November 5, 2021 •ROARK
Hiring for 2021 was a problem so let’s speak about the 2022 employment trends. In 2022, the job market will be extremely competitive. Right now, we have more work available than workers to fulfill it. As a result, the 2022 job market should continue to be hot or on fire. Let’s take a look at the hiring trends impacting this job market.
The Great Resignation
Our first trend is going to be the great resignation. So employees have gotten accustomed to being able to work remotely and proven that out. Employers are now with COVID protocols, asking people to come into the office. That’s causing an imbalance and what we’re seeing and what we’re predicting to see is that will cause a lot of people to resign and look at other positions in the hot job market where employees will be welcomed with open arms. In August 2021, over 4 million people quit their jobs. Many of them are employees in their prime earning years as Harvard indicated employees between the ages of 30 and 45 have the highest resignation rates. This doesn’t appear to be slowing down significantly anytime soon.
Flexibility for employees
So as we enter into 2022 as well, there’s so much going on in the world today, whether it be COVID, whether just being able to manage life. So flexibility is going to be important. As an employer, you’re going to want to get ahead of thinking of how do you accommodate employees, but still achieve the company objectives? This could include not only things like accommodations, boundaryless working but also making sure organizations prioritize structures and policies that support it.
Diversity in the workplace
Diversity, equity, and inclusion have been something for years that has continued to be a very hot topic. And so the companies that are getting ahead of it, have a competitive advantage. They have an X factor to them and employers going into 2022, we believe there’s going to be a continued big push around diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. This involves a comprehensive approach in the organization and continues in hiring trends as well. We are going to want to look at how we bring the best and the brightest employees into the workforce. Diverse teams bring a diversity of thought and set companies up to be successful.
Gen Z in the workforce
Now we’ve all gotten used to hearing about the millennials and I think as everybody’s adapted. Now we’re looking at our next generation, which is Gen Z who comprise of individuals born in the mid-to-late 1990s to early 2010s. Each generation brings something different based on their experiences to the marketplace that we need to make sure as employers we’re understanding. So not only have we got the millennials, we now have gen Z entering the workforce, make sure you understand their needs, wants, and desires so that you get the best and most productive employees.
Retain your best ‘star’ employees
Finally, and most importantly, retain your stars. Your best employees. The best businesses are built by the best employees and the star employees are going to be the ones that everybody is seeking after. Make sure that you’re doing a good job to understand what motivates them, challenges them, and what opportunities that they are looking for. Make sure you’re providing a place that is challenging and exciting for them to work.
Wrapping up the 2022 Hiring Trends
It’s still a crazy time when it comes to the economy and when it comes to labor shortages with COVID, we believe that starting with 2022, you are going to see some tremendous hiring trends. A hot job market where employees will be able to find their dream jobs in companies that understand how they work best and what motivates them. You should be looking at how you can maximize flexibility in the workplace, make sure your company culture reflects diversity and inclusion and makes sure you’re keeping your best employees.
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