By ROBERT COTE, Chief Operating Officer for Hire Priority Staffing and Executive Search
As 2024 arrives, the nature of talent acquisition undergoes a foundational transformation shaped by shifts in workplace structure and ever-increasing opportunities leveraging tech advancements. With the emergence of skills-centric recruitment, the growing role of AI in streamlining the candidate screening process, the following hiring trends will require organizations in 2024 to reimagine how they attract, retain and get the best from top-tier talent.
Here are five trends reshaping the hiring process in this new year:
1. EMPLOYER/ EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP
Recent layoffs continue to strain the employer-employee relationship. In 2024, this tension will need to be addressed. Transparency will be the key to preserving employee trust. In light of this, employers should continually provide clear information about the work environment, job expectations, and team dynamics a new hire will encounter. Successful organizations will clearly outline bonus opportunities for exceptional performance, growth prospects beyond a current role, timeline and metrics for pay increases, and the reality of work environment changes due to market opportunities. Specific to multifamily organizations, transparency around acquisition & divestiture strategies along with business development will ensure engagement in the current role and enthusiasm for what’s still to come.
“New and tenured associates within any organization are very invested in the direction of their company. They chose or choose to remain to fulfill the short term and long-term goal of the company. The more they know, the more they will be bought into the company.” – David Nargang, CAPS – President of Property Management, Allied Orion Group.
In 2024, ‘A’ candidates will demand clarity from prospective employers regarding compensation. Negotiations should not only detail base pay but must include all benefits that the employer has to offer. Nargang adds, “Simply put, be honest and direct! New hires as well as current employees will respect the candor and more importantly trust the organization a great deal more.” This emerging need for absolute clarity prior to a hire is now necessary to ensure new hires do not quickly become misfires! Multifamily finds itself in a period of rapid consolidation and should heed the lessons learned by industries like banking, telecom and hospitality which all faced similar headwinds in the previous two decades.
2. HIRING FOR HIGH DEMAND SKILLS
The skills-first approach to hiring is inescapable in 2024. Gone are the days of success by association where who you know counts for considerably more than what you know – think alma mater and resume stops. Employers would do well now to open the hiring relationship with, “What expertise can you quickly deploy and how well does it marry the specific role requirements?”
“Behind us are the days of 3–5-year work experience requirements. Immediate utilization of the skills already present within a new hire is critical path. Building on those initial skills with an integrated approach to Learning and Development will create early success for new hires and enduring impact for legacy employees.” – David Nargang
For hiring managers, this approach reduces recruitment timelines with an emphasis on role specific skill mapping and pre-interview assessments. Employers reach entirely new depths of the talent pool when prioritizing role specific experience and knowledge over generic and limited industry work history.
Arising from this trend is the need for refined job descriptions focused on core competencies essential to success in a volatile work environment.
In the bigger picture, the combination of skills-centric hiring with a commitment to robust Learning and Development programs is a vital recipe for sustained organizational growth. In an era where fixed competencies quickly fade owing to digital shifts, L&D at the core of an organization is its best hope of preventing ‘A’ talent from leaving the organization.
3. AI POWERED RECRUITMENT TOOLS
In 2024, AI recruitment tools have emerged and are transforming the hiring landscape in unpredictable ways. Some tools already in use such as: automated resume screening, on-demand video interviewing and most importantly, predictive analytics, have already streamlined or eliminated outdated, time-consuming and costly processes.
Implementation of AI marks a foundational shift, where understanding and leveraging new technology is a competitive advantage for organizations hoping to secure and retain top-tier talent in the highly competitive and emerging, skills-led labor market.
“82% of CEOs and senior leaders said they expect AI to have a significant or even extreme impact on their business.” – Kornferry, “Talent Acquistion Trends 2024
The recruitment landscape will see a surge in automation adoption among firms to simplify tasks, enhance the hiring authority’s performance, and drive smarter, data-centric hiring decisions. With AI’s advancements, recruitment is becoming more efficient while demanding a shift towards data-driven decision-making, fostering better candidate selection and budget forecasting for companies.
However, along with many promising advancements, increasing integration of AI in recruitment also poses potential risks. It must be kept in mind that AI programs do not have 100% accuracy, can potentially cause information breach and most importantly, make the recruitment process lose a human touch if applied incorrectly.
4. THE EMPHASIS ON WORKPLACE WELLNESS
Emerging in 2024 fully set to take center-stage in the employer/employee dynamic is the idea of ‘Workplace Wellness’. Respected mental health experts posit nearly 70% of a person’s health and overall sense of well-being emanates from their career and job choice. Organizations embracing this concept appreciate the ROI on a ‘healthy’ work environment is BOTH substantial and irreplaceable.
This is NOT about gym membership reimbursements or healthier snacks in the office kitchen (though both are appreciated). Rather, it is about employers committing to the wellness of their work force – in all aspects – to a degree that matches organizational expectations of employees to commit to team objectives, project deadlines and especially, profitability and stakeholder return.
Clarity and transparency around work/life balance and wellness programs should no longer take a back page in the offer package to compensation breakdowns and job descriptions. Employees now desire to exercise full autonomy when balancing career, family and overall wellness in their lives. An organization intent on attracting, engaging and retaining ‘The Best’ is well served with a comprehensive, fully integrated ‘Workplace Wellness’ strategy. A well-executed plan reduces negative turnover, lowers time and cost per hire, increases productivity and in light of the mass exodus of retiring ‘boomers’ aides in reducing brain drain, preserving valuable institutional knowledge.
As a healthy corporate culture is passed from this generation of workers to the next, ‘Workplace Wellness’ is both essential and inescapable to those organizations seeking to thrive and not just survive.
5. EQ OVERTAKES IQ
In the 2024 hiring landscape, a shift already underway will accelerate as employers realize the increasing value of qualities like adaptability, communication, empathy, and problem-solving (often regarded as Emotional Intelligence or EQ) in potential hires.
This trend is a welcome departure from exclusive focus on technical expertise and work history. Good organizations are recognizing that a candidate’s ability to navigate diverse environments, collaborate effectively, and exhibit resilience while faced with challenges are key drivers of success. In 2024, the interviews and assessments will delve deeper into evaluating candidates’ interpersonal resilience and emotional intelligence.
Businesses will progressively start to adopt behavioral analytics technology in their hiring procedures, prioritizing candidates who align best not only with the role but also with company culture, and team dynamics. By integrating behavioral science into hiring practices, hiring managers gain valuable insight into a candidate’s overall fit, where personality, values and attitudes, all influence compatibility with existing employees. The utilization of behavioral analytics tools in recruitment not only enhances engagement but also minimizes turnover rates and boosts overall employee satisfaction.
In conclusion, 2024 ushers in an era where the employer-employee relationship evolves, skills take precedence, AI revolutionizes recruitment, employer influence in the job market strengthens, and soft skills become instrumental in securing roles. Understanding these trends will be pivotal for employers in navigating the ever-evolving job market landscape. As we progress into 2024, staying agile and receptive to these trends will be instrumental in building resilient, dynamic, and future-ready organizations.
Remember, adapting to these changes can set the stage for success in the modern job market!