Recruitment Trends For 2018

Bryony Gibson, Managing Director of Bryony Gibson Consulting, talks about the recruitment trends and the emerging practices that may affect your business in 2018.

It’s hard to believe we’re at the end of 2017 already. It’s been another year full of political and economic change, but the recruitment market has remained relatively buoyant, with unemployment staying low.

Skills shortages have been the biggest challenge for employers, particularly in the tax and accountancy sector, but they have been hampering more than just recruiters. Productivity and staff morale have also suffered as a result of businesses failing to find the right people with the right skills and character.

Technology, talent and new innovations all combine to make it an exciting time for recruitment professionals and, with that in mind, here are seven of the fastest-growing employment trends to look out for in 2018:

Artificial Intelligence

The adoption of AI in recruitment has been very much focused on candidate skills rather than broader demographics, but technological advances look set to transform the way we hire talent. With new AI powered systems that reduce unconscious bias, we will not only be able to improve the quality of screening job applicants, but it will allow recruiters to be more efficient.

Blind Hiring

In line with the wider adoption of smart IT systems, and following a number of high profile international claims of bias in the workforce, the transformation of recruitment into a ‘blind’ process looks set to become commonplace in large firms. It’s the easiest way to prevent controversy and encourage an ability-led and diverse workforce, so expect to see age, gender, race and even names disappear from initial application forms.

GDPR Legislation

Set to impact businesses across the world, the EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation comes in to force on the 25th May 2018. While there’s still plenty of time to prepare, recruiters will need to review the way they process candidate and client data in order to comply with the much stricter rules, as if found violating them, they will not only have to fix the problems fast, but also risk very big fines.

Apprenticeships

Internal trainee programmes are back, with apprenticeships offering one of the most proven ways for any industry to address a skills shortage and develop a highly trained workforce. Working with vocational schools, colleges and universities, businesses should start employing apprenticeships for highly skilled jobs of all kinds.

Google for Jobs

Still in the early stages, 2018 looks set to be a big year for Google’s new job search. By making it easier for people to find job vacancies across virtually all of the major online job boards, Google plans to deliver a quick way for us to identify all of the relevant vacancies, without having to go trawl through multiple websites.

Remote Working

Working at home – or anywhere with good Wi-Fi – is a growing trend that looks set to continue rising in popularity. Not only does it make it possible to recruit from anywhere in the world, but it opens up a huge pool of candidates, as well as helping to retain current staff and boosting job satisfaction through a better work-life balance.

Candidate Experience & Employer Brand

As a skilled professional with the right attitude, in today’s market you shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not you’ll be able to find a new job. It’s the companies competing for your signature that need to worry, which is why we will see a lot more personalised and engaging recruitment strategies in 2018.

Without an effective way of communicating company values, recruiters run the risk of people walking away from the hiring process. That’s why an organisation’s employer brand has never been more important, and it’s fed by the candidate experience, so expect a big focus on improving the application, interview and feedback process. A bad experience now not only leads to people turning down job offers, but shines a bad light on the business as a whole.