Trends have a lifespan and last until the next best thing comes along. In a digital world where society has better access to literally everything on-demand and expects efficient accessibility and quicker results, trends come and go. One sure thing, however, is the ever-evolving reasoning behind trends. Something is popular or works well until a better way of doing something becomes available.
Based on our learnings from 2020, let’s take a look at the expected HR trends for 2021:
1. Home Is The New Office
The term ‘working from home’ (WFH) is familiar to most industries after what has been a tumultuous year of change and adaption. Operating from home has opened up many opportunities for a flexible workforce with a better work/life balance. The benefits that come with working from home means that having this workspace option, in the long run, is preferred by the majority of professionals, according to the 2020 Global Virtual Work Survey.
Companies such as Twitter announced earlier this year that their employees could choose to work from home ‘forever’. Twitter based their move on how efficient, convenient, and effective working from home has been for their staff. Depending on the working from home environment, often it has less distraction than a busy office allowing staff to focus on specific tasks and be more productive.
2. Enhancing The Candidate Experience
The value of a positive candidate experience is priceless. The Virgin Group, a multinational venture capital conglomerate, omitted this step in their previous hiring process and overlooking the importance of the candidate experience cost them $5 million annually. This costly mistake led Virgin to reassess their processes, and now they put their candidates (successful or not) and their experience at the forefront of their hiring process.
HR technology being human-centric, allows employers to communicate with their candidates efficiently. Using the right tools enables recruiters to simplify and streamline their processes without compromising on quality. It also allows a candidate to give recruiters valuable feedback on the process and whether it needs to be amended or not. As the world, technology, and how we work evolves, there’s no perfect process that will stand the test of time. However, implementing valuable candidate feedback for iterations of your hiring process is not to be underestimated, or it could cost your company dearly.
3. Remote Recruiting and Onboarding
With no concrete evidence of an end to the global crisis, the world’s adaption to the pandemic has become the new version of ‘normal’. We spoke about working from home as the preferred workspace choice, and this includes recruiting remotely too. In-person interviews may feel like a long-forgotten process, but the end goal of getting the perfect candidate in the right role is ever-present.
The video conferencing app Zoom exploded this year in response to lockdowns, quarantine and shared workspace closure. Technology became central to our day-to-day lives as we figured out how to optimize our processes from home and this will only continue into 2021 and beyond. Traditionally in-person activities, the HR industry can now recruit, interview, screen, onboard and assess candidates and employees remotely.
4. Stepping Back Into The Work Space
Many industries do not have the luxury of working from home. Healthcare, retail, and manufacturing are just some industries where working-from-home full-time isn’t an option. What can HR do to ensure that these professionals can work in a safe, productive and supportive environment now and in the future?
With the high-level of caution associated with venturing outside the home these days, employees are naturally concerned about their health, the health of those they come in contact with at work, and those they spend time with outside of work. Having strict protocols and measures in place allows employees to feel safer in their environment. Implementing social distancing, supplying PPE and practicing regular workspace disinfection are just some of the ways that employers can make their staff feel comfortable as they work.
6. Hiring Internationally
The digital age has given recruiters access to broader pools of talent from overseas. This is particularly relevant to the global shortage of healthcare staff this year. For remote recruiting, video tools have been helpful to conduct interviews and meetings. But speaking with candidates via video calls doesn’t necessarily give human resources the full picture. Geography borders can cause concern within the hiring process. For example, the prevalence of document and identity fraud, exaggerated credentials, diploma mills and forgery means that up to 50% of job applicants may be unqualified for their roles.
Recruiters are embracing state-of-the-art verification tools to weed out fraudulent applications from their international hiring process. If you think you’ve found the perfect employee that you want to relocate, it’s essential to have their credentials, documents, and academic qualifications verified in advance.