5 Recruitment trends for 2023

1 - The talent shortage will continue
2 - Remote working will remain a priority
3 - Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
4 - Data-driven recruiting will grow
5 - Employer branding means effective messaging

It’s fair to say 2022 has been something of a rollercoaster when it comes to the world of recruitment. Extreme external factors have had a huge impact on every aspect when it comes to recruiting, almost every sector is facing difficulties in finding suitable candidates. We’ve also seen the other side in big companies, particularly in tech, laying off large numbers of employees to help balance the books.

But 2023 is a new year and that means we will have new trends arise as well as a continuation of trends we’ve seen this year. We’ll be looking at 5 recruitment trends below for the year ahead. 

The talent shortage will continue

The lack of available candidates is a challenge most recruiters have had to tackle this year and this trend looks set to continue. With economic uncertainty enduring, candidates are less likely to leave a secure job, unless tempted with huge pay packages which has its own issues and consequences for the market as a whole.   

Research by Remote found that 92% of employers have found it difficult to fill job roles in the past year and almost half (46%) are now open to negotiating salaries due to recruitment struggles.

There is no indication that this will be changing anytime soon, and it requires recruitment teams to reevaluate what they can offer to candidates. Salary will always be a big attractor, but candidates also want their quality of life considered, this includes benefits other than money such as car or housing allowances. Remote working is also a massive part of this as it places an importance on the candidates life outside of work. 

Remote working will remain a priority

The ever-present debate of remote vs office-based working will continue well into 2023. Recent analysis by Jobtrain found that nearly 60% of 5000 candidates surveyed find remote/hybrid working important to them when it comes to job hunting (Candidata 2022). 

This clearly shows that it will be a topic that will persist through to 2023 and beyond. When it comes to attracting candidates, having some form of remote working will only do good. It also allows recruitment teams to improve on their EDI and not be limited to workers who are in close proximity. Over 90% of the 5000 candidates surveyed agreed that an organisations policies and practices with regards to equality, diversity, and inclusion is an important factor in choosing to apply to work for them (Candidata 2022). This leads nicely onto our next trend for 2023. 

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

As evident by the stat above, it is clear that organisations must continue to take into account EDI when it comes to recruitment. Diversity in the workplace is necessary as it better represents the labour market and population of the world while.

Underrepresented groups are also a great place for recruiters to hire from. Research from WithYouWithMe highlighted that many of these overlooked groups typically have above-average aptitude to succeed in digital careers. For example, autistic individuals typically score 10% higher in key tech capabilities. Almost a third, 32%, of neurodivergent individuals score higher in spatial awareness and 10% higher in digital symbol coding. These are key skills when it comes to jobs in engineering, IT and data analytics. 

EDI should always be at the center of a recruitment team's strategy and pursued in all areas of the business, including senior positions to help inspire employees. 

Data-driven recruiting will grow

Of course, using data to make informed decisions is nothing new when it comes to recruitment, but the data continues to get more advanced and sophisticated. That’s why it’s important to always be up to date on the best metrics and methods to utilise. 

This includes anticipating future hiring needs through the use of predictive analytics to ensure your team are ready for any challenges that could arise.

Being armed with data is one of the best tools in your arsenal, it allows you to build and maintain procedures that can be replicated. The effectiveness can be easily measured if done correctly, so it’s important to follow some best practices. These include selecting the right metrics, building dashboards, and knowing what your data can and can’t provide. These will put you on a good path to data-driven recruiting and decision-making. 

Employer branding means effective messaging

Branding and reputation will continue to be a crucial part of attracting and retaining talent. With Gen-Z workers entering the labour market, an organisation's stance and reputation on topics such as the environment, will be at the forefront for many of these workers.

Data released by Supercritical earlier this year revealed that over a third (35%) of UK employees are willing to quit their job if their employer takes a weak approach to climate action and reducing its carbon footprint.

This highlights the growing importance organisations must take when it comes to ethical matters, and  Employees are not always driven solely by money; they want to be proud of where they work and an employers brand and perceived image is pivotal to this.