The employment landscape is ever changing. With 2020 already upon us, it is your responsibility as an employment agency, to review your strategy and make necessary amends that will enable you to serve your clients more effectively. One way of doing this is to begin by checking out the prevailing trends, and then determining how best to adapt.

It is important not to underestimate the impact of recent changes or trends. When they arrive, it means there are areas within the industry that require serious attention and adjustments. Any HR department that ignores such trends will not only miss out on finding the best talent for their clients but might as well go out of business by clinging to ways of the past. If you are in the recruitment industry, 2020 is already here! And, now is a good time to catch up on some of the industry’s latest trends.

People analytics for effective decision making

The application of big-data analysis will always have immense potential when applied to any industry. In the HR industry, the application of data-driven approaches in people analytics can provide employers with valuable insights about employee performances and satisfaction, which can then be used to improve their motivation and productivity.

With well-designed and well-configured HR tech solutions, HR departments and recruitment agencies will be looking to collect and maintain valuable data such as employee statistics, recruitment data, and performance KPIs, which will then be used to make smarter decisions for the company.

The increasing rise of the gig economy

The gig economy has been on the rise in the past few years, thanks to scarce jobs, advancement in technology, and good internet penetration. HR departments and recruitment agencies in Montreal must accept the fact that some of the best talent they may be interested in may no longer be interested in 9-5 job setups. As such, they must start warming up to the concept of working with freelancers, consultants, or independent contractors.

These are highly skilled professionals who no longer find it palatable to be employed but prefer to offer their services as independent contractors with no long term contracts, to any single company. Related to this, remote work will continue to become remote work, given that the global workforce is becoming increasingly diverse, and companies will continue contracting on a per-project basis, and at lower costs.

Enhancing the job applicant experience

Though jobs are scarce, recruitment agencies no longer consider that they are doing applicants a favor by offering them positions. Currently, for the best results in finding the best hires and bringing incredible talent to various organizations, the recruitment process must be smooth for both the hiring department and the applicants. In the coming years, therefore, companies and hiring agencies will seek to simplify and increase the speed of their administrative processes, so that recruitment timelines can be reduced significantly. The interview process for each candidate will also be improved, in order to complete a wholesome application process.

More adoption of HR chatbots

The use of chatbots revolutionized online customer experience. So far, they have provided tremendous results for service-based entities. However, they are a versatile technology that can be used in any industry. Most HR departments are just getting started with chatbots, and 2020 is seen as the year of mass adoption of this technology in the employment industry. They are not only vital for providing important information during the recruitment process, but they can also be used to help new hires with the onboarding process. If a nice Frequently Asked Questions list can be integrated into the chatbot, then the company will serve very many people with little resource allocation. Alternatively, there are a few solid livechat services available, offering more customized and accurate responses, managed by people instead of bots. However, livechat service may be slightly more costly, but is generally well worth it if you have enough inquiries to justify the cost.

Getting employees prepared for massive changes

During recent years, there has been a lot of talk about an economic meltdown that is yet to occur. Because such has always happened in the past, with devastating consequences to both employees and employers, human resource departments are being advised to anticipate change and prepare their employees accordingly. This is better than waiting to be caught off-guard and unprepared, when things go south. For human resource departments as well as temporary labour agencies, it is vital to evaluate the skills required by the organization for every position so that you can figure out the kinds of skills that are outdated or becoming quickly outdated. This is how you anticipate the future and can be ready for any upcoming economic or market conditions.

Investing in authentic workplace cultures

Toxic office environments and workplace harassment have a way of discouraging potential employees from applying to open positions. It is a fact that applicants are reluctant to join work environments that will not give them the greatest satisfaction, and HR departments already know this. Though it used to be ignored in the past, employers are increasingly working on cultivating a solid workplace culture that will encourage healthy employee experiences, which will honor the worker’s need for a balanced work-life schedule. Workers will also continue to advocate for safe and respectable work environments.

Provision of holistic health benefits

The effects of work-related stress can no longer be ignored by HR departments, and hiring agencies. This is because it impacts the overall well-being and engagement of the employee, which will ultimately have an impact on the company. Companies are not making it their responsibility to come up with stress-reducing activities and wellness programs, especially through holistic health benefits. These benefits accord employees the pleasure of nurturing their minds, bodies, and souls so that they can relieve themselves of stress and remain rejuvenated at all times.