Even though we’re on the cusp of a new year, hiring in 2022 is going to look….very similar to hiring in 2021 — at least for the immediate future.
As your company is working to close the year out strong from a talent acquisition perspective, we also know you’re laying the groundwork for your 2022 hiring strategy. To give some help, we asked the Carex team for their best tips to make sure your company stands out to potential candidates in the year ahead.
Let candidates know about growth opportunities.
“Candidates want to know where a job will lead them years from now,” says our Senior IT Recruiter Lydia Lightfoot. Being able to answer future-focused questions — whether the team will grow and promote leadership from within, if the company encourages lateral moves based on an employee’s interests, and any plans for new technology and how much employees will be involved — can give candidates a glimpse into the trajectory of your company and if it feels like a good fit for the present and the future.
Offering remote or hybrid work? Be transparent.
Offering a 100% remote or a hybrid option — and allowing employees to make decisions on where they work — is a big perk. “Having this kind of flexibility and knowing that leadership trusts the company’s employees to work remotely but will also offer a landing spot if they prefer to be on-site is very meaningful to candidates right now,” Lightfoot says.
Put your diversity and inclusion initiatives front and center.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion continue to be an important part of a candidate’s criteria in evaluating potential opportunities. “Saying your company is inclusive is one thing, but showing candidates you’ve put initiatives into place to support it will show you’re truly committed, ” says Lightfoot. “Do you have a strong Employee Resource Group program? Do you foster a culture where it’s okay to speak up, and what does that look like? Is there a focus on inclusive leadership? The more you’re intentional your company is in communicating its strategy, the more candidates will be able to see themselves as part of your vision.
Understand pending retirements — if possible — and plan accordingly.
“With the baby boomer generation retiring, retirements can sneak up on a company if they don’t have a plan,” says Jake Siudzinski, our Vice President of Partner Growth. Assessing talent internally with tools like a 9-box talent grid review, and then planning for any vacancies. If there are internal promotions, determine what roles will need to be filled, plan ahead, and start building a pipeline. “Start engaging talent proactively — even before the shift happens — so you can draw on that network when the timing is right,” Jake says.
Give your external branding a glow-up.
“Right now, brand reputation is everything,” says Theresa Balsiger, VP of Candidate Relations. Take a look at how your company’s brand is being represented independent of your own website and digital properties — specifically LinkedIn and Glassdoor — and make sure your presence there aligns with your employer brand. If it doesn’t, put a plan in place to course correct.
Take stock of your industry partnerships.
“Developing and maintaining strong industry partnerships can be incredibly helpful when it comes to accomplishing your corporate hiring goals on a larger and more sustainable scale,” says Jen Emmons, one of our Sourcing Specialists. These partnerships give you a great opportunity to gather historical data and project future needs while strengthening your brand and building relationships with education partners to ensure the awareness, curriculum, and infrastructure exists to support your hiring needs long-term. “Manufacturing has been a leader in this area, and it’s positioned them more competitively than they were in the past — and the energy industry has had a ton of success in this area by partnering with their “competitors” as well as other industry partners — higher education, government, and community entities — to ensure an educated and prepared workforce,” Jen says.
Looking for a partner to augment your hiring efforts in 2022? Have a conversation with us: /contact-us/