The Five Most Important Recruitment Trends of 2021

The world changed massively in 2020, and the workplace changed along with it.  Many of the hiring and recruiting trends that have begun post-pandemic are here to stay. 

Companies typically turnover about 13-17.8% of employees per year; however in sales, the turnover rate is as high as 35%.

Compounding with the fact that 52% of workers plan on looking for new jobs in 2021, it's more important than ever to answer two fundamental questions:

• How can we adapt to new recruitment trends and build a successful workforce? 
• How can we reliably vet the talent in front of us?

Here are the five most important trends of 2021 and how to adapt them to your company.

1. Remote Work

In this new, post-COVID landscape, remote work has taken over. Many employees have been exposed to the benefits of a flexible schedule without commuting. Job seekers are now emphasizing location flexibility and work-from-home policies more than ever before.

Modern recruitment strategies need to adapt to the new job aspirations of their employees. Remote work is here to stay, so invest in tools to manage and recruit remote teams. Remote work hiring allows you a wider, diverse talent pool, free from geographic restrictions. and a smaller carbon footprint.  

While shifting part or all of your workforce to remote work seems promising, it also means re-thinking how to identify, appeals to, onboard, and compensate your new workforce.

2. AI and Predictive Analytics

HR experts believe “the single biggest trend shaping recruitment in 2021 will be the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to source, assess, and screen employees.”  Using AI and predictive analytics to screen applicants will not only spare recruiters from one of their most time-consuming tasks but helps objectively select individuals “best fitted” for a given role.

Predictive analytics tools like our Performance Fingerprints help objectively qualify high-performing sales agents pre-hire. With a 20-minute assessment, our people analytics tool measures job behaviors based on 400+ research-based human attributes to compile a ‘sales DNA’ of any pre-or post-hire sales rep.  This performance profile shows you exactly how well someone will fit into your unique role, even specifying KPIs like how much revenue they will generate or how many units they will sell.  The results are so compelling that one Global Head of Sales for a public technology company that recently hit the 1 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue states, "Perception is for the sales leader who leaves nothing to chance." Another Senior executive reduced turnover from a high of 70% to under 10% in under 18 months and saw the average sales per rep quadruple. These successes come from getting a deep forensic view into what causes someone to thrive on a companies sales team, and the unique interplay of qualities that might cause them to either be a liability hire or get stuck as a mid-performer.

3. Virtual Recruiting

Virtual recruiting is at the forefront of recruitment technology trends.  LinkedIn’s recent data finds that “81% of talent professionals agree virtual recruiting will continue post-COVID-19,” and “70% of talent professionals say virtual recruiting will become the new standard.”  Most companies implement video interviews and remote assessments, but COVID forces us “to create an end-to-end virtual recruiting process for the first time.”  

A complete virtual recruiting process is time- and cost-effective, but eventually, companies will have to strike a new balance between the tech and a human touch. The ability to leverage technology to gain insight into a person's worldview and aptitudes make hiring candidates from a remote location less risky. 

4. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

2020 brought much attention to issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion, so companies “are committing to aggressive diversity targets.”  It is no surprise that “diverse teams perform better.” Therefore, “HR departments, staffing agencies, and recruiting firms will have designated staff dedicated exclusively to increasing diversity” by removing the bias from the recruitment process, from talent pools and job descriptions to interviews and company culture. The reality is, even the best hiring processes contain bias.  The savvy executive seeks to use solutions that help make unintended biases visible so they can be counterbalanced.

5. Capitalizing on Current Talent

The course of the pandemic saw a 20% increase in internal mobility.  This includes a heavy emphasis on engagement and reskilling initiatives, adaptability, and well-rounded, widely applicable skill sets.  Half of LinkedIn’s survey respondents “expect their recruiting budget to decrease this year, while 66 percent anticipate their learning and development (L&D) budget to increase or stay the same.” 

Focusing on learning and development initiatives within your company can drastically boost the retention rates of your employees by "as much as 41%". Using a "dual-performance" fingerprint from Perception enables you to understand how likely a candidate is to be able to successfully promote through the various roles in your organization.  When implementing a campus recruiting program, you can focus your time and energy on graduates that have the widest likelihood of having a fit within your company's structure.

Build a High-Performing Team With PerceptionPredict

Companies wishing to objectively screen new potential hires or “catalog employees’ current skills” for internal job opportunities and professional development purposes can utilize predictive analytics tools.  PerceptionPredict includes individual companies’ data in evaluating role-specific competencies of job candidates and current sales reps to help determine the best person for the job.

Book a demo to learn more about PerceptionPredict, and how it can offer your company the equitable, efficient, and skills-based recruitment, you’re looking for.