Monster.com fielded two global surveys in an effort to better understand the hiring situation in the coming year; the data gathered in October and November 2020 is now being used to manage hiring and job-seeking expectations by employers and potential workers, respectively.
However, perhaps, to everyone’s surprise, there is a reason to be optimistic about hiring and job prospects in the coming year.
According to the Future of Work 2021 Global Outlook Special Report, which you can download here:
82 percent of US employers plan to hire new employees this year (2021)
Forty-two percent of these employers plan to replace or backfill positions that opened up last year, when unemployment was as high as 16% in May 2020.
In the IT sector, a whopping 49% of tech companies plan to post new jobs in 2021.
35% of employers plan to hire workers for new positions this year.
While unemployment hit a record high last year, as high as 16 percent, employers are finally getting back to hiring. Companies around the country are looking to fill positions that had to be vacated during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many are posting new jobs altogether.
But what does the hiring process look like in 2021, and what are employers looking for? The events in 2021 may have sparked the digital age of hiring — with employers and employees alike managing new expectations and facing new challenges.
What employers are looking for in 2021 recruits
Although employers may be scrambling to fill positions, many are still looking for similar sets of values and skills, regardless of which industry.
Dependability — Employers expect employees to arrive to work on time, not take excessive time off, and follow through on all assignments.
Teamwork — Hiring teams expect you to work well with others within a group or the company as a whole.
Problem-solving — Employers are looking for recruits who can use the resources at their disposal and solve problems efficiently without asking for assistance.
Flexibility — If 2020 taught us anything, it’s to be flexible, and we learned that being flexible paid off a lot for remote workers in the past year. Employers are looking for new hires to be more flexible than ever and willing to take on new work or complete assignments in new ways.
However, 80 percent of employers looking for recruits say they are having a more difficult time filling positions than ever due to the skills gap, according to a survey by Monster.com. Unfortunately, since there were so many out of work, many workers may be looking for jobs they aren’t exceptionally qualified to hold.
The same survey concluded that 87 percent of employers are having trouble recruiting workers with the necessary skills to complete the job they are seeking. The skill gap is probably partially due to the disconnect between what job candidates include in their resumes versus what information employers are looking to find.
Although a resume is meant to be a document used to present your background, skills, and accomplishments, employers are only looking for one basic concept — how do your skills match the job you’re applying for?
What workers are looking for in potential employers
If the novel coronavirus has proved anything, productivity is not affected by remote working like we thought it would — and almost everyone knows it. Employers will have to manage work/life balance expectations, health policies and reduce workplace footprints like never before. Now that it’s been proven that working from home can be done without hampering productivity, job candidates will expect a lot more flexibility.
According to a survey by Monster.com, these are the top priorities of potential new hires in 2021:
- 38 percent expect flexible work schedules
- 35 percent expect salary protection
- 30 percent expect stricter health policies and protocols
- 29 percent expect training to the new standards of working
- 25 percent expect a shift to a more remote working environment
Hiring in 2021 — Job Fairs, Virtual Recruiting, and Remote Interviewing Rentals
In-Person Job Fairs
Job fairs are a great way to get many prospects for a position that needs to be filled by employers. Of course, unless you’re in Texas or Mississippi, job fairs are still going to be limited to the attendance and health policies that are regulated by your state’s mandates.
If you’re planning on hosting a job fair, be sure to leave ample time for employers to prepare and for fair managers to notify participants of the upcoming fair. Successful job fair organizers include all of the equipment and materials necessary for both the job seekers and companies looking to hire.
Job fair organizers on a budget often partner with a rental company so all of the participants involved can have advertising, audio/visual, printing, and any other technology or office equipment necessary for the interviewing process at a fraction of the cost of buying and shipping their equipment.
Each company participating may want to include a logo, some information about their company, a slide show, or an infographic near their booth. For this kind of advertising, there are several different options. Among the most popular rentals for advertising and display are 4K TVs, Video Walls, Monitors, and Social Media Displays.
Some companies choose to include laptops, tablets, and/or desktops for a more hands-on approach. Renting this kind of equipment for your job fair can allow companies to streamline the interview process by having applicants fill out forms on a device to see if they are suited for the next level of the hiring process.
Something that a lot of companies forget about is the strength of their venue’s WiFi connection. The strength of your wireless internet connection can make or break your job fair. If you’ve got dozens or even hundreds of people on the same network at once, you’re going to see slower load times and a less organic event. Do you need a signal boost for your venue? Consider a Wireless Internet Hotspot Rental.
