Recruitment trends for 2017

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With Britain leaving the EU and Donald Trump winning the American presidential election, there’s no denying that 2016 was a big year for change. Naturally, this has left a lot of companies concerned about the knock-on effect this is going to have on them.

There are a lot of predictions for the recruitment industry in 2017 so below we have highlighted what some of the industry’s best have forecast for the next 12 months.

Mobile recruitment will continue to grow

With job seekers struggling to find the time to sit down and apply for roles, job hunting is increasingly being done on the move. In order to tap into these candidates who may be on the search during their morning commute for example, recruiters need to ensure that their websites are mobile friendly.

Standout job ads are also predicted to play a big part in recruitment in 2017 as the competition to attract quality candidates increases. Research continues to show that job seekers are no longer simply attracted to money, they want to see personality and the benefits of working for a company in job adverts.

Speaking about this, Recruitment strategies manager, Adam Glassman says:

“It’s largely a candidate’s market right now and selling the ‘why’ of your company, along with providing a positive impression, are two winning combinations.”

Increased hiring volumes

Founder of the James Nathan Experience, James Nathan predicts that the recruitment industry will continue to grow in the next 12 months and that companies will start to rely more heavily on referrals:

“Going into 2017, I can see hiring volumes continuing to grow and a subsequent move by employers to push for employee referrals as a sourcing focus in order to control increasing costs. This trend isn’t different to what we have seen before in growing markets and it’s important for recruiters to take a long term, relationship approach to their client development and candidate development work. The better the relationship you build and the great value you can add for your clients, the less likely they will be to look for other avenues for attracting new hires.”

Modern trends will be embraced

Thanks to technology, the recruitment industry is constantly evolving and there won’t be any exceptions to this in 2017. It’s predicted that more automation tools will be used in order to reduce administration, there will be a bigger focus on digital marketing, content creation and social analytics as well as an increase in remote, flexible and work from home options.

An increase in contract workers

One trend that is already taking off is the increase in the number of companies who are hiring contingent workers. Whether it’s contractors, consultants or freelancers, more and more businesses are opting to ‘rent’ rather than hire talent – even at director level and above.

What trends do you hope to see in the recruitment industry over the next 12 months? Feel free to share your thoughts with us below.