Recruiting Trends in 2017

March 7th, 2017 | Industry News

Technology is projected to be the big trend in recruitment in 2017 and recruiting volumes in this area are predicted to rise. In 2017 the UK alone is looking at a 58% increase in hiring.

Industries experiencing recruitment pressures

Wireless technology markets are experiencing a degree of change – while industry regulation in the USA is still allowing operators to charge higher prices that permit capital to be raised for network upgrades and innovation, in other markets commodification is well advanced, changing the nature of the offering and requiring a different approach to basic delivery. Increased pressure as telecoms operators fight for subscribers means that focus is moving steadily from brand identity to delivery metrics with broadband speeds, customer service responses and reliability changing the nature of recruitment in the industry and reducing out top end positions such as marketing and strategy whilst increasing demand for temp and fixed contract professionals working in the infrastructure, engineering and customer service areas.

Financial industry recruiting is also going through a turbulent period, with uncertainty over Brexit impacting not just British-based financial organisations but extending into European markets. Shanghai and Hong Kong, both major international finance markets, are also expected to have high recruitment needs, with short term contracts becoming attractive both to recruiters seeking the right skills in a rapidly changing environment and applicants wanting a limited commitment while they assess industry developments.

What does a projected increase in hiring mean for the UK recruitment industry?

Nearly 80% of jobseekers are choosing social media for their job search, with over 45% of them using their mobile to look for work every day. Recruitment software needs to keep pace with social media activity, particularly when it comes to applicant tracking systems – as a fluid workforce with a gig economy mentality looks for work that is not only financially rewarding but fulfilling, rapid response recruitment systems will win favour with applicants and employers alike.

Staffing software that stays on top of industry changes will be a vital contribution both inside recruitment agencies and for HR departments where staffing requirements can easily slip from effective management to firefighting if their recruiting platform doesn’t keep pace with demand.

Cloud based recruitment software is having a big impact where industry demand changes rapidly, and wireless telecoms is a perfect example of how the right recruitment system can balance in-house expertise, short term contract employees for strictly defined projects and temporary staff when demand surges or external conditions make quick hiring a necessity.

As businesses, large and small, ride a wave of uncertainty about the short term future, their recruitment needs will best be met by opting for flexible recruitment software that can be scaled to business need. Key requirements include:

• Effective communication with a base of candidates so they can be streamed rapidly from first contact to first day at work
• Utilisation of social media
• Total trust in confidentiality and data security