Recruiting & Hiring Trends for 2013-2014

Recruiting & Hiring Trends for 2013-2014



Tara Haskett, discusses current and future HR trends when it comes to recruiting and hiring employees.

In what areas are employers experiencing talent shortages?

Employers today are experiencing a talent shortage in trade areas such as I.T., engineering, sales, accounting, finance, and technical positions.   “Employers are reporting that they are not able to find candidates that have the exact qualifications or technical skills that companies are looking for. Employers are also finding that their allotted salary and a candidate’s salary expectation do not match up,” says Haskett.

What are some of the other challenges employers faced in 2013 that are relative to recruiting and hiring?

In 2013, there was a huge turnover rate when it came to new hires within the first year.  Candidates were not pleased with how unprepared an organization’s hiring process was. Some complaints included:

  • Difficulty navigating company websites to apply for a job.
  • Dissatisfaction with the interview and application process.
  • Huge disconnects between new hires and employees about the realities of the job and expectations.

What are some different social media methods that employers are using today to find new talent?

Employers are using social media as a gateway to recruit new talent.

ERC recently conducted a survey that showed since 2011, social media has increased 20% for recruiting candidates.

  • LinkedIn is the most popular platform.
  • Employers can use the company LinkedIn page to post sites directly to its company web page.
  • Employers can post articles about the company which can attract potential candidates for them in the future.
  • Facebook and Twitter are also popular methods for recruiting purposes.

What are some other recruiting and hiring trends you think we’ll see in 2014?

Companies will still continue to use social media for recruiting and hiring, but companies will also start to do more target messaging, specifically using SEO (search engine optimization). When a candidate types in keywords, he or she will be directed to the company’s website, where the job posting is located.

Haskett states that Companies will also use analytics, where they can see who is looking at what page, for how long, and how many times.

“Companies will take that information in addition to some other internal metrics they put in place and be able to focus on specific candidates that match the job criteria.”  

However, Haskett believes the old fashion way of employee referrals is not going anywhere. “It is still a great source of bringing in new hires because they are familiar with the job culture and expectations, which could lead to a lower turnover.”

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