It’s no secret that the events, patterns, and outcomes over the last few years have completely disrupted the recruitment space as we’ve known it.
The labor market has fundamentally shifted for both jobseekers and businesses – creating new demands for adaptability, a desire for alternative skillsets, and a critical need to add unique value to the market like never before.
We’ve experienced hiring freezes, recruitment challenges, massive layoffs, and meeting jobseekers’ expectations has become paramount to recruiting success.
So, the question becomes – what do businesses and jobseekers need to be successful in 2024?
A highlighted list of necessary soft skills in your job ad
Soft skills, different from their counterpart “hard skills”, have always been considered the nebulous, “nice-to-have” skills that no one can really define effectively. Recruiters have universally paid much more attention to ensuring candidates have the hard, technical skills they’ll need to be effective in a role (i.e. graphic design, computer programming, proficiency in a certain industry niche, etc.)
Soft skills are now becoming a serious part of a company’s hiring criteria.
In fact, 73% of recruiting pros say hiring based on skills is a priority.
We’ve all heard about the looming and accelerating skills gap in the labor market right now. LinkedIn 2024 hiring data reveals that more employers are recognizing that taking a skills-based approach to hiring and talent development is necessary to fill skills gaps and adapt to changing market conditions. Recruiters will lead the charge on skills-based hiring, while also helping companies create effective upskilling and internal mobility programs.
Some of the top soft skills needed in businesses today include:
- Adaptability
- Communication (oral and written)
- Customer Service
- Project Management
- Strategic/Critical Thinking
- Problem-Solving/Decision-Making
- Emotional Intelligence
These are the skills that get overlooked, underdeveloped, and cut from the job post. And these are the very skills that will develop new skills, relationships with customers, and become a catalyst for higher productivity.
Jobseekers: If you aren’t listing soft skills in your resume, professional profiles, or portfolios, now is the time to push those to the top of your skills list. It’s what businesses will be looking at with an intentional eye from here on out.
Develop ever-evolving hard skills in your employees
Since 2015, skills for roles have, on average, changed by 25%; by 2030 it’s expected that number will reach at least 65%.
According to research by Deloitte, ‘Fostering Innovation’ is one of the top 3 workforce challenges of the past few years.
It’s not enough to hire for specific hard skills and then move on. Hard skills are ever-evolving, literally changing every day because of technological advances. Hard skills not only have to be consistently developed after hire, but also shaped, taught, and maintained to ensure innovation in your business.
Deloitte goes on to say, “companies must do more than simply attract workers who already have valuable skills, they must develop them, too. That’s gotten harder in an environment where younger workers haven’t had as many opportunities. Mentorship programs, flexible work arrangements, and clear paths for skills development can both build a company’s talent pipeline and build loyalty for younger employees.”
Some of the top hard skills needed in businesses today include:
- Data Analysis
- AI/Machine Learning
- Software Engineering
- Cybersecurity
- UI/UX Learning
- Marketing
- Writing
Jobseekers: Don’t be afraid to speak with recruiters or hiring managers about upskilling opportunities, training programs, and career advancement paths. It is your responsibility to make sure even after you’re hired that you’re honing your craft and staying adaptable.
Address the difficulty of finding qualified talent
Recruiting droughts, a flood of unqualified applicants, and high employee turnover have been haunting recruiters and businesses for years. Why?
Smaller budgets, increased demand for innovation and niche skillsets, jobseekers remaining loyal to their high expectations, etc.
Businesses need to get back to their hiring core – focusing on the mission that drives their business forward and the employees they need to make it happen.
Hiring is becoming rushed and disorganized. And jobseekers are realizing that, so they’re taking their time and building their own case for buy-in.
There is an overabundance of quality candidates in the market today with top-tier hard skills, soft skills, and niche skills we desperately need to move our businesses forward.
We need to re-build our hiring criteria and post jobs that jobseekers can relate to, see themselves in, and get excited about. Recruiters and businesses forget that jobseekers must choose them instead of the other way around.
Jobseekers: It’s easy to apply for 15 jobs at one time with easy apply tools that are available to you today, but I encourage you to slow down. Write out your ideal role, what you’d do in it, what you’d learn along the way, and then interview businesses based on those criteria, instead of fitting their mold. You’ll thank yourself later.
Final Thoughts
Although the labor market has been considered a puzzle throughout the last few years, it has also sharpened the way businesses and recruiters operate. And it has opened more pathways for jobseekers to call the shots and find jobs that fulfill them, shape them, and give them a greater work/life balance.
So maybe we should start looking at talent acquisition with eyes wide open instead of focusing only on what’s gotten more challenging. Challenges create change. And change creates movements.
About the Guest Author:
Abby Carter, JobTarget
JobTarget, a Job Advertising platform that brings jobseekers and businesses together for a better recruiting experience.
Author
Chris Kolmar
