What are your 2022 reflections when it comes to talent and recruitment?

As the world of work continues to evolve, so do the trends in talent and recruitment. We started the year with reintroducing people back into the office. Some people were excited, some were still nervous. Some were like me, starting a new role during lockdown and meeting our colleagues face to face for the first time after 6 months. We continue to navigate through the different aspects of what work might look like post pandemic with many companies choosing their own style of hybrid as the preferred way of working.

As we end 2022, the labour-market dynamics continue to remain tight. We’re noticing that hiring rates are decreasing across the globe. More companies are taking a more sustainable approach to growth.

Recruiters like myself are having to work harder than ever with our proactive sourcing. With the increase in layoffs, particularly from companies within the tech sector, we are seeing a decrease in workforce confidence. This means that there is greater reluctance in exploring new opportunities.

So, what do people really want?

We find that the number one thing people want when applying for a job is transparency. Candidates want to know how long a process will take or what is involved in each step. Candidates are a lot more upfront with their minimum salary expectations and want to know what onboarding and training might look like. Ultimately, people just want to know where they stand and what they can expect from a manager and company.

Other important factors that have now become frequent non-negotiables include: high impact work, flexibility and autonomy, inclusive cultures, diverse teams, and a clear and fair approach to compensation.

1. People want to know that their work has a positive impact. They want to see their contributions as meaningful.

2. People value flexibility, even more so post pandemic, but it’s not just about working from home. It’s having autonomy and ownership over your calendar, it’s the option to go into the office or shared working space and candidates seem to be less tolerant of companies that force a particular way of working.

3. People want to grow in a place where they have a sense of belonging. Candidates are seeking companies that have established diversity, equity and inclusion practices. I often ask people to describe the best team they’ve ever had, and some common answers include:

• The best team is when I felt connected with my team and because of that connection we were able to deliver high impact work.
• It was the best team because we built a fail safe and blameless culture, where anyone can share their perspective and not worry about judgement.
• It was the pride in working with other talented, smart individuals who cared deeply about producing good work and together as a team, pushing one another toward a common goal.

4. Salary matters. People want to know that they are being paid fairly and equitably in the market and amongst their peers.

What is Auror doing?

• At Auror, we invest a lot of effort in being as transparent and as upfront about our recruitment process as we can. Every application is reviewed and gets a response. The very first touch point will outline the process clearly, who the hiring manager is and access to the recruiter’s contact details.
• We put an emphasis on hiring the right person for the right role as we know that there are far greater long term gains with this approach. This is why we do not optimise for speed. With that said, we do want to ensure our process isn’t so long that we lose great talent.
• Building an inclusive culture is hugely important to us. We recognise that every person that joins our team plays a role in shaping this. We spend time talking about the importance of psychological safety, collaboration and our guiding principles right from the first conversation.
• We are comfortable flexing our process and recognise that one size does not fit all. Video interviews may work for some roles and it may not for others.
• We recognise that the candidate experience does not stop when someone is hired. At Auror, onboarding is a critical part of someone’s journey. We keep new Aurors busy learning about all the different parts of Auror and our ways of working in their first two weeks. We believe that giving as much context as we can, as early as we can, will help people be more effective, faster.
• We invest in crafting a meaningful work experience and inclusive culture for one another. Some of these include:

1. Auror Allies Workshop; where we talk about what it means to be effective allies for one another. 
2. Feedback Workshops on how to give, receive and ask for meaningful feedback 
3. We invest in developing an inclusive culture through meaningful learning experiences
   

With the year ending, do you have any tips on what people can do in preparation for the new year? 

Personally, I like to take the opportunity to not only celebrate the #wins for the year but also to reflect on the journey and the year’s challenges. It’s an opportunity for me to realign both my personal and professional goals. I would encourage others to do the same. 

This reflection can look like: 

• Taking yourself to your safe place, for myself, this is the beach and spending intentional time reflecting or journaling. What were some of your career highlights for the year and why was this a highlight? What were some of the challenges or hard times? How did you feel in those moments and would you do things differently?

• Making time with a trusted advisor, friend or leader to reflect on your year and career. Connecting and talking through with others can give you a different perspective. 

• Spending time exploring what aspects of work are important to you. This could include writing down your top 3 non-negotiables when it comes to work and why those are important to you. 

Being deliberate with your reflections will help you end the year well and start the year strong. For some, this might spark new career goals and direction. If that is the case, I would welcome you to send a LinkedIn request for us to chat further or feel free to check out our careers site for roles and opportunities.