How job seekers can best navigate a changing job market

One thing is certain. Nothing in this job market or world is certain. Circumstances, trends and everything else imaginable are changing at breakneck speed and that can be hard to handle. Especially while dealing with the stress of finding a new position!

Fortunately, if you arm yourself with the right information, it is possible to successfully navigate today's bumpy recruitment landscape. We'll show you how.
 

Learn about current, popular recruitment strategies

Knowing the tactics recruiters and hiring managers are using to find talent for companies will give you the knowledge of what's reasonable to ask for during the process.

According to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), the top ten most used ones are:

• Using social media - 60%
• Improving compensation - 51%
• Promoting a positive culture - 49%
• Voluntarily including pay ranges in job postings - 45%
• Expanding advertising efforts - 43%
• Increasing retention efforts - 42%
• Streamlining the application process to make it easier to complete - 37%
• Collaborating with educational institutions - 37%
• Using/enhancing employee referral program - 37%
• Training existing employees to take on hard-to-fill positions - 35%

As you can see, there are opportunities for talent like you to advance in your current workplace or to look in specific locations for work they want. We are drawing this conclusion based on the 42% that care about retaining their team members and the 35% that value training existing employees.

However, it should be noted that since 51% of recruiters are willing to improve compensation and 49% promote a positive workplace culture you can ask that they uphold both of those things for you as someone they already chose.

For outside job seekers, it's now perfectly reasonable to look for companies that are transparent in listing their salary ranges, focus on an ideal vibe and provide upskilling options. Also, outside job seekers should look out for referral program options and companies that are willing to train, because they do exist!
 

Upskill in key areas

Prized skills have changed. As of this year, these are the ones that are worth upskilling in if you want to earn a new role:

Specific technological skills

• Data analysis - 37%
• Database management - 27%
• Artificial intelligence - 26%
• Cybersecurity - 25%
• Technical support - 24%
   

Other skills

• Soft skills - 44%
• Management/ Project management/ Training - 43%
• Business / HR / Leadership - 37%
• Technical - 31%
• Computer / Web / IT - 27%
   

These skills vary in difficulty to acquire but aren't going away, so finding options for free or low-cost ones is a strong option.

Not ready to pay to upskill? If you are interested in something like soft skills, consider trying to find a relevant mentor at your current workplace that could help you learn. You might find ways into new roles where you are, or you can use them elsewhere should you choose to leave.
 

Understand the skills that everyone is looking for

There are skills that are always in demand at Beacon Hill. As far as soft skills those are:

• Competitive
• Resourcefulness
• Interpersonal communication skills
• Leadership skills
• Independent judgment
• Passion
• Attention to detail
• Adaptability
• People person

And when it comes to hard skills, these three top our list:

• Written communication skills
• Microsoft (MS) Office Suite, especially Outlook
   

Tip: By the way, we go into the "why" in deep detail in this other article.
 

Uncover things recruiters will do for certain industries

Some hyper-competitive industries offer specific benefits to attract talent. Being aware of these can help you negotiate a premier offer from an employer.
 

Healthcare and social assistance

These two industries have historically high burnout rates, so it's understandable that they have to compete for top performers.

62% of recruiters would be willing to offer improved compensation, 49% are ready to partner with educational institutions, 49% provide monetary incentives to potential hires and 48% are open to streamlining how their application process works.

Bottom line? You can likely negotiate getting paid more in these two verticals.
 

Hospitality, food and leisure

During the pandemic, hospitality, food and leisure suffered. As a result of that, some changes have been made to lure talent.

59% of recruiters will now include pay ranges on their advertised positions, 34% are ready to ditch college degree stipulations depending on the role and finally 18% will source internationally if need be.

This leaves the market open for job seekers like you to make informed choices or to find a calling beyond what you may have previously thought possible.
 

Manufacturing

Manufacturing has been short talent for quite some time, which is why there's so much opportunity for job seekers in the industry now.

These days many (48%) manufacturing companies are willing to use a recruitment agency, almost 50% are ready to train existing team members for hard-to-fill roles and 45% are utilizing a referral program to leverage their team's connections.

What does that mean for you? If you want to get into manufacturing, find someone to refer you and/or connect with a recruiter who can help you get in. And if you already work in the industry, look out for ways you can climb higher through training!
 

Government and education

54% of recruiters in government and education have been widening their advertising efforts and 33% are open to nontraditional sourcing from demographics like veterans, retirees and people with disabilities.

This is great news! Candidates with different backgrounds can have a harder time finding a fit, but not as much so here! If you're passionate about either sector, throw your hat in the ring.
 

Professional, scientific and technical services

As there's a lot of specific training to get into professional, scientific and technical services roles, it's not a surprise that 42% of recruiters are willing to provide workplace flexibility and place a premium on nurturing candidates (34%).

If you have the experience, this could be a really open place to build your career.
 

Get your foot in the door

There are several indirect ways of getting your foot in the door at your ideal company.
 

1. Joining a talent community

Talent communities exist in all industries. If an ideal role doesn't exist yet, these spaces allow you to apply anyway! Join and get scooped up.
 

2. Contacting human resources (HR) to signal general interest

Oftentimes companies will accept submissions of general interest. You'll see statements like "we're always looking for talented people." That's the kind of place you should look for if you are trying to join a specific company.
 

3. Networking in a genuine way

Repeat after us: Do not spam people you care about. In a perfect world, you should only be applying to roles and companies you care about with people you want to work with. If you have the opportunity to network with individuals at those target companies, focus on learning more about them and connecting in a way that matters.
 

4. Completing an internship

Internships, especially paid ones, can lead directly to roles. Work hard, enmesh yourself with the team and most importantly signal your interest during the internship itself.
 

5. Finding an apprentice role

Similar to interning, apprenticing can be your way in while learning. Sometimes you have to dig to find programs like this, but they do still exist and are worth seeking out.

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It can be tough to compete in a crowded talent market that is constantly shifting, but being informed and improving yourself strategically can be your ace!

If you'd like an advocate to support your growth, take a look at our open roles. Even if you're not a match for the first one you apply for, our team is skilled at finding company/talent matches you may not have initially considered.

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