With 7 million jobseekers in the US alone and 11 million open positions, there is a lot going on in the areas of recruiting and careers.

For this Alert, we look at the forecasts of Career Coach Marie Zimenoff of Career Thought Leaders and Ingomu Career Coach Maureen Jenks.

Longer Hiring Processes

Job seekers are seeing longer, more dispersed hiring processes. Instead of 5 people from the team getting together for the interview, candidates are meeting with everyone individually.

This makes sense in some ways, considering the challenges of group Zoom conversations, and it means job seekers must prepare to excel in one-on-one conversations and to persevere in the process.

Jenks seeing that many more people are applying for the same jobs; that uptick is promoting the increased use of pre-and post-employment assessments to help organizations build effective teams. She adds that leaders are less focused on skillsets and more determined to find people who can help them reach their goals.

Greater Concern about Personal Images on Zoom

This concern manifests in two ways: FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and personal appearance. They fear the long-term effect on their careers due to missing out on the connections fostered in task-focused meetings. Second, the distress about their online physical appearances is promoting an interest in what the report calls "facial rejuvenation." Sadly, Zoom filters can only work so much magic.

Investments in HR Tech are having an Impact

The expenditure of $10 billion USD in HR tech is making a difference for job seekers and leaders alike. From AI digital sourcing tools to online pre-employment assessments and video interviews, HR Tech has changed how candidates interact with their employers.

This transformation is affecting the entire employee lifecycle from the initial application through interviewing, internal leadership/skill development, culture assessment, career advancement and more.

Finally, a Shift towards the "Employee-Driven" Workplace

The tightened labor market is forcing employers to shift their attitudes towards several employee-desired aspects of work. This transition to employee centeredness includes their embracing flexibility, a movement towards more inclusive leadership styles, placing greater priority on mental health and life balance, and a lot more.

This culture shift is moving companies in the direction of becoming Employers of Choice®. According to Jenks, in many cases, candidates left their previous employment due to ineffective leadership; thus, they are trying to be more careful before making a decision to work for a new organization.

Applicants are looking to avoid working for micromanagers; they want leaders who will leave them alone to get their jobs done yet give them substantive feedback so that they may excel.

Jobseekers doing their Homework Ahead of Time

Jenks says her clients are doing much more research than they ever did before; they are coming to her to help them determine if they want to be part of a particular organization.

With so many open positions talented candidates have many choices, and they want to choose wisely. She added they are also looking for enhanced benefits like the 4-day workweeks, more time off, remote work, and parental leave for dads.

© Copyright 1998-2021 by The Herman Group of Companies, Inc., all rights reserved. From 'The Herman Trend Alert,' by Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurist. (800) 227-3566 or www.hermangroup.com

The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group of Companies, Inc. Reprinted with permission.