The business of talent acquisition has changed greatly since COVID-19 arrived, as with most things in the professional world. If you haven’t recruited staff since before COVID—19, you will notice that a lot has changed. This guide will bring you up to speed on everything from the employment market to video interviews, vaccination requirements and what candidates expect in this new hiring landscape.

The lowdown on the employment market

Due to nationwide staff shortages in most industries, competition for quality candidates has skyrocketed, meaning it’s a job-seekers market. There are more job opportunities for candidates to choose from and many employers are offering improved workplace benefits such as flexible work arrangements, remote working, and bigger salaries to lure quality people.

The property industry, like many others, is certainly feeling the strain of the candidate shortage. Fierce competition for talent means that many employers are struggling to find staff and maintain their workloads. There are record numbers of jobs being advertised with very low levels of applications received. This also means that employers are competing with a wider range of companies looking to secure talent. Jane Carey, property recruitment specialist and Edge Recruitment CEO says, ‘it’s the most job seeker-skewed employment market seen in decades!’

• What candidates expect
  The past two years have brought a huge shift in the expectations of employees and what they want out of their working life. Job seekers are looking for roles that offer genuine work-life balance, flexibility, and fulfilment.
  
  Candidates continue to show a reluctance to change jobs and caution when job hunting which is largely due to the economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19. Job security is the number one thing candidates are looking for in a new employer as well as a great culture, flexible work arrangements and opportunities for professional development.
  
  
• Embrace video interviews
  Whilst many employers have embraced video technology with positivity, there are some that are filled with dread at the idea of conducting a job interview via video. However, it’s amazingly simple to set up video conferencing software such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Anyone can do it, even tech novices!
  
  The growing trend of video job interviews in comparison to face-to-face interviews has been massive in the past 1-2 years. Surprisingly, many employers adopting this method say that they prefer it to face-to-face interviews because masks can hinder critical nonverbal communication such as facial expressions. Whereas video interviews allow all verbal and non-verbal communication to be evaluated, leading to a better result.
  
  
• Outline your vaccination requirements
  Many employers are stipulating new employees must be vaccinated to be considered for roles, and this is fine (and actually recommended) to put in a vacancy advertisement. It can help give prospective applicants comfort about the workplace they may be going into, as well as reduce wasted time in screening applicants who won’t be considered due to their vaccination status.
  
  For further reading on this topic, this article is very useful - How to tell if a vaccination certificate is genuine.
  
  
• Making an offer
  Candidates are getting snapped up very quickly, so when making a job offer it’s important for employers to move quickly.
  
  Candidates are increasingly looking for flexible work hours and work from home opportunities, so smart employers will sharpen their employee value proposition add these benefits to their offer of employment.
  
  Employers that can address candidate concerns around job security will have a much better chance of recruitment success. Any information about financial buoyancy, pipelines of work or contracts in place should be communicated to candidates during the recruitment process.

COVID 19 has caused us all to reflect on how we live and has changed what we expect from our workplaces. Those employers that can embrace this change will have the best chance of attracting new talent and retaining their existing team in 2022 and beyond.