Things don’t stay the same for long in the recruiting world. New challenges emerge all the time, and many of them completely disrupt the industry, creating winners and losers.
2020 and 2021 don’t appear to be exceptions. In fact, we’re now seeing trends playing out in the industry that seemed unimaginable twelve months ago in tech hiring.
Here’s what recruiters need to know.
Demand For Scientific And Lab-Based Staff Is Increasing
This year has seen large increases in demand for scientific, lab, and product research-related roles in Ohio, due in large part to the disruption caused by the pandemic. Companies are having to switch to selling substitute goods that better reflect the new circumstances and they need personnel with the requisite skills to fight the pandemic directly.
According to the BLS, the US needs to increase the supply of generalist and specialist technologists by around 13 percent per year to prevent wages from rising excessively, compared to just 7 percent for all industries. The challenge for recruiters, therefore, will be sourcing and identifying these people as the workforce ages and vacancy rates at leading scientific schools increases.
Decline In Demand For Workers In “Non-Essential” Areas
In California, there has been a surge in demand for “scientific space” – areas where companies can conduct their primary research, develop therapies, and diagnostic kits for COVID-19. Interestingly, this is leading to a need for talent in the manufacturing and warehouse sectors. Companies are looking for workers who understand how these spaces operate so that they can utilize them effectively as business models shift away from in-person interactions and towards remote engagement practices.
At the same time, we see a decline in interest in areas considered “non-essential.” Demand for workers in remote positions is trailing off as knowledge companies scale back their operations and move to out-of-office working models.
Increase In Client Communication Challenges
Despite the headwinds created by COVID-19, some clients have become increasingly picky about the candidates they will accept. Many bosses are worried about the future of their enterprises and are asking for employees who have more experience than they need. Others are discovering that such employees are not available, even in a slack labor market, and that’s leading to delays in candidate placement.
Staffing firms are also having to find new ways to coach their clients about conditions in the labor market which are different from usual. Many times, firms stand to benefit from a candidate, but they refuse to hire because they misunderstand the requirements of the role. Another employer takes the person on board, causing the original company to miss out.
Recruiters, therefore, need to educate clients about the fact that some talent is going faster than usual. There’s a big demand for the best people at the moment.
There’s also a need for recruiters to explain to their clients why recruitment is harder at the moment. Currently, uncertainty and restrictions means that people don’t want to leave their current positions or relocate. The risks feel high.
