The global economy continues its recovery and businesses are changing in response to employment demographics and the social media revolution. As the new year dawns, employers must prepare for an even more competitive and fast-paced hiring environment.
A Snapshot of What the Year Will Hold
In the face of ever-growing competition for the best talent, you will need a robust strategy to ensure that you continue to hire the best and avoid costly mishires in 2015.
Watch for these developments:
- Gen Z is coming! While still trying to connect with millennial workers, aka, Generation Y, companies need to invest in the upcoming Generation Z, comprised of individuals born between 1994 and 2010. More and more firms will recruit high school students for internship programs. Some – including Facebook and LinkedIn – already have. This is happening as employers try to close the STEM skills gap and begin building brand awareness as early in a person’s career planning process as possible.
- Meanwhile, millennials are moving up. In 2015, millennials will become the largest percentage of the global workforce for the first time in history. To cite just one example, Ernst & Young recently reported that 59 percent of its managers and 18 percent of its senior leadership already fit this demographic. Related challenges include favoritism towards other Gen Y workers and a mindset that they know more than their more experienced peers. In essence, many millennials are simply unprepared for their new roles.
- The skills gap will continue to grow. This will be the case until college curricula align with the current job marketplace. In 2014, only two percent of companies were recruiting liberal arts majors, yet most schools still offer those degrees. It’s time to work more closely with educational institutions to address this skills dichotomy.
- Job hopping will pick up. Employees will continue to undergo continuous job searches as technology literally puts new opportunities at their fingertips. Research shows that nearly one-third of employers expect their workers to job hop next year. In fact, 86 percent of employees are already searching for work outside their current companies.
- Mobile searching will intensify. There will be an even greater emphasis on mobile recruiting in 2015. Currently, 83 percent of job seekers use smartphones in their searches, yet only 20 percent of Fortune 500 companies have mobile-friendly career sites. With more people moving around and taking their content with them, employers must be able to reach candidates wherever they are.
- Succession planning will become a leading priority. As millions more baby boomers retire, companies will need to complete a seamless transition of knowledge to members of Gens Y and Z. This could include contractual or other agreements for those who officially retire during the year. About 65 percent of workers surveyed said they plan to work for pay even after they get that “gold watch,” so the talent will be there for the taking.
The recruitment landscape is evolving at a record pace. To assist you in keeping up with market intelligence and related developments, as well as update your strategic staffing plan for 2015 and beyond, read our related posts or contact Employment Professionals Canada today.