When the pandemic hit, the way people work changed nearly overnight. With the exception of essential, customer-facing positions, remote work became the norm. Most assumed this was a temporary situation. Now, two years later, it’s clear that COVID normal is simply normal.

That’s not the only change that’s happened. The pandemic has been a catalyst for shifting priorities in the workforce, economic instability, and frustration with the current employment model.

This shakeup has led to the Great Resignation. It’s also created a hiring ecosystem that heavily favors job-seekers and has made recruiting top talent a real challenge. So what’s the solution? It’s time for organizations to evolve their recruiting and hiring practices.

The Great Resignation: Understanding What Employees Want

The Great Resignation has undeniably caused employers to struggle with staffing issues. Despite this, there are some positives to be found.

All successful employer branding begins with a clear understanding of what prospective employees want. Workers may be leaving their jobs in record numbers, but they’re making the reasons why very clear.

What are job seekers prioritizing? If you’re interested in recruiting top talent, pay attention to the following:

• Flexibility and the availability of remote work
• Salaries and benefits that align with the cost of living
• Meaningful work
• Professional development
• Competent, empathetic leadership
• Work-life balance
• Safe and supportive work environments
• Diversity and sustainability

It’s also worth noting that an unprecedented number of workers have left jobs to pursue freelancing opportunities.

If you’re already offering great pay, professional development opportunities, and other perks, you are already on your way to recruiting top talent. You simply have to communicate these things through your employer branding.

Take a closer look at your job listings, career page content, and social media pages. Make changes to emphasize the features that make your company a better workplace than those your competitors offer.

If you aren’t offering what job seekers want, it may be time to make some changes. Any company that is focused on recruiting top talent will need to offer an attractive company culture and competitive compensation.

Expanding Your Search for Talent

Successful recruiters are reaching out to potential hires by taking a broader approach to sourcing candidates. Don’t limit your search to your career pages and traditional job listing sites. Consider these alternatives:

Develop a Freelance Recruiting Strategy

If your company is struggling with staffing, you could meet some of your short-term needs by building a freelance recruiting strategy. This approach is a viable solution, especially if you are in a niche that has seen a significant percentage of talent embracing freelancing over traditional employment.

Invest in Social Media Recruiting

The majority of job seekers research companies through their social media pages. It makes more sense than ever to create dedicated social media pages for recruiting and to double down on your efforts to engage with prospects on social media.

Build an Employee Referral Program

Your happiest employees are a great source for candidate referrals. They’re also your best brand advocates. Level up your ability to attract top talent by creating an employee referral program. With the right incentives, your team members will reach out to people in their personal and professional networks to help you fill open positions.

Embrace Technology for Recruiting Top Talent

Candidate sourcing is just one thing to consider. To attract the talent you’ve found, you’ll need to offer a great candidate experience. To fill positions quickly, you need to expedite the recruiting and hiring process. Fortunately, there’s an abundance of technology to help with this. Consider integrating the following:

• AI chatbots to engage with candidates
• Resume screening and candidate scoring software
• Automated assessments and interview scheduling

These technologies allow hiring teams to process applicants more efficiently and create a better, more transparent experience for candidates.

Stay on Top of Emerging Trends

There have been transformative changes in recruiting and hiring over the past two years, and things will continue to evolve in the future. Businesses will need to stay on top of these trends and pivot accordingly if they want to remain competitive.

Fortunately, none of this has to be overwhelming. AssetHR offers a suite of solutions and informative resources to help your company navigate any hiring landscape.