Recruitment and human resources has evolved over the years. Before, almost everything was done in paper: resumes, contracts, cover letters, memos, circulars, but now almost everything is digital. Even interviews are more convenient, thanks to the internet.

And that’s not all that’s changed throughout the years.

The talent pool is growing, now you can recruit candidates from far flung places. Beijing? Mumbai? Cape Town? Sure. Your company doesn’t need to have a “presence” there before you change your recruitment plans to include overseas candidates.

As an HR professional or manager, it’s your responsibility to know the modern practices and trends in the industry, so you can adapt your organization’s recruitment plans and keep up with competitors.

Take a look at the rising HR trends for 2014:

1.     Searching for Talents on a Global Scale

The past few years witnessed the world turn almost borderless, and recruitment plans for 2014 will not be any different. Because of telecommuting and the popularity of remote workers, recruiters and hiring managers are no longer limited to locally available talent.

2.     The Use of Social Media Profiles

Gone are the days when recruiters had to rely on references and beefed-up resumes. Recruiters can easily uncover an applicant’s real work experience and credentials. Linkedin, together with Facebook and other social networks makes it easy for recruiters to see if an applicant is who he says he is.  While information can be forged it’s out there for all to see and you’re likely to find out if it’s incorrect.

On the flipside, Linkedin and Twitter are now used as recruiting tools, you can post job ads, search for qualified candidates and communicate with them through these networks. In the case of Twitter, job ads and replies to said job ads are limited to 160 characters, but it works!

3.     Mobile

People use their smart phones for almost everything, including job applications, so if you want to attract tech-savvy applicants, get a mobile-compatible website.

4.     Live Video Interviews

Live video interviews are becoming more popular, thanks to Skype and Google+ Hangouts. This trend isn’t limited to tech companies alone, even non-profits are getting in on the trend. You may not like it, but you have to admit, it’s a huge time saver!

5.     Increased Competition for Top Talents

The competition for top talents will increase in the next year. Counteroffers, rejections and aggressiveness among job seekers and even recruiters will be common. We’ll also see a rise in poaching of top talents.

6.     Employer Branding

Strategic employer branding will make a comeback as an effective recruitment tool, as employees become more vocal about work environments, salaries, perks and company culture- all thanks to social media.

 7.     Rehires

The so-called boomerang rehires have always been a source of top talents, and because of the impending shortage of qualified candidates this year, rehiring former employees will also become more popular.

 8.     Employee Referral Programs

Good employee referral programs attract more quality hires and increase retention rates. Your organization’s 2014 retirement plans should encourage a referral culture to tap this rich source of qualified talents and save on advertising costs.

 9.     Remote Work Positions

This year will see an increase in both remote work jobs and those who are willing to work remotely. Work at home parents and other previously unable candidates will make a comeback as logistics and company policies enable them to work and be where they need to be at the same time.

 10.  Assessing Candidates Online

The popularity of comprehensive online skill assessments and extensive background checks can reduce unnecessary interviews and improve quality of recruits.

11.  An Overhaul of Evaluation Programs

Old-fashion evaluation programs are becoming less popular. This year, evaluation programs are to be focused on recognition, development and further coaching—less on hard metrics.

12.  Competing with Talented Startups

One challenge that this year brings to recruiters will be successful startups. Startups will continue to attract top talents that admire their cause and casual company culture, so your organization should learn to successfully compete them- or at least adapt their branding strategy.

13.  Work Stress

HR managers will become more involved in helping employees balance work and rest. Sustainable production will be a major buzzword in employee management as companies realize the benefits and huge ROI they could derive by giving employees ample time to recharge their mental faculties.

14.  Depending on Data

Majority of hiring decisions this 2014 will depend on big data. Hiring managers will see a shift from intuition-based decisions to data-influenced decisions. At this point, hard data mined from surveys, statistics, search engines and previous company reports will be consulted for almost every facet of HR work. From choosing short-listed candidates by using keyword-filters to search the applicants database, to choosing employee benefits and training programs—all this will be influenced by big data.

What’s your organization’s main recruitment strategy for 2014? Did you consider any of these trends when you created a recruitment plan?

© 2014 Incedo Group, LLC