Staying ahead of the curve: Looking at the latest hiring trends

The only constant in the hiring market is that it’s always changing. 

So far, in only a five year period, we’ve seen a profound shift to contingent and work-from-home positions along with a slow but steady evolution towards an employer-led market.

For many companies, the key to continued growth is keeping up with hiring trends, especially as businesses continue to face a concerning skills shortage. 

As the originators of Direct Sourcing, TalentNet looks at the top 4 hiring trends based on the expectations and priorities of hiring leaders and candidates. 

#1: A focus on candidate experience 

While many companies are seeing hundreds of applications per open position, finding top talent with niche skill sets continues to be a significant issue across all industries. Organizations are addressing these concerns by optimizing the candidate experience using Direct Sourcing hiring strategies. 

Through these programs, companies are able to create smooth, streamlined candidate experiences by:

  • Simplifying the application process. Candidates are frustrated by multi-step, complicated applications. TalentNet’s intuitive platform allows potential hires to apply to positions in only 60 seconds through our AI-based job matching capabilities.
  • Using effective communication. Candidates are more likely to choose companies that send personalized emails. According to recent hiring stats, 89% of talent said they apply to a job faster when contacted by their Curator. That number goes up to 94% when a prospective manager reaches out. TalentNet’s platform allows Curators to quickly send customized emails and texts to candidates, leading to a better applicant experience. 
  • Making quicker, more efficient hiring decisions. Hiring leaders who create an agile, effective talent acquisition process often attract top talent faster. This means fast follow ups, clear decisions, and fewer interview rounds. TalentNet’s applicant tracker allows candidates to follow their application process, creating a smoother, more transparent process.
  • Taking a skills-based approach. While experienced-based hiring has a host of benefits, we’re seeing candidates favour the skills-based approach, which prioritizes skills-centric evaluations. 

#2: Companies are looking for a Total Talent Solution

Disjointed hiring processes lead to siloed departments that lack communication and miss top talent. TalentNet’s One Doorway solution allows hiring leaders to attract a wide-range of talent, from contingent and contract workers to full-and part-time employees, all through one place. 

This Total Talent Management approach also helps attract more candidates, allowing potential hires to view and apply to multiple positions from their Talent Communities. 

#3: Using AI-driven solutions to boost hiring strategies

As machine learning technology continues to evolve, it’s not surprising that companies will continue adopting new AI platforms well into 2025. According to LinkedIn’s Future of Recruiting 2025 report, 73% of talent acquisition experts said AI will “change the way organizations hire” and 51% said AI can help companies find higher quality hires. 

TalentNet’s platform uses a variety of AI-based tech, including TalentNavigator, our proprietary hiring virtual assistant that supports Curators through the talent acquisition process. Currently, TalentNavigator can:

  • Conduct profile searches and compare candidates based on candidate profiles and resumes
  • Provide key insights and summarizations that lead to quicker hiring decisions
  • Create customized content, including messages to candidates
  • Automate manual tasks like talent community management, job suggestions and job applications (with candidate approval) 

In the future, TalentNavigator will be able to:

  • Provide anti-bias and discrimination detection. Curators will be notified when they’re using exclusionary phrases, for example.
  • Include conversational memory and recall tools
  • Automate more tasks, including searching through profile notes
  • Provide user voice control

#4: Privacy and compliance regulations will continue to change – and companies will have to stay ahead 

Keeping up with data privacy regulations and compliance obligations is getting more complicated as AI-driven tech starts to reshape compliance policies. Changes were recently introduced to the GDPR in Europe and the CCPA in California, and it’s likely new regional and state regulations will continue to be passed. A strong Direct Sourcing partner should guide clients through the compliance process. 

TalentNet, for example, helps companies stay ahead of these regulations through best practices like:

  • Including data privacy permissions for candidates during the Talent Community registration process – a practice that will likely become mandatory in the next few years
  • Undergoing regular bias audits to ensure AI tools aren’t accidentally trained to incorporate biased language in their models
  • Including salary ranges and benefits info in job postings to keep up with growing pay and benefits transparency legislation 

Staying ahead of the hiring trends

As the hiring market continues to evolve, it’s important to choose a talent acquisition partner that can help companies navigate changing candidate expectations while ensuring hiring leaders have what they need to find top talent. 

From industry-leading AI tech to a deep understanding of candidate needs, TalentNet’s intuitive platform lets companies stay agile while adapting to industry trends. To learn more, request a demo here. 

To take a deep dive into the latest talent acquisition trends, request access to our webinar, hosted by our experienced Customer Success Team.