As talent acquisition leaders look toward the future, the challenges ahead are daunting. There’s unprecedented competition for talent, so candidates have the luxury of being extremely selective in the company they join. Many orgs are still using an interview process that was designed for the physical office, and it can be challenging to win over candidates virtually.
Given the obstacles TA teams will face in the year ahead, we invited three TA leaders to share what they’re doing to maintain a competitive advantage and build a sustainable hiring process. The group included:
- Matthias Schmeißer, Director of Talent at Beamery
- Hayli Thornhill, Head of Recruiting, BrightHire
- Eryn Marshall, Director of Global Recruiting, Oyster
When asked to describe hiring in 2022, they answered with three words: competitive, speed, and expansive. During the subsequent conversation, each leader expounded on why understanding these three trends is crucial for talent teams to succeed in the year ahead.
1. Competitive
Fast-rising compensation is a clear indicator that the current level of competition in the talent market is fierce. With many leaders wrestling with expectations for higher and higher salaries, Eryn puts it simply: “You have to decide as a company if you want to play that game.”
While some organizations will decide that they do want to compete on compensation, it’s important for talent teams to understand that there are other considerations when it comes to attracting talent. At the very top of the list: Candidates want a meaningful connection with their work and their company. Eryn summarizes this priority for job-seekers:
2. Speed
2021 was the year when hiring fast became more essential than ever, and 2022 won’t be any different . And while many variables impact a team’s ability to hire quickly, there are some tactical process changes that can make a huge difference with minimal disruption to your team’s current workflow. Some of the changes recommended by the panel:
- Spend enough time up front when opening a req. This includes having a detailed meeting with the hiring manager, and making sure that the recruiting team understands exactly what competencies they are looking for in candidates. Spending a little extra time at the beginning of the process can save a ton of time down the road. Or as Hayli puts it, “If you don’t think you have time to do that work [at the beginning], you don’t need the req.”
- Arrange alternate interviewers right at the beginning of the process, so you have the flexibility to accommodate a candidate’s preferred schedule and time zone.
- Put the necessary systems in place so that you can collect accurate data around your hiring funnel, and then use those numbers when analyzing where there’s room to improve. Clear data makes a compelling case for streamlining the hiring process.
- Review your current hiring process, and make sure that each stage offers something unique to the candidate as well as the hiring committee. (One way to achieve this efficiency: use an interview intelligence platform to enable asynchronous reviews)
Hayli explains her thought process:
3. Expansive
Talent teams are in the unique position to make an outsize impact over the next 12-18 months, with many fast-growing companies hiring people that will soon become the next generation of leaders.
Adding to this pressure is the fact that successful remote employees require additional attributes (intelligence, resilience, and operating within ambiguity) that recruiters need to screen for in addition to role-specific skills and experience.
And then there’s the ever-present challenge of maintaining a diverse candidate pipeline and making sure that a company’s hiring process is free of bias. These are goals that every company shares, but it’s the talent leader’s job to make sure that there is accountability in place. In this clip, Matthias explains why it’s crucial for every organization to first look inward:
Looking ahead
These three trends are important to consider when building an effective 2022 hiring strategy, but there were a lot of other helpful insights discussed over the course of our hour with Eryn, Hayli, and Matthias. We recommend watching their complete conversation here:
