Everybody wants to know what the future holds. Both the near future and the far future. The problem is that nobody knows what the future holds, not really. Sure, people often accurately predict certain elements of the future, but their forecasting is just as much luck as it is skill or expertise.
But what about . . . recruitment forecasting?
What is recruitment forecasting?
There are a couple of different ways to approach recruitment forecasting. That’s because there are different aspects of recruitment and selection. There are companies and organizations that handle their hiring internally, employing corporate recruiters and HR personnel. In this scenario, recruitment forecasting deals with an organization’s plan to hire based on its assessment regarding the positions for which it will need to hire in the future. That’s not the scenario (or the definition) that we’re going to address in this blog post.
That’s because we at Top Echelon deal primarily with independent, third-party agency recruiters and owners. So taken within that context, recruitment forecasting is the prediction of search consultants, both individually and collectively, of what the future holds for the recruiting profession. Since search consultants are the ones who are making the predictions, does that mean said predictions will be more accurate than if somebody else made them?
Not necessarily. But experience has to count for something, right?
That’s what we were thinking when we at Top Echelon recently conducted a survey of more than 20,000 recruitment professionals in the United States and Canada. We designed this survey to gauge the professionals’ opinions regarding a wide range of recruiting and hiring topics.
Recruitment forecasting feedback
One of those topics was recruitment forecasting and what search consultants thought regarding the future of the profession. This question was open-ended. That’s because we wanted survey
participants to go in whichever direction they wanted to go, free from any and all hindrances. The question is as follows:
Please tell us about your current recruiting experience, your view of the industry, your fears or excitements about the future, etc.
We’re pleased to report that quite a few recruiters accepted that invitation with open arms. (And open minds.)
“I worry about candidates suffering from ‘recruiter fatigue’ with so many in-house recruiters sending email blasts. Also, recruiting resources like Indeed, LinkedIn, and ZipRecruiter are getting too expensive and unrealistic in their requirements.”
“Due to technology, we are leaving the human element behind. We need to ensure superior customer service with face-to-face interaction and live communication . . .”
Overall, though, recruiters are optimistic and excited about the state of the recruiting industry, as well as its future.
“The future is exciting to me! I have always attempted to be one step ahead of what my competitors are doing and am always looking out for where the industry is headed next. Things are changing rapidly and it’s a challenge to stay ahead, but I believe it’s critical to stay on the leading edge if we as recruiters want more than to just survive.”
“This industry is the best to be in since it’s consistently growing and finding new and innovative ways to be done in a timely yet quality manner.”
“The people in the industry need to continue to adapt. All the trends in the industry can be used to our advantage if we’re willing to re-invent ourselves.
Yes, there are challenges. Yes, there are obstacles. And as much as we don’t want to admit it (or accept it), a recession is going to happen eventually. However, the recruiters in our survey are focused more on adapting to current conditions and continuing to evolve in their pursuit of more production and success.
In addition, they are optimistic and excited about the future, regardless of what that future might hold. This is indicative of a high level of confidence, which is what you would expect from a bunch of recruiters who have been in business for so long and have already enjoyed a considerable amount of success.
Our State of the Recruiting Industry Report
As mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, we conduct a survey of more than 20,000 recruitment professionals in the United States and Canada. We turn the results of this survey into what we call The State of the Recruiting Industry Report. We’ve conducted this survey and published this report in each of the past four years.
Recruitment forecasting is just one part of Top Echelon’s 2019 State of the Recruiting Industry Report. This special report contains much more, including the following:
- Recruiters’ top priorities for 2019
- Most popular recruitment marketing strategies for search consultants
- Recruiters’ biggest problems with clients
- The top complaints clients have about candidates
- Recruiters’ biggest problems with candidates
- Where to advertise your jobs to reach the most candidates
Download the 2019 State of the Recruiting Industry Report!
And don’t forget, Top Echelon also offers one of the most affordable recruiting software packages on the market. The price is just $59.50 per user per month under the annual plan. Click here for a FREE 15-day trial of the software.