By Mark Rouse, Toronto Marketing Recruiter
Forward thinking companies always want to stay on the cutting edge of everything – technology, marketing trends, and the best way to attract and keep top industry talent. In their recent report, Small and Mid-Sized Business Recruiting Trends 2017, LinkedIn provides some insight into what we can expect from recruiting as we head into 2017.
Key Takeaways from the LinkedIn Talent Solutions Report
The report identified 5 key takeaways that could shape how you approach recruitment in the coming years. They found that:
1. Talent acquisition has a prominent seat at the executive table
2. Recruiters will be even busier this year and are focusing on quality of hire
3. Budgets frequently go to traditional tactics, but investment in branding tops wish list
4. Effective employer brand messaging focuses on culture and career growth
5. Diversity, screening automation, and purpose are key future trends
Recruiting Trends by the Numbers
Here are some of the key statistical findings from the report:
- Talent is #1: Both talent and HR leaders (84%) agree that talent is the number one priority at their company. Competition for talent (55%) is a top challenge for companies and recruiters.
- Hiring will increase: More than half of companies plan to hire more than they did last year.
- Retention is vital: Companies will put more effort into tracking retention metrics.
- Referrals matter: 50% of companies believe that employee referrals are the best source of quality hires, followed by third party job boards and social professional networks.
- Investing in branding is a focal point: 52% of talent managers would prioritize investment in employer branding if budget wasn’t an issue. 77% believe employer branding has a significant impact on their ability to hire top talent.
Looking Forward
The report also identified some of the top trends that will help shape recruiting practices over the next few years:
- 38% said they will recruit more diverse candidates
- 36% will perform more soft skill assessments
- 33% believe a company’s mission will become a differentiator
- 32% believe there will be innovation with interviewing tools
- 27% plan to increase the use of candidate relationship management tools
This information provides your organization with some food for thought and some key ideas you may want to consider internally to improve your recruiting efforts. Recruiter Tip: Try making your current employees ambassadors / advocates for your brand. This will also serve to generate an increase in employee referrals.
Read more about recruiting trends by checking out these insightful blog posts from our headhunters:
Has Digital Recruiting Put the Power in the Hands of the Talent?
55+ Is One of Canada’s Hottest Job Markets
Recruitainment Is Changing the Recruiting Industry
Top PR Trends to Watch for in 2017
LinkedIn Survey Outlines Top In Demand Skills for 2017
IQ PARTNERS is an Executive Search & Recruitment firm supporting clients across the country. We help companies hire better, hire less & retain more. We have specialist teams of recruiters in Financial Services & Insurance, Marketing Communications & Media, Emerging Tech & Telecom, Consumer Goods & Retail, B2B & Industrial, Technology, Accounting & Finance, HR & Operations and Mining & Engineering. IQ PARTNERS has its head office in Toronto and operates internationally via Aravati Global Search Network. Click here to view current job openings and to register with us.
