If you thought the new year would wash away problems from the past, think again! When it comes to talent acquisition, no matter what year it is, the same problem still remains: It’s hard finding skilled talent!
Monster recently released its annual “Future of Work” report, and for 2021, there is some good news and some bad. We’ll start with the good!
Positive Hiring Outlook in 2021
According to the report, the staffing industry is overwhelmingly optimistic about hiring in 2021, with 93% of U.S. employers remaining confident about finding the right candidates. Considering the high unemployment rate, employers will have no shortage of talent to sift through when finding the right fit for the role.
Additionally, 82% of U.S. employers plan to hire in the new year. More specifically, 42% plan to replace or backfill open positions, and 40% even expect to expand their company’s workforce by hiring for new jobs.
Monster’s “Future of Work” report shows that “with 2020 behind us, we can begin the new year with a brighter outlook and plans for the coming months,” says Scott Gutz, CEO of Monster. “The results revealed that recruiters and HR professionals are taking a very optimistic approach to the new year—82% plan to hire this year and 93% are confident they will find the right candidates.”
“We’re fully aware of the challenges the talent acquisition industry faces, including the broadening skills gap, the pandemic’s impact on our mental health, and the need for more diverse workplaces. Yet, despite these hurdles, Monster recognizes that the state of recruiting is strong and we are prepared to help job seekers and employers face future challenges together,” Gutz adds.
While sourcing talent is a must in the new year, there are some obstacles employers must face, so we’ll move onto the “bad” for 2021.
Top Recruiting Challenges of 2021
Overcoming challenges is part of every role, but for recruiters, there are some challenges that just can’t be met. For instance, in 2021, much of the same challenges from 2020 still remain. Monster’s report uncovered the following challenges:
- The skills gap is widening: 40% of respondents expect to continue facing the skills gap, with one-third of U.S. employers sharing that the skills gap has increased year over year.
- Virtual recruiting remains top of mind: 28% of respondents still struggle to master virtual recruiting. The United States is leading the charge at adapting to virtual practices, with 70% of U.S. recruiters using virtual technology for at least half of their candidate interviewing and new hire onboarding.
- Recruitment process is still a work in progress: The top three recruiting issues HR professionals found include:
- Assessing candidates during the interview (41%)
- Identifying quality candidates quickly (40%)
- Effectively screening candidates pre-interview (36%)
Key Candidate Considerations for 2021
As you plan your talent strategies for the year ahead, Monster uncovered some key items you’ll want to take into consideration:
- How work is influencing mental health: Unfortunately, employees have been struggling with mental health issues and concerns caused by their work, including job-related anxiety (31%), depression (15%), and headaches from too much screen time (13%). Monster suggests that hiring managers and recruiters will likely work closely with their teams to ensure that workers have the tools to help prevent these issues and the skills to help treat them if they do arise in their workforce.
- Emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies: U.S. employers are making strides to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies, with 56% planning to update their recruitment strategies to attract more diverse talent.
It makes sense that mental health and diversity and inclusion top the list of considerations for 2021, as those topics dominated conversations in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.
Nobody will forget 2020, but let’s actively work to make 2021 a thousand times better! Here is your chance to build up your organization!