Top Ten Hiring Trends for 2015

Analysts predict that hiring will increase dramatically in the coming year. As the economy climbs out of the doldrums and people grow more optimistic about the future, currently employed professionals begin to look for better opportunities.

What trends should you prepare for as you plan your 2015 hiring strategy?

Availability of Talent

More people will leave jobs voluntarily to look for new challenges. The upside is that passive candidates will be more receptive to your recruiting efforts, but it also means that you must beware of attrition within your own organization. Be vigilant about retaining your own top employees.

Importance of Branding

Increasingly organizations are promoting their brands through professional social networks and inbound marketing. Building your brand can help to position your company as a market leader.

Focus on Passive Candidates

To reach the most talented professionals, you will have to dig deeper. That includes reaching out to passive candidates – that segment of the already employed who may be receptive to discussing new opportunities.

Reliance on Recruiting Firms

Recruiters can reach out to executives in competing organizations where you can’t. It may be difficult or unethical for you to attempt to hire current employees away from their current employers, but partnering with a recruiting firm can make it easier to get in touch with these professionals.

Succession Planning

As boomers age out of the working population and gain enough confidence in the health of the economy and their nest eggs to retire, it becomes vital to create a plan to replace them. That means recruiting early to mid-career professionals to fill the-soon-to-be vacant positions and developing a strategy to preserve the institutional knowledge the retiring employee has acquired.

Mobile Enabled Search

In an effort to attract a younger candidate pool, employers are finding that they need to optimize their websites and applications. Job seekers now expect to access company information and apply for jobs from their tablets or smartphones.

Entrepreneurship Is King

An increasingly entrepreneurial or freelance mindset continues to increase among workers. To attract these independent thinkers, offer a more collaborative workplace, flexible hours and a better work/life balance.

Development of New Positions

New executive positions are cropping up, focused on digital, data and engagement. These positions could include Chief Digital Officer, Chief Analytics Officer, Head of Customer Engagement and Digital Risk Officer. Know which of these roles will fit into your organization and plan to recruit to fill them.

Tight Integration of Sales & Marketing

The days of pavement-pounding cold-calling sales representatives are on the wane. Increasingly, sales works hand in glove with inbound marketing, driving customer engagement. Companies will look to hire sales people who are able to adapt to this new reality; a more educated, softer-selling professional who can still close on opportunities.

Marketing Automation

Wise organizations develop relationships with desirable candidates to keep them in the loop for future opportunities. Candidates who have expressed interest or who just missed being offered a position can receive ongoing emails to keep them engaged until the right opportunity arises.

The executive search consultants at BrainWorks can help you build your 2015 hiring strategy. Trust our expertise to build your talent pipeline. Contact us today to learn more.