Virtual Career Fairs and Remote Interviews
Does your state’s event restrictions make hosting an in-person career fair nearly impossible? As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to reshape talent acquisition processes, many companies choose to host Virtual Job Fairs. For 48/50 states at the time of this article’s transcription, virtual career fairs seem unavoidable.
Though hosting virtual career fairs doesn’t come without benefit. Reduced costs, increased safety and security, unlimited attendance, and no travel restrictions are among the biggest pros to hosting an online fair. But with companies unfamiliar with the virtual hiring process, what kind of equipment is necessary for a successful event?
After you’ve chosen a recruitment platform like Brazen, CareerEco, or Paradox, you need to make sure you have all of the equipment and resources to go through with your virtual hiring event.
Most companies don’t need to have quality video equipment on hand year-round, but you’re going to need it if you plan to live-stream video during your virtual job fair. Due to productivity and quality concerns, it’s best to have dedicated video recording equipment — and, again, renting is a great option.
Live-streaming is a great way to show potential applicants what the atmosphere will be like working for your company. Because you’ll be recording live, there is an opportunity to highlight your people and culture and enhance your employer brand in ways that can’t be done with prerecorded or branded videos. Speaking of highlighting, you’ll also want to consider renting out tripods, lighting, studio configuration kits, and switches to enhance your production.
For features like Brazen’s text recruiting tool, you can message a particular candidate or reach out to hundreds of prospects via smartphone. If your company doesn’t have enough iPhones or Android smartphones to handle the number of potential recruits, smartphone rentals are a great option. With a rental, you aren’t locked into a contract with a carrier, and you can set your end date for the contract.
Remote Interviews
Perhaps you’re part of a smaller company that can’t facilitate a job fair, but you still need to find prospects for a handful of job openings. In this case, virtual job interviews are a great option.
Unlike a phone interview, speaking to someone face-to-face via video chat software is excellent for picking up on non-verbal cues that can be essential to understanding what it will be like to have an applicant work for you.
To conduct a successful video interview, you’ll want to make sure you have your virtual meeting software, your technology, and background scenery free of glitches and distractions.
The software you choose is the doorway that potential applicants have to walk through to meet with you — so make sure you choose wisely. We recommend using virtual meeting software like RingCentral, Skype for Business, or WebEx.
After you’ve decided upon your software, you’ll need to make sure you have the equipment that can handle potentially constant video interviewing, live-streaming, email and text chatting, and data analytics. For companies that want to offer virtual tours of their facility to applicants, this is another hurdle to jump through.
If your HR department is currently using desktops, which don’t provide mobility, you may consider getting some equipment that is more mobile for a temporary basis. To ensure the virtual interviewing process is successful, you may want to consider renting laptops or iPads for better mobility during the interviewing process — not to mention WiFi hotspots to ensure your signal isn’t dropped mid-interview.
Don’t forget to include flattering details in the background. After all, your potential hiree is vetting what it’s like to work at your company during the interview process. Virtual displays are great for showing off slideshows, infographics, or social media streams, all while enhancing the impression the interviewee has on your company.
The same goes for job seekers. Employers will use everything at their disposal to judge whether or not you’re fit for the position. Therefore, even if you won’t be working from home if you’re hired, it’s essential to show off a clean, organized workspace.
Job Fairs and Virtual Meetings — with the help of Rentacomputer.com
Whether you’re hosting your first job fair or are a seasoned veteran, Rentacomputer.com can offer insights into what goes into the technology side of the interviewing process. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that we’ve been providing technology solutions to events large and small around the world for over 30 years.
Whether you’re hosting a large job fair with hundreds (or thousands) of potential attendees, a small online virtual recruitment event, or if you’re planning to conduct a few dozen virtual interviews, Rentacomputer.com will walk you through what equipment you’ll need, how to set it up, and what it takes to produce a successful hiring event. Our custom-tailored rental packages ensure that you can find what you need within your budget. Rentacomputer even offers classroom computer training solutions for cost-effective temporary training sessions with your new hires.
Rentacomputer.com has a large stock of equipment ready to deliver, including laptops, desktop computers, servers, tablets, smartphones, WiFi hotspots, Audio Visual equipment, and more. Not only can we supply your rentals, but we also offer custom configuration and setup, so you know everything is in working order before, during, and after your event.
Furthermore, Mark can answer any questions you have about job fairs or hiring rentals–in any volume, for any number of attendees. Contact Mark today at 1-800-736-8772 ext. 249 or fill out a quick, easy online quote form.
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