If there’s one thing that my team and I have all learned in the past year, we can work digitally, making many parts of any job and organisation more efficient. That’s a big win. However, people are creatures who want to feel part of a community, and this doesn’t happen from your laptop. We all can’t resist the urge to feel human connections without a screen. In recruitment, this is no different. Of course, we - recruiters know how to connect with others and get to know them quickly; tech innovations have made all of this easy, but grabbing a coffee with someone IRL should never be underestimated. Nonetheless, we have to keep moving along with all the developments and seize the opportunities.

 

Reflecting on 2021

To know what’s ahead of us, let’s go back in time. I won’t take you into the history of recruitment. 😉  Don’t worry. But taking a deeper look at what happened in the past year and how it impacted our work will help us prepare for the new year. 

Here are my three main takeaways from 2021. 

 

1. Recruiters in high demand 

With the business world recovering from the blows of 2020, the hiring needs of the companies grew. Mid-2021, the hiring needs in the US alone surpassed that of pre-pandemic 2019. This article shared on LinkedIn even states that the demand for recruiters to fill all positions skyrocketed and made recruiters indispensable for any major corporation. Especially in the tech sector, the demand was booming. The need for tech engineers was level to the number of recruiters needed to fill these open positions. We saw this trend in the US but also worldwide.

 

2. The Great Resignation or Reshuffle

The pandemic gave people more time to reflect on their jobs and career decisions – resulting in many people resigning. This wave of people making a big career switch is called The Great Resignation. These professionals quit their job or made a significant career change, from working in a new sector to promotion to freelancing or becoming entrepreneurs. Talented people were more aware of their worth. They could secure a better salary and position for themselves, in the same or at a new company, or by working independently. In other life decisions, people also moved a lot, and with relocating, they often switched jobs.

 

3. Virtual connections and community building

With WFH as the red thread throughout, this also meant that many activities happened virtually. Not only onboarding new employees but also off-boarding and social events. Never before did companies have to be extra creative with making sure that people felt connected, comfortable, and supported by management and coworkers. It also allowed companies to improve their recruitment processes, making the administration side of things more automated, whilst offering an excellent experience for the candidates by using the latest tech developments in recruitment. The hiring process became more efficient, enjoyable, and effective for all sides.