5 HR Trends Human Resources Professionals Can Utilize


HR trends are constantly changing, whether they’re focusing on the latest developments in technology or solutions to common recruitment challenges. If you’re an HR professional looking to perform at the top of your game, staying on top of the latest trends in the industry is a valuable way to keep growing the business you work for and ensuring that you’re staying ahead of your competitors.

New trends are emerging all the time, so it’s important to pay attention to what key figures and businesses in human resources are saying as well as looking at your data to identify particular patterns. This article explains five of the latest trends in the HR industry that professionals ought to know about, along with advising about the best ways to utilize them to stay ahead of the curve.

Using Recruitment Software


The digital revolution is affecting every industry as more and more jobs rely on digital software, processes become automated and new technology is created to solve previously unavoidable challenges. Human resourcesOpens in a new tab. are no different, and one significant area where we have seen changes is the use of recruitment software.

Gone are the days of trying to keep track of applicants and interviews using spreadsheets and countless different documents; now there are hundreds of different pieces of software designed to streamline the recruitment process and make the jobs of HR professionals much easier.

Applicant tracking systems are a classic example of recruitment software used by organizations of all sizes, making it simple to keep track of where different candidates are in the hiring process and what needs to be completed or sent out to move them to the next stage. Now there are lots of different options offering different features suitable for a range of industries or for hiring processes that want to emphasize diversity, for example.

Specific digital recruitment toolsOpens in a new tab. are also popular in the HR industry right now, ranging from programs that scrape websites for contact information to software that allows you to create your screening questionnaires and tests that assess the suitability of candidates remotely.

Automation is the latest trend in the digital revolution, and there are plenty of pieces of software available that HR professionals can integrate into their existing recruitment system to optimize the process and make hiring more efficient.

Attracting Candidates Through Social Media


The use of social media in recruitment is another massive trend that isn’t showing any signs of ebbing. A large proportion of candidates are in the age bracket that spends a significant amount of time on social media, and so plenty of companies are turning to these platforms as a way of attracting new candidatesOpens in a new tab. for roles and sourcing applicants who already have an interest in their business.

Social media is a brilliant way of building brand awareness and creating an image of the company you work for as a brilliant place to be an employee. Inbound marketing is a very popular and successful technique in HR at the moment, and social media is a key part of this strategy.

To attract potential candidates through social media, dedicate a significant portion of the things you post to showing what the workplace is like. This could be through video tours, photos of meetings or events, or by highlighting aspects of the company culture that inform how the business operates day-to-day.

It can also be very effective to have current employees share their experiences of working at the company on social media, whether through the brand’s account or their profiles. This way, potential applicants see real people sharing their experiences and are much more likely to start imagining themselves working there as well.

Recruitment Podcasts


Podcasts are an incredibly popular form of content right now, and the recruitment and the HR industry has jumped on this trend with a huge range of different shows emerging that focus on all aspects of the industry.

There are a couple of different ways that HR professionals can utilize this trend to stay relevant and gain more awareness.

The first is to get the company you work for to start their recruitment podcast that helps increase brand visibility, establishes the business as a thought leader, and gives a new format of content to share as part of your overall marketing strategy. Another is to get a member of your company to feature as a guest on a reputable HR recruitment agencies Opens in a new tab.podcast, which again will establish the business as a thought leader and help increase brand visibility.

Listening to a variety of industry podcasts is also a brilliant way to stay up to date on emerging trends and discover what other professionals are doing to push their HR department towards success.

Value-Led Recruitment


A key trend that has specifically been identified in recruitment recently is hiring based on candidates whose values align with the companies. This has emerged from candidates nowadays wanting to work for businesses that have the same priorities as them and who support the same ideals, meaning that companies have to be clear on what their values and culture are and how they are going to demonstrate this.

If you want to source and hire the most talented candidates for your business then you need to ensure that you are promoting company values from the get-go and pushing these throughout the recruitment process. A brand that is loud and confident in what it stands for will get much more attention than one whose values are vague, bland, and difficult to pinpoint.

As a company, it is also beneficial to hire candidates whose values align with yours if you want to improve candidate retention. Experience and skills are still important to consider, but you’re likely to keep employees for longer if you make the effort to hire ones who share the same passions and are going to be a good fit with the rest of your staff, saving time and money as well as improving overall employee enjoyment at work.

Value-led recruitment Opens in a new tab.starts by assessing your marketing material and brand image to make sure your company values are clear and then involves interrogating your current recruitment process so that candidates know the kind of company they will be working for and have the opportunity to share their values as well.

Prioritizing Flexible Working


Flexible, hybrid, and remote working have all become hot topics in the world of work over the past year, and an increasing trend in the HR industry is seeing a spike in candidates looking for employers who are offering working flexible conditionsOpens in a new tab..

Of course, in some industries and positions, this kind of approach isn’t possible. But more and more companies are starting to make the move to remote or hybrid working full time, and many candidates are now saying that they value this kind of freedom more than other benefits or increased salaries.

As an HR professional, you need to ensure that the contracts and opportunities that you are offering are competitive and in the majority of cases that means letting employees work from home or remotely at least some of the time. Many businesses have found that this has improved productivity and job satisfaction with many employees, as well as opening up recruitment to a much wider pool of candidates.

Summary

Not all HR trends are going to be relevant to all industries, but it’s still worth paying attention to the latest news, discoveries, and advances in recruitment, onboarding, and candidate retention. Understanding what your competitors are doing and what candidates are looking for is the key to keeping ahead of the curve and standing out, and the above suggestions are a great place to start if you’re trying to refresh your HR department’s hiring strategy.

Steve Todd

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

Recent Posts