Talent Hiring Strategies For 2020

As you begin to face the challenges and opportunities for this new year I just wanted to share some observations on the current talent market based on my 20 years as a payments / ecommerce industry recruiter…. I believe talent acquisition strategies for 2020 will be driven by this one trend:

Finding great talent will become easier …. recruiting great talent will become more difficult.

Here are 10 things employers can do to successfully recruit top talent in 2020:

Treat each potential candidate like a customer. If you don’t, they will “shop” somewhere else.
Make sure everyone in the interviewing process is on the same page. They must know company’s career value proposition and how to sell it to the candidate.
Increase hiring speed. You can’t afford a long, drawn-out / start and stop process that disappoints the candidate and allows the competition to gain a foot-hold. Consider using Skype or other video screening interviews to save time.
Make job descriptions accurate, fun and exciting. Dull and poorly written job profiles reflect negatively on your brand and will turn-off most candidates. Make job descriptions sell!
De-emphasize resumes and accept online profiles. Many passive candidates don’t have updated resumes. Using online profiles in the beginning will at least allow you to engage with the candidate, start the process and save time.
Learn how to interview for and evaluate “soft skills”. Professionalism, interpersonal /communication, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability and leadership are all examples of soft skills that will help the hiring manager predict cultural fit and future performance.
Company culture, values, and career growth are becoming very important to candidates. Don’t forget to incorporate these into the interview process and employer branding messages.
Be prepared to offer comp packages that exceed expectations. Be creative.
Never stop recruiting. Keep the candidate pipeline full and great talent engaged even when you are not hiring.
Team-up with a 3rd party recruiting firm. Find a true professional recruiting firm with “headhunters” who understand your business and industry, have credibility with potential candidates and know how to sell your opportunity!