidate and romancing them enough to find interest in the career opportunity you hold in your hand.
Hiring managers and staffing offices will continue to use social media as part of their recruiting process. But those who study the nuances of social recruiting and learn how to integrate with their staffing and recruiting software will have success courting highly qualified – often passive – candidates.
Some staffing companies no longer require resumes, replacing them with a candidate’s LinkedIn profile. If you haven’t yet, it’s time to study up and adapt to social recruiting. Hit it with eyes of wonder. Like a 3 year old future Olympian!
Staffing Trend 5 – Contract Workers are Nearly Doubling
In 2010, 8 percent of U.S. Hockey Olympians were returning to the Olympics. This year over half the team is composed of returning Olympians.
Building bench strength can lead to a stronger future workforce.
42 percent of employers plan to hire temporary or contract workers in 2014, up from 40 percent in 2013. 57 percent plan to increase the number of contingent hires. The reasons vary, but the reality is the same.
Develop the processes and grow the systems to become not only a skilled recruiting agency, but also a staffing firm, with a recurring revenue stream, and you will be relied upon by your clients to fill their contingent workforce.
Study up staffers and recruiters. This year is destined to be a golden year for you. All you have to do is follow the biggest industry trends and setup your business to stay ahead of them.
Sound simple? Well remember to mentally prepare. And know that you may gloriously fail. If you do, get up my friend! Repeat. And keep going for staffing and recruiting gold.