Successful recruiting depends on a proactive approach; andtechnology solutions can improve the experience for job candidatesand recruiter. (Photo: Shutterstock)

More than half of businesses in a recent survey said they are planning to makemajor changes in their hiring practices in the next two years. Thesurvey, which polled HR executives at 234 businesses, was conductedby Kronos, a workforce management company, and the Human CapitalInstitute (HCI).

Demand for workers creating new challenges

The report looked at how companies compete for talent in today's market, when theeconomy is booming and demand for workers is high. The researchersfound that current-day conditions make recruitment very challengingfor a wide range of companies.

Approximately half the organizations surveyed said their numberof open positions has increased over the last two years—48 percentfor hourly workers, and 53 percent of salaried positions.

The time it takes to fill those roles has also increased—36percent for hourly workers, 38 percent for salaried workers. Andthe delays in hiring extract a price—cost-per-hire has increased 48percent for hourly workers and 47 percent for salaried positions.To attract workers, companies are paying higher wages: 73 percenthave increased starting pay for salaried workers, while 50 percenthave raised starting pay for hourly workers over the past twoyears.

High-performing companies invest in marketing, technology

The study used an HCI metric to identify high-performingcompanies (HPOs), and noted that such companies have invested morein certain areas to recruit new talent.

For example, HPOs were more likely to seek out technologysolutions to help with hiring: 21 percent of those companies usedworkforce data from human capital management suites, humanresources information systems, or recruiting solutions to makehiring decisions, compared to just 5 percent of otherorganizations.

In addition, more HPOs also said they planned to invest intalent acquisition technology (59 percent) when compared withnon-HPOs (37 percent). For these companies, marketing also hasvalue: better employer brand/recruitment marketing was a top focusfor 59 percent of HPOs, compared to just 40 percent of othercompanies.

These high-performing companies also reported using strategiessuch as strong internal lines of recruitment, rather than justrelying on recruiting from outside the company. And they were morelikely to offer comprehensive total reward packages and flexiblework arrangements.

Taking a proactive approach

The study concluded that successful recruiting depends on aproactive approach; and that technology solutions can improve theexperience for job candidates and recruiters alike.

“As the world evolves, so too must the ways that organizationsattract, recruit, and retain top talent,” said Jenna N.Filipkowski, PhD., head of research at HCI. “High-performingorganizations use technology to collect and analyze information,optimize processes, ease recruiter workloads, and customizecommunication to personalize the candidate experience. Thisapproach allows them to focus on developing internal talentpipelines, hire for potential instead of skill, and create ahigh-performing team regardless of the job market.”

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