Job Seekers : The Outlook of Recruitment in 2014

By Jason Young

Marketing Assistant
Blue Octopus

Recruitment is changing and in 2014 many companies are talking about the shift from the traditional ideals of finding, applying and securing employment and the industries that will be looking to hire more.

These changes have ranged from the importance of using social media for recruiting, how video resumes may be the future and what industries will see the largest recruitment growth. But what does this mean for the average job seeker and how much of it is simply hype or actually the way forward for gaining employment?

• Social Media use within recruitment seems to be the way forward and job seekers need to be aware of this. When looking for employment you can now find posts and tweets about possible vacancies but there is another side to this. Candidates need to make sure that all aspects of your life are professional as many recruiters now view candidate’s social footprint to confirm details you have given them and gauge whether they will be a suitable fit within their company.
• Mobile Technology is being heralded as the next big avenue for recruiters. With more job seekers using smart phones and tablets expect recruiters to start developing career sites and apps that will allow you to find employment prospects quicker and easier.

  

• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) could be one of the most lucrative educational skills to have in the near future and many job boards have noticed this growing trend with job posting for .com, app developers and IT experts increasing. It’s also perceived that graduates with these skills will make up a larger proportion of job placements in 2014 than we have seen over the last 5 years as companies scramble to gain a foothold in the expanding digital world.
• Industries in other sectors are also looking strong. As we turn around from the financial difficulty of the past few year’s companies within Manufacturing, Construction and Retail are seeing growth which means more job opportunities. Construction alone has seen an increase of job postings over the financial year by nearly 75%. This creates a knock on effect that will help strengthen manufacturing and retail as people and businesses buy materials, fixtures and fittings to furnish their new homes/premises.
• Resumes are turning out to be a hot topic in 2014, especially the idea that applications will slowly consist of videos rather than the standard written resume. With the continuous growth of technology this idea does seem to have merit but as HR managers and recruiters always specify the need to evaluate something quickly, will they have time to watch through a resume as you can’t simply fast forward video and still find information as you can with scanning a written resume. It’s still up for debate but I would recommend sticking with a written version unless the company you apply for ask for a video resume.

So hopefully these points will help you understand the direction recruitment's taking in the future, which will help you find the roles, the industries that are hiring and the skills needed for continued future employment.