2020 is here and everyone is talking about the times ahead. We Popcorn recruiters might be a bit late to the party, but we decided to use that to our advantage – ever the sourcers, we researched what the market expects of 2020 hiring trends.

What we found is that 3 trends enjoy the spotlight of almost every article – candidate experience as the ultimate employer branding tool, embracing the digital transformation guarantees staying ahead of the competition and being open to cultural diversity is the key to talent pool building on a global scale.

There are many great articles on these topics, and we would suggest consulting the 2019 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends for an in-depth understanding of the trends that shaped last year and how they will affect the way we work tomorrow. However, in this article, we will focus on 3 trends we recognized as top challenges any globally operating recruitment agency faces.

The alternative workforce

Be it freelancers, contractors or gig workers, the alternative workforce is taking over. According to the 2019 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends, freelancers are the fastest-growing workforce in the European Union, and their study showed that more than 60% of full-time employees would like to have a side job. With this alternative and part-time alternative labor group growing larger every day, companies need to prepare for flexibility.

To engage the workforce of tomorrow, employers could use the digital transformation to their advantage – automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks would lead to shorter work hours, embracing digital collaboration opens the way to remote work and adapting a result-oriented approach facilitates the employer-employee trust regardless of contract, location and work hour capacity.

Embracing this labor market transformation will require time for most companies and, in a market tilted in the candidates’ favor, candidates will not easily give up the freedom and flexibility a freelance or part-time engagement allows. Recruitment agencies need to face the fact that the rise of the alternative workforce will be one of the top reasons for the candidate-client mismatch. The 2020 recruiters will have to understand the motives that drive these candidates and act as an advisor – helping employers stay competitive and powered by top talent, all the while truly looking out for the candidates’ needs and ambitions.

Thing longterm or think global

               Recruitment agencies are not usually approached by companies because they have an easy role to fill and by candidates with a skill set that perfectly matches the targeted profile. The roles are hybrid, the perfect candidate is nowhere to be seen and the clock is ticking – and in the world of recruitment, time is money.

               All it takes is to have a look at some of the more prominent job boards in Europe to understand that today’s roles are hybrid. Finding the candidate with the right combination of rare skills can be next to impossible and when the market analysis underlines that specific talent shortage it might seem like you reached a dead end.

               However, there are two ways around this specific challenge and the 2020 recruiters must embrace their strategic role again – advising companies to either think global or think longterm. Companies that are open to cultural diversity, do not shy from relocation support and are open to digital collaboration have a superior talent pool advantage. Hiring candidates from different countries, collaborating with freelancers or setting up satellite and outsourcing offices could be the solution to scarce talent pools.

An alternative would be upskilling – companies that are willing to invest in the development of their employees, are willing to accept a candidate that has great potential but is not quite there yet and that think strategically are the talent builders of tomorrow. This is a great example of how a company not only reacts agile to a hiring challenge they are facing but also approaches this process strategically and takes on an active role in the creation of a talent market, staying well ahead of competitors.

Recruiters as strategic partners

               A trend that has been on the horizon for quite some time now is the strategic role of the HR professionals as business partners, but where does tomorrow’s recruiter fit in?

               Recruiters as the candidate agent – being there to support the candidate from the very moment they find out about the opportunity until they sign the offer, recruiters are trusted by candidates to offer objective feedback, selection process guidelines, scheduling support and to look after their longterm interests.

               As the market researchers and data analysts, recruiters have an opportunity to gather and offer valuable market insight that can greatly impact the way their clients work tomorrow. Being up to date with the market situation, understanding which companies produce the targeted talent and why exactly the candidates are not finding this particular opportunity appealing can be a turning point for the whole employer branding strategy of a company.

               With one foot deep in the market data and another in the business logic of client companies, recruiters find themselves in a position that requires a lot of diplomacy, balance, and prioritizing, but the potential for great impact as well. Recruiters must act as strategic business partners to companies, hiring managers and HR departments if they wish to fully explore the potential of their role. In order to succeed they will need to embrace a data-driven, supportive and process-oriented approach in their role as a researcher and advisor.

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Looking to find that perfect candidate, or would like to get to know your market a bit better? Feel free to reach out to us and we will make sure you have all the support you need. Would you rather chat a bit about the article? Comment below or contact the author at anja@storsen.com.