TODAYS CHANGING JOB MARKET – WHAT TO EXPECT

We have already started to see changes in our job market. The way in which organisations hire talent and job seekers look for their next career move is creating new opportunities and challenges. In 2017 we expect to see more change and an increased interest in data analytics to help drive successful talent attraction and recruitment strategy to attract the best possible talent for a specific role.

Over the past 2 years, Astrum has invested in technology, social media campaigns and data analytics to design, implement and manage successful recruitment and talent pipelining projects. We have noticed a shift in the expectation of  job seekers, with over 68% of candidates using mobile devices to apply for roles, an increased reliance on job alerts, strong focus on employer brand reputation and company values.

Today’s candidates expect to be informed and provided with thorough, accurate and detailed information of the company and job role they are applying for. They expect a more transparent, connected recruitment process and positive experience during their job seeking journey.

Hiring managers and recruiters are having to adopt a different approach and as technology becomes more sophisticated, so to does the recruitment process. We are currently seeing a significant increase in hiring activity and job applications but employers are struggling to find the right candidates.   This shrinking pool of suitable job seekers is leading to an increased demand for candidates from the passive ‘currently employed’ candidate market.

Our workforce is changing. We have noticed that an increased percentage of the workforce is moving to higher skilled roles.  The jobs that are growing fast are ones that require ‘soft skills’ like personal relationships, human creativity, judgment, innovation and resilience.   Jobs such as health care professionals, data scientists, sales leaders, strategy consultants and product managers are becoming popular.

The gender gap issue is continually in the spotlight. It’s an ongoing ‘hot topic’ and we expect that employers will start taking action against gender pay gap with the help of available human resource data and analysis being provided throughout the broader spectrum of business and community. Organisations are recognising the importance of a positive employer brand, attracting values-driven talent who recognise gender and pay equality as a core workplace issue.

Technology advancement is moving fast and will create greater automation and changes to how we work. The jobs being most affected include routine jobs that are relatively done the same way and require little flexibility or creative judgment.

We find that organisations are also looking closely at their benefits packages and focusing on core benefits that offer greater rewards to increase engagement and productivity amongst employees. Unique or unusual workplace perks are becoming less attractive in a  salary constrained market where the cost of living is continually rising.

Keeping up with the fast pace of todays changing  technology and market expectations will become an interesting  journey. We look forward to embracing it, creating further opportunities for job seekers and delivering innovative, solution orientated results to organisations.