Hello and Welcome to the February edition of Wave News.
As we forge ahead into 2022 it appears people are feeling re-invigorated and ready for a new challenge – the WaveTrackR January 2022 Recruitment Trends Report revealed a spike in applications. At 36% over the 2021 monthly average, they were higher than any month in 2021. We look at whether the gap between available jobs and candidates could be beginning to close, plus dig into a wealth of other jobs and applications data.
The way we work and do business has changed to such a degree over the past two years that skill-building on both an individual and an organisational level is critical. Building social and technical skills is crucial to future-proofing businesses as well as a way for them to attract and retain talent. We look at what employers and recruiters should be looking for in a candidate and what they should be offering in terms of continuous learning.
Meanwhile, the government has been desperately trying to solve the current labour shortage, encouraging more people into work and filling the UK’s record 1.2 million vacancies. That encouragement is to shorten the time jobseekers on universal credit have to find employment before a portion of their benefits is cut. We consider whether this is right and fair or whether, instead, the focus needs to be on redoubling efforts into skills training, increasing flexibility in the workplace and improving workplace conditions.
Of course, the reality is that competition for talent is fierce, meaning that you need to ensure you are doing everything you can to hold on to quality candidates and keep them in the hiring process. Accelerating the recruitment process has become essential in order to avoid losing top talent to competitors. However, ruthlessly cutting corners could result in a drop in candidate quality – exactly what you don’t want. We suggest steps to cut the length of the process without compromising on quality.
Keeping jobseekers on your recruitment website is another vital step to converting leads into registered candidates and, ultimately, hires. First impressions are made in under 5 seconds – that’s all we’ve got to lure visitors in, engage them, and send a clear message about what we want them to do. We look at how you can increase the length of time candidates spend on your website and minimise that bounce rate.
In our round-up of gems from the world of recruitment, we had to bring you our very own Dave Jenkins’ article on the journey job ads have taken in his appraisal of whether we are beginning to see the end of ‘cheap’ recruitment. You can also read about a welcome rise in empathy and kindness in the workplace as a pandemic legacy, tips on social media recruitment marketing, and strategies to improve the candidate experience.
Last but by no means least, we are thrilled to announce another addition to the Wave team. Nick Weaver has joined us as Client Engagement Manager, a role dedicated to ensuring all our clients are looked after and have everything they need. He will be further strengthening the client service that we are so proud of here at Wave. Welcome to the team Nick!
What’s new…
WaveTrackR January data reveals a welcome spike in applications >
After months of soaring jobs and low application numbers leading to candidate shortages, WaveTrackR’s January Recruitment Trends Report showed that 2022 started with a riot of candidate activity. With job numbers barely rising from December, could recruiters now be able to begin to fill jobs at a more sustainable rate? We also look into best times to post, industry specific data and offer some data-related insights into job boards.
Why skill building will be key to recruitment and business success in 2022 >
Skill-building has become critical for talent attraction and retention, future-proofing businesses, and for the health of the economy. Social skills are particularly in demand and should be sought and invested in. We look at how and why it matters.
Why tackling the labour shortage requires addressing the causes (and empathetic recruiting) >
Are benefit sanctions the answer to the UK’s labour shortage or should we be addressing the causes and focusing on helping people get ready for and find suitable and appropriate jobs? We investigate whether getting people into work – any work – by any means is sustainable and what other solutions there might be.
How to speed up the recruitment process (without compromising on quality) >
In a market heavy with jobs but still relatively low on candidate availability, it’s vital that the recruitment process isn’t too long – a big gap between application and interview or too many interview stages can demoralise a candidate and cause them to focus on other job applications. We suggest ways to streamline and quicken the pace of your recruitment process without risking a drop in candidate quality.
Top tips to keep candidates on your recruitment website >
In a candidate-short market, ensuring that you keep candidates on your website, engaging with your content, travelling through your website, and ultimately performing one of your goals, is vital. We suggest immediately actionable tips to help you to reduce your bounce rate, increase visitor page duration and ultimately boost conversions.
What we are reading…
Is this the death knell for cheap recruitment? >
Wave CEO Dave Jenkins takes a trip down memory lane to the days of high cost print advertising to see how we’ve arrived at a point where job ads are so cheap – but are we on the brink of change? A fascinating, nostalgic and insightful article.
Workplace wellbeing re-examined: could empathy and kindness be the lasting legacy of the pandemic? >
New research from AXA’s annual Mind Health Study has found that, despite the UK having the highest prevalence of mental health conditions in Europe, the pandemic has encouraged its destigmatisation and driven positive change in workplace culture.
Wins, Sins and Great Big Grins – social media basics for recruiters >
Not getting enough traction from your social media marketing? Not sure where to even begin? This article offers some great tips on the basic dos and don’ts of social media for recruiters.
