5 ways hiring and employment is changing

5 ways hiring and employment is changing

By Charndré Emma Kippie

With the global pandemic reaching a third wave, South African businesses and recruitment agencies are forced to once again pivot, adjusting practices and outlooks to meet pending changes, and a growing need for constant technological innovation, required to keep the workforce going strong.

Sector Overview

According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), South Africa witnessed an increase of 333 000 in the number of employed persons near the end of 2020. However, data collected also indicated a rise in the number of unemployed individuals, documenting that 701 000 individuals were without employment by the fourth quarter of 2020.

These changes significantly impacted all major labour market rates. South Africa’s unemployment rate, thus, soared from 30,8% to 32,5% by the end of the year. This was the highest unemployment rate recorded since the start of the QLFS in 2008. The employment-to-population ratio also increased from 37,5% to 38,2%, and the labour force participation rate increased from 54,2% to 56,6% during this period, indicating that more people are participating in the labour market.

This meant that many were battling to find employment throughout the lockdown period, putting major pressure on recruitment and staffing entities who experienced major shifts in acquiring new skills and talent, retrenchment and organisational strategies geared towards weathering the storm.

Despite the fall in overall hiring activity throughout 2020, employment prospects are steadily improving for professionals in sectors such as: the business management, ICT and logistics.

5 WAYS HIRING & EMPLOYMENT IS CHANGING

Hybrid work model 2.0

Times are constantly changing,and while remote working maybe efficient, employees miss thehuman element of the workforce.Hybrid employment terms andhub-and-spoke workspaces willbe a major trend this comingyear, as employers opt for smalleroffices and permit employeesto work remotely, allowing forflexibility.

Innovative HR technology

The adoption of cloud-based HRtechnologies will be emphasised,in order to provide a betteremployee experience whileworking remotely. New HRAnalytics Programmes may alsoassist in keeping employeesmotivated and productive. HR techproves useful for virtual hiring,online learning and development,tracking performance and smartdecision-making.

Remote interview processes

As companies learn to embraceremote working more andmore, employers now rely ondigital recruitment practices,such as Zoom and Google Meetinterviews, as well as online skillstests. To sift through the massivetalent pool, recruiters are learningto adopt new hiring technologies,such as AI and automation. Thistrend is set to continue, betteringhiring quality, requiring less time,and enhancing talent acquisitionprocedures.

Reassessing required skill sets

The last two years have taught usto pivot, compromise, and value thesmaller steps taken forward. Thesame can be said for emerging jobsmarkets and skills development.Going forward, recruiters will bemore invested in Soft Skills. Thesetake the form of communicationmethods, collaboration,adaptability, and capacity forteam-working and relationshipbuilding.These skills will be lookedfor when evaluating applicants.

Performance analytics trends

A critical business aspect thathas changed considerablythis last year is performancemanagement. Business entities arenow measuring what matters: afocus on work completed efficientlyand visions accomplished – it’snot about hours on the clockanymore. We will see performancereviews and continuous feedbackhappening more frequently. Talentanalytics tools will also be used togather new data on employees.

MOST IN-DEMAND SKILLS BEING SCOUTED

Software development

Middle/department management

Representative/sales consulting

TOP 5 DIVISIONS REQUIRING MORE RECRUITS

Information Technology

Business & Management

Finance

Sales

Admin, Office & Support