Recruiting Trends to Ring in 2023

The end of the calendar year is quickly approaching, and as we prepare for the holiday season, it’s always a smart idea to reflect back on the trends we’ve seen throughout 2022. While some aspects of the workplace balanced out after 2 years of tumultuous change, new challenges and opportunities emerged. Today, we look back at some of the key recruiting trends we’ve experienced in the last year, and we look ahead at what you can expect in 2023.

Looking Back On 2022

The Great Resignation reared its ugly head, leading to one of the most historically tight labor markets in history. Recruiters faced record levels of burnout, and job seekers shifted their priorities over the course of an eventful year.

Take a look back on some of the biggest #RecruitingTrends from 2022 and get a first look at what to expect in 2023: Share on X

A Challenging Hiring Market Made Securing Talent Difficult

Over the last year organizations and recruiters have faced one of the most unique and challenging hiring markets ever recorded. With the Great Resignation leading to millions of workers leaving their positions, companies were left scrambling to fill open roles and secure fresh talent. But, the smaller talent pools meant that competition was fierce, and recruiters needed to work overtime to snatch up the qualified candidates before their competitors did.

This led to an increase in recruiter burnout, as many hiring managers and recruiters felt overwhelmed and saw no end in sight to their turmoil. Finding ways to help mitigate the stress and responsibilities recruiters undertook was crucial. At Visage, we worked to help bring recognition to these hard-working recruiters by hosting webinars and creating resources aimed at educating employers about the signs and symptoms of recruiter burnout, as well as ways to better support their teams during these difficult times.

Read More: Check out what ways you can help reduce the likelihood of recruiter burnout in your organization.

Employer Branding Took The Forefront

For many years now, job seekers have become pickier about the kinds of jobs and employers they want to work for. With so much information readily available on the internet, candidates have been doing their research before even applying for an open job. What did this mean for employers?

Without a strong, positive employer brand, you’re almost certain to miss out on top-quality candidates. And in a time where talent is already so hard to come by, employers can’t risk losing out on candidates due to a poor employer brand. In 2022, employers started taking concrete steps to solidify their employer brand and ensure they don’t lose out on talent before even interacting with the candidate. Here are some ways enterprises have seen success:

• Have current employees post about their experiences working at your company
• Stay active on social media and post about company outings, bonding events, etc.
• Rework your website copy and job posting copy to talk about your values
• Rethink your benefits packages to better reflect your priorities and interests

If you haven’t taken a hard look at your employer brand, now is the time! Start 2023 off on the right foot by demonstrating why candidates should want to work for you.

Companies Increasingly Focused On DEI

In 2022, it became clear that diversity and inclusion in the workplace aren’t just good for equal employment opportunities, but there are also clear benefits to your overall operations:

• 76% of job seekers say they want to work for employers that emphasize diversity
• Diverse teams are 87% better at making decisions.
• Diverse companies are 70% more likely to capture new markets.

And these are just a few of the upsides to having a diverse workforce.

2022 shined a light on equity as employers worked to overhaul their DEI measures and implement initiatives that delivered on their diversity goals. An enhanced focus on diverse candidates has been a key strategy for securing qualified talent in the midst of the tight labor market, as it brings equity to the forefront for disenfranchised candidates that you may have overlooked in the past. Looking toward the future, we can expect this focus to stick around for the long term.

Looking To 2023

The end of one year means the start of a new one, giving organizations and recruiters a breath of fresh air as we start off with a clean slate. Before January rolls around, here are a few trends you should keep in mind as you plan your strategies and budgets for 2023.

2023 is almost here…take some time to reflect on the most impactful #RecruitingTrends in 2022 and get a jump start on preparing for 2023: Share on X

Enhanced Use of AI + Regulations To Follow

It’s no secret that AI makes your job easier. Without the need for manual oversight and input, your day is freed up to focus on the strategic decisions that matter most. After all, by taking smaller, time-consuming tasks off the plate of your recruiters, they’ll have more time to nurture new candidates and build stronger relationships. In 2022, we saw more organizations begin to adopt AI within their tech suites, and that trend shows no signs of slowing down. As more companies embrace the positive impacts, we can only expect the use of AI in recruiting to skyrocket.

Along with that, we can expect to see more states begin passing legislation to ensure that AI is being used fairly and accurately. Over the last few years, states have been slowly passing laws to ensure AI technology is not using unconscious bias to screen candidates. States like Maryland, Illinois, California, and New York were the first to pass these measures, but they certainly won’t be the last. This is no reason to shy away from using AI, though. Rather, your organization just needs to stay on top of the latest news to ensure you’re remaining compliant with local, state, and federal measures.

Candidate Experience Takes Center Stage

We started to see the conversations shift to candidate experience in 2022, but we expect this trend to stick around well through the next year. With a smaller talent pool, recruiters needed to find ways to make them stick out from the crowd. One way to do that – creating an excellent candidate experience. Not only will a poor candidate experience ruin your chances of securing a candidate, but there is a high chance that the same candidate will share their experience with others, giving you a bad reputation. This can impact your recruiting efforts severely.

On the other side, a good candidate experience is one that can help nurture talent now and in the future. ​​80% of candidates surveyed said a positive experience influenced their decision to accept an offer. Here are a few quick ways you can enhance the candidate experience and increase your likelihood of securing top talent:

• Simplify your application process – don’t include superfluous information or unnecessary questions
• Implement mobile applications – candidates are more likely to apply if there is a mobile apply option, as it makes the experience quick and pain-free
• Stay on top of communications – don’t leave candidates waiting for a response, keep your interactions timely and transparent

Culture Is As Impactful As Salary

Surveys conducted in 2022 paint an interesting picture about what job seekers care about. You might think that salary is the biggest factor, but surprisingly, candidates have shown that they’re willing to take a job with lower pay if it means moving to an organization with a strong, positive culture. It’s clear that workplace culture is key to landing top talent, and organizations need to ensure they’re providing the support, work-life balance, and workplace environment that modern job seekers crave.

As we head to 2023, it would be wise to conduct an internal audit of your company culture. Ask your existing employees what they like about their jobs, and what things they wish would be changed. Take a look at the kinds of benefits you’re offering your employees. Are there benefits included, like mental health support, paid family leave, or flexible working hours? These are the kinds of things job seekers are looking for when jumping into a new role. By cultivating a strong culture from the inside out, you can better establish yourself as an employer of choice.

Now is the time to prepare and plan for the new year. In 2023, your focus should be on simplifying your application process to enhance your candidate experience, building out a strong, positive company culture, and focusing on diversity to create an inclusive workplace.

Luckily, Visage can help.

Our team works to simplify candidate sourcing and outreach so that your team can focus on the most important part of the process – engaging with and evaluating people. At Visage, we combine the human element of recruiting with cutting-edge AI and technology, creating a cohesive process that puts candidates’ and recruiters’ experiences first. To learn more about how we can help you elevate your recruitment function, reach out to us for a demo.