It’s two years post-COVID, and many things have changed. From an employer’s perspective, we went from the boom of having more candidates than we needed to no candidates to be found anywhere. Today, there are millions of jobs unfilled. It’s a booming market for candidates now, and for employers, this means paying closer attention to what these audiences want. What are candidates looking for in a job this year? How can employers create a more seamless application process and entice more candidates? What is it that candidates want, anyway?
What Do Candidates Want in 2022?
Appreciation
The 2022 candidate or even your existing teams want to know their value. The latest studies show 96% of employees say feeling appreciated at work is important. Yet only 37% of employees report they actually feel appreciated. Employees, and candidates, are looking for opportunities where they feel welcomed, needed, and useful in their work. This signals a big change for employers who must adopt new strategic approaches to attract and retain workers.
An Easy Application Process
Candidates also want employers to create a more seamless application process on their smartphones. Generation Z, the up-and-coming workforce population you should be paying attention to, uses their cellphone more than any other prior generation. More job applications were submitted via smartphones than from any other venue. Mobile applications made up 61% of candidate inquiries in 2021. This means employers must fix any broken application processes that are anything less than mobile-friendly.
This leads us to the candidate experience and why it matters so much. Having a disorganized hiring process in 2022 will not bode well for your company. Pushing a candidate from sourcer to recruiter to hiring manager without full-on communication creates a disjointed process that will turn off most candidates next year. This is a big problem because the best candidates stay on the market for just 10-days. That’s why making the candidate experience world-class will have a big impact on your hiring process next year.
Take an Interest in Their Career Goals
Also, consider promoting from within next year. Your goal should be to not only improve the candidate experience for external resources but to create a great environment for your current workforce, so they never leave. The latest research shows 93% of your employees would stick around longer if you took time to invest in their career. It also shows 86% of millennials say they would stay in their company longer if they had access to training and development opportunities. This means you should create a growth path for employees that allows them to achieve career goals at your company and not somewhere else. When you consider the cost of hiring even one new employee, this effort on your part will absolutely pay for itself.
Contact Lingo Staffing Today
Companies seeking to build their pool of qualified candidates in 2022 should partner with industry expert Lingo Staffing. If you are ready to reduce your time to hire, we can help. Contact us.