What is one of the biggest trends in the job market in 2022?

To help you stay abreast of the biggest trends in the job market in 2022, we asked CEOs and HR leaders this question for their best insights. From candidate-centric recruiting to diverse employment types, there are several new developments that are shaping the job market in 2022.

Here are the 11 biggest trends in the job market in 2022:

• Candidate-Centric Recruiting
• Social Marketing is Big
• Video Resumes Are on The Rise
• The Need for Generalist Professionals
• Candidates Want Employers With Similar Social Beliefs
• Salaries Are Open for Discussion on Social Media
• The Focus on Retirement Plans as a Benefit
• Remote and Hybrid Work
• The Appeal of Unlimited Paid Time-Off
• Empowered Candidates and Workforce
• Diverse Employment Types

Candidate-Centric Recruiting

A couple of decades ago, many companies thought that all they needed to do was find “better” salespeople, and success would undoubtedly ensue.
In 2022 this role has been taken over by “Recruiting” and the many, many different titles that role is being advertised. Finally, – and unfortunately – forcefully, companies must consider issues like Employer Branding, Values, and Authenticity. Have to answer questions like why should anyone want to join your company? What do we offer, and what don’t we? How consistent are our values and our offerings? 

Finding people is NOT the real challenge – winning and retaining them is!

Reinhard Guggenberger, Soaring Fox

Social Marketing is Big

Social media marketing pros are in demand as the looming recession will force many consumers to cut back on spending and stay home. As consumers are looking to engage more and more with their favorite brands online, businesses large and small will have an increased need for community management and social media support professionals qualified to take on customer-centric roles. Being social is the best way for brands to let customers know they’re there for them whenever they have a question or when they’re looking to interact with a community of like-minded people. It’s the kind of relationship building that turns loyal customers into enthusiastic brand advocates.

Daniel Tejada, Straight Up Growth

Video Resumes Are on The Rise

One of the most popular trends in the job markets in 2022 is the spread of video resumes instead of the well-known written format. Through a video resume, candidates are able to better explain their story, their skills and creativity and stand out as a person with their charisma, storytelling abilities and creative thinking instead of the traditional way of focusing on a candidate’s educational background and experience. Hearing about a candidate’s experience first-hand gives them a better chance of making an impression rather than summarizing it in a few characters.

Michael Nemeroff, Rush Order Tees

The Need for Generalist Professionals

Generalist professionals will be the trend in the job market in 2022 and so on. Think about the rise of AI-driven tools that can help those professionals get a little bit “more specialist” in their acting field. Yet, think about companies’ movement towards training,  upskilling and reskilling, and RH departments putting their efforts into driving cross-functional collaboration within the organization. They all make us believe that generalists’ main characteristics- they have great transit from one field to the other- may fit well with those trends.

Ricardo von Groll, Talentify

Candidates Want Employers With Similar Social Beliefs

Salary, benefits, and learning opportunities are a big consideration for job candidates when evaluating an employer’s suitability. But, more than 50% of the candidates I have spoken with say that they also evaluate an employer’s stance on social justice issues such as racism,  gender pay gap, and diversity and inclusion efforts. In the wake of movements such as Black Lives Matter and increased awareness of local and world affairs, especially among millennials and Gen Z, it has become paramount for companies to genuinely demonstrate their ability to support a just society.

Companies that sit on the sidelines of the great social justice debate or propagate injustices themselves will have a hard time attracting customers and talent in a time of the great war for talent. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to supporting social justice but good examples include hiring former ex-convicts, recruiting in underrepresented geographies, or supporting local social initiatives.

Paul French, Intrinsic Executive Search

Salaries Are Open for Discussion on Social Media

Discussing your pay on social media can make or break salaries. Not long ago it was taboo and tacky to discuss how much money you made. But with younger generations trading notes on TikTok and other social media channels, the jig is up. No longer can companies make low or even middle-of-the-road offers to new employees. With discussion happening openly about money, future employees have more room to negotiate or even pass up on an offer entirely. Competitive pay will be a big trend in 2022 to attract and hire new talent.

Amy Keller, Climate Candy

The Focus on Retirement Plans as a Benefit

One of the biggest trends in the job market in 2022 is companies as well as candidates focusing on benefits as a result of the Great Resignation. With inflation playing a huge role in today’s financial crisis, many candidates and companies are expecting/offering 401(k) contributions to work towards their retirement plan and save up for the future to secure funds in a time of inflation where saving up is quite difficult. This extra benefit has become a common demand and expectation in today’s job market.

Zachary Weiner, Finance Hire

Remote and Hybrid Work

One big trend in the job market in 2022 is the big increase in people wanting to work from home, or to have a hybrid working arrangement. This trend has obviously been accelerated by the pandemic, with many workers having no choice but to work from home during the height of the Covid-19 outbreak. Technology has made it easier than ever for people to work from home. With laptops, smartphones, and widespread high-speed internet, you can now do most of your work from anywhere, especially with the huge range of software tools and solutions now on the market to facilitate this. 

It’s not just workers who are keen for this, though; there is a growing trend among companies to allow their employees to work from home. This is partly due to the fact that companies can save money on office space and other related costs, but also due to the fact that employees who work from home are generally more productive than employees who work in an office environment.

Saadia Hussain, Pearl Scan

The Appeal of Unlimited Paid Time-Off

Nowadays unlimited paid time-off (PTO) is a talking point for many hiring managers and recruiters. The number of companies offering unlimited PTO has undoubtedly increased in popularity because of its seemingly glamorous appeal, but beware unlimited PTO can be a double-edged sword. On one side, when combined with the right company culture and supervisor, unlimited PTO can be a huge benefactor, especially for entry-level employees who typically are offered smaller vacation packages. On the other side, unlimited PTO eliminates the opportunity for accrued PTO payouts upon departure from the company, and if combined with a supervisor who won’t approve days off, the employee may receive less PTO than a traditional vacation package.

Bryor Mosley, Southern New Hampshire University

Empowered Candidates and Workforce

Believe it or not, the job markets are now over-ruled by candidates – rather than ‘so-called’ opportunity creators. The biggest evidence of it is the Great Resignation movement – which tells that workers no longer support or bear stressed work culture. Candidates now want value, equal rewards, a flexible work environment, and a secure future. You’ll also see most companies adapting to this trend – because they can’t afford to not run their business.

Robert Warner, Virtual Valley

Diverse Employment Types

As the post-pandemic stem is slowly fading away, job markets are continuously adapting to new trends. Besides work-from-home trends, I’m seeing now there are diverse employment types that are rising. For instance, now you’ll see recruiters looking for candidates who are open to contract work, commission work, remote work, one-time projects, freelance work, and the good-old in-house role. This is creating a diverse work culture because professionals who aren’t ready for a big switch yet, or companies not ready for a commitment, can do one-time projects or settle for freelance roles. All of this is simply benefiting both businesses and candidates.

Scott O’Brien, PPC Ad Lab