recruiters will progress and adapt in 2022.

Talent acquisition professionals continue to experience recruiting and
hiring challenges in the face of an unprecedented market associated with
considerable rates of new jobs, changing candidates expectations and
high levels of work-related stress.

Being agile and capable of adapting to constant changes are vital in today's
recruitment market, according to recent research. With accelerated changes in the market, recruiters are becoming more adaptable to new market trends. Recruiters themselves are also experiencing staffing issues, yet they are under higher demand to hire more people amid a shortage of available talent.

While there are clear challenges in the talent market, there are also opportunities.Talent and hiring managers are looking towards external professionals, exploring different sourcing channels and adapting
the requirements for various job positions. If businesses can invest in their hiring teams and reconsider their prospects for their employees, it could translate into a great opportunity.

What recruiters should expect in the
candidate market next year...

A change in priorities.

Focusing on improving the quality of the hiring process is a top priority, according to studies of recruiters. Businesses are accelerating their investment plans into recruitment technology and automation. Companies continue to focus on other areas like diversity, but with so many other challenges, DE&I goals may be a lesser priority due to the rising focus on finding new talent.

The rise in automation, improving efficiency and enabling recruiters to have more time with candidates is connected with market shortages due to recruiters being overwhelmed with so many positions to fill.

Many recruitment agencies anticipate recruiting budgets to increase over the next year, with the bulk of investment changes going towards external recruiting agencies and internal hiring plans. Businesses are genuinely concerned about the rise in resignations and how to retain their best talent. As a consequence, businesses that may have not previously considered using an external agency are doing so at an increasing rate.

Many recruiters experienced lay-offs when the pandemic started. Then, as hiring picked up again, businesses have attempted to continue hiring, with fewer resources. HR leaders have stated that this is a very challenging time to find recruiters, and salary expectations for recruitment professionals have increased considerably.

The Challenges from the Pandemic

Businesses must recognise that they willlose talent if they fail to adapt to the changing expectations of candidates and employees after the pandemic. Many recruiters have experienced rejections from candidates due to a lack of flexibility incorporated into their offering. Flexibility is no longer just an added perk, but a genuine expectation.

Work-related stress and burnout also continue to be impacting talent professionals. For every successful placement, there is likely to be several new job openings developing for a recruiter. There is also added pressure from senior leaders to fill roles quicker. Improving technology investment and budgets for job advertising can facilitate the hiring process and lower the pressure on talent acquisition professionals.

The expectations of candidates

Candidate demands have changed considerably in the last few years, with
employees expecting more from businesses today. Recruiters are witnessing a rise in salary negotiations among candidates, with many HR professionals stating they are paying significantly more for the same roles. Candidate’s today recognise their current market value.

The traditional offerings in a job are still important, but other benefits are increasing in popularity, such as flexible working options, child care and parental leave. Flexibility is becoming a clear expectation from employers.

Investment in new technology

Aside from being resilient and flexible, studies suggest that to compete for talent in a candidate-driven market, businesses will need to focus on improving their process efficiency. Recruiters are using automation and AI tools to source, screen, and communicate with candidates more
than in previous times.

Many businesses actively need more candidates, so recruiters need to expand their search. To do this successfully, businesses need to utilise an automated technology platform and increase their reach to prospective candidates. With automated technology, companies can be more efficient in qualifying the best candidates for available positions. Any task that is being repeated regularly in a day should be automated.

Many recruiters are applying tools like chatbots to the recruitment process. Chatbots, enable recruiters to qualify candidates more effectively before any personal interaction. This system seems to be a thing for the future and represents how candidates expect to communicate with businesses when seeking employment. Individuals want accurate and real-time information for their preferences to be remembered and matched to positions they regard as a good fit