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With 2024 now well and truly underway, if hiring could be on the cards for you this year, there’s no better time to ensure your finger is on the pulse when it comes to the recruitment trends the world will witness in 2024.
To help you do exactly that, our team of recruitment specialists has pooled their expert knowledge of the sector - from proactively engaging talent at all job levels to Gen Z entering the workforce.
Here are the recruitment industry trends you need to know for 2024…
Gen Z entering the workforce
In 2024, the workforce is facing something new - the entrance of Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) into a predominantly Boomer, Gen X, and Millenial space. That’s right, Gen Z is all set to enter the workforce in junior-level roles this year.
This means that managers and business owners alike will be tasked with hiring Gen Z and assimilating the younger generation into their business practices.
A major change this is expected to bring into the workplace is speed - as Gen Z, also called “Zoomers,” has a reputation for having some different priorities than the past generations in terms of personal boundaries, including in the workplace. In short, they will expect everything to be virtual and fast-paced.
What’s important for recruiters, hiring managers and business leaders to realise is Gen Z is the future, so we all need to carefully consider and ensure we are open to what they’re bringing to the table.
To learn more about what Gen Z values in a workplace and how to attract top Gen Z talent, get in touch with our expert team today.
Proactive candidate engagement
Proactively engaging candidates has long been a common practice when filling senior leadership and C-suite level job vacancies but in many workplaces, it has rarely been considered when hiring for lower-level positions.
At People In Focus, this is something we’ve always fiercely believed in and 2024 will be the year that more companies and recruiters follow suit.
In a LinkedIn survey, 84 % of recruiters said that engaging passive candidates is becoming important in lower and middle-level roles and for attracting top talent.
While the job market is certainly swinging in favour of employers, those who proactively engage talented candidates are much more likely to take the cake, with three-quarters (76%) of Australian professionals considering (but not necessarily actively searching for) a new job in 2024, up 15% year-on-year, according to analysis of LinkedIn data.
It’s not about where you’ve been, it’s what you know
Here’s something for both candidates are employers to take note of: in 2024, it will be a candidate’s skills (not the pedigree of past employers on their resume) that truly count.
While we’re certainly looking at a competitive job market, many skills gaps exist that need to be closed. This is why, for employers, we expect businesses to focus on the skills they need to bring on and develop now.
This could include decisions such as bringing in interim hires who can upskill teams and allow businesses to try new roles on for size before hiring into them permanently as well as more sideways moves as businesses reassign roles to unlock unrealised potential already within their ranks.
And this isn’t only about technical skills. Recruiters will still be looking out for leadership skills, too — so a seemingly short-term focus now doesn’t leave them with a bigger skill gap at the top later on.