Optimism for TA Leaders in 2024

Hi there,

As a challenging year comes to an end, one thought keeps coming back to me amid talk of AI, increasing unemployment, and the need to shift some ways of doing things, while doubling down on the things that are tried and tested. For example…

Recruiting technology is a valuable tool, but true success in hiring is achieved when it's coupled with the expertise and human touch of a skilled recruiter who understands company culture, engages candidates personally, and relies on judgment and empathy beyond data and algorithms.

That’s not exactly brand-new, but in a way it is. Which brings us to some key headlines.

🗞️ Headlines 

• Job Vacancies Decreased for the fifth consecutive quarter according to StatsCan. As a result, there were 1.7 unemployed people for every job vacancy in the third quarter. For context, pre pandemic levels were typically above 2.0. Lastly, population growth continues to outpace job creation.

• Can AI identify employment law risks, for AI? The folks at HCAMG put ChatGPT to the test by asking the AI to summarize key employment law risks for Canadian employers using AI, like ChatGPT. As a thought experiment, it performed admirably, even identifying potential biases it had, but an experienced HR professional was still ultimately needed.

• Hourly Employees in the US are unconcerned about AI. That’s according to a recent study by workforce payments platform Branch. 56% of the 3000 respondents stated they were unconcerned with the impact of AI on their work. More important issues? Wages (56%), and flexibility (39%). 

TA Tips 

A Year of Challenges Ends with Optimism 

According to HR.research’s State of High-Volume and Hourly Hiring 2023, only 23% of TA leaders strongly agree their organization is effective at high-volume recruitment. 

I recently discussed a few priorities that can drive progress in 2024, but here are the key points.

• AI, Analytics, and Augmenting Gaps

In the upcoming year, TA leaders are poised to leverage AI tools and strategic outsourcing to streamline recruitment processes and boost efficiency. The focus lies in automating tasks, utilizing technology, and outsourcing to create scalable and effective recruitment methodologies.

• Uplevel Employment Branding and Employee Experience 

In 2024, amid high demand for hourly workers and limited applicants, it's crucial for TA leaders, especially in customer-centric industries, to enhance candidate experience to retain customers and prevent revenue loss.

• Shift to Skill Based Hiring from Experience Based Hiring

In response to a scarcity of experienced applicants, there's a shift towards skill-based hiring, urging organizations to prioritize candidates with relevant skills and potential over perfect experience, prompting a reassessment of screening processes.

As these developments continue, 2023 has been a year of quick pivots for us at Mindfield, including revamped solutions, and leaner operations model amid decreased hiring trends.The takeaway for not just myself, but all TA leaders? Going back to the root of recruiting: connection with people.

And that’s all for now - our next release will be in 2024. Until then, have a happy holidays, or if you’d like to keep in touch - connect with me on Linkedin!