With skills shortages common across the world in the wake of the so-called “Great Resignation”, it is perhaps no surprise that recruitment firm Monster’s latest Future of Work Report highlights the strong state of recruiting, with practically every one of the 3,000 HR and hiring professionals surveyed saying they’re planning to hire in the year ahead.

“The 2022 hiring outlook is up, and much improved from last year,” the authors say. “In fact, 93% of employers plan to hire this year – including 51% to replace or backfill staff, and 41% who plan to hire for new positions.”

Skills gaps

Getting talent in is by no means straightforward, however, with 90% of respondents saying they’re struggling to find the right people due to a skills gap. What’s more, a significant portion says that this situation has worsened over the past year.

This has inevitably led to increased competition for the talent that is there, with employers highlighting that not only is it harder to recruit the talent they need but it’s also harder to retain talent given the desire among employers to compete for the best people.

“Recruiters are gearing up to make some changes in order to stay competitive over the next three years,” the authors say. “In some cases, that means being proactive and anticipating what candidates are going to want and need.”

An attractive proposition

To become as attractive as possible, therefore, employers are having to up their game in a number of areas, with a particular focus on the changing work/life balance expectations of employees. The Covid period has created the expectation among people that remote or flexible working will be the norm.

This has also meant that employers’ return to work plans are in a state of flux, with around half stating that a hybrid approach is likely to dominate in the future.

The desire to attract the best people has also reinforced the importance of robust diversity and inclusion policies, with nearly half of the respondents saying that this will be a priority in the year ahead.

What is increasingly clear is that job seekers are largely in the driving seat, even if many don’t always realize it. Monster argues that this is an ideal opportunity for workers to find a role that really fits them rather than settle for second best.

“If candidates are focused on what is most meaningful to them,
they’ve got a real opportunity to find the right job fit,” they conclude.