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Innovation and technology are the order of business in modern day society and doing things better, faster, and with less resources is essential if one is going to stay ahead of the pack. This goes for everything from how we work to how we manage our careers.
Many years ago, going door to door handing out your CV was the most effective way of getting a job, then came faxing CVs following an ad in the classifieds. Well, that is until online job search sites came along in the late 1990’s early 2000’nds. This changed the job search landscape and made things easier, allowing people to apply for jobs in distant locations with the greatest of ease.
Social networks came into the picture and further altered the process of recruiting and job hunting, making things way more convenient. Platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook are now being used by talent acquisition professionals to vet candidates. Professional CV services are now the norm with candidates seeking to stand out and professionally market their skills and strengths.
Here are some of the things that we are confident will happen in the near future within the job search market.
The digital era has brought with it one amazing thing, CONVENIENCE! Who still has the time to browse multiple job boards to see available posts and create multiple profiles to apply for those vacancies? A one-stop shop is what job seekers are looking for, a place that showcases all available vacancies where candidates can host their digital profile for a one click application process.
In the future applying for jobs at multiple websites will be a thing of the past, you will be able to choose your platform of choice and view and apply for all available jobs across multiple job portals within that single platform. How convenient and efficient, ain’t that the bees-knees?
More ATS and AI
Automation, automation, automation! The future workforce should get ready to communicate with machines as companies streamline and automate the hiring process to scale down on costs and maximise efficiency. Your CV should be ATS optimised to appear at the top when searching for candidates in your area of expertise. But that’s just the start, next will be automated screenings and interactions with chatbots. Applicant Tracking Systems and Artificial Intelligence are currently on a rapid rise, so expect more use of these tools in the talent acquisition process.
Online reputation is about to be the new currency for job seekers. 97% of recruiters are already using social networks to vet candidates, and as people wake up to that realisation, having the best online profiles and a professional digital presence will be as important if not more important than having a professional CV. Digital personas are soon going to be what opens or closes doors for job seekers so online brand management will be highly competitive amongst peers. A candidate’s entire online presence will serve as the new reference.
Mobile Applications
Mobile devices, of all shapes and forms, are still the fastest-growing computing object.
With close to 79 percent of millennials using their phones to apply to jobs, and 73 percent Gen Xers closely following leaving Baby Boomers last at 57.2 percent, it is indisputable that mobile is king among cross-generational job seekers. What can’t you do on your smartphone these days? You bank, order dinner and book your flights, so why go anywhere else to secure a new role? A phone is the most highly accessible piece of technology therefore mobile-friendly job portals a sure to attract more users as they offer the convenience of applying for a job within minutes whenever from wherever.
Get ready to get real comfortable chatting to robots. Not only will candidates need to write bot friendly CVs, they will also need to speak to them. Online job interviews are already gaining traction globally and soon, that online interview will be with AI. Traffic, travelling and other time-wasting things are soon to diminish, why should a candidate sit 2 hours in traffic only to meet a person that they do not want to work with.
To save time it will better to initially meet via skype or a similar platform to assess role suitability and culture fit before committing to sitting hours in traffic. With the upsurge of virtual teams and digital workspace, candidates may in the near future never breathe the same air as their colleagues and the hiring process for the most digitally advanced companies may be 100% online.
Pro-active Candidate Search
Get ready to get real comfortable chatting to robots. Not only will candidates need to write bot friendly CVs, they will also need to speak to them. Online job interviews are already gaining traction globally and soon, that online interview will be with AI. Traffic, travelling and other time-wasting things are soon to diminish, why should a candidate sit 2 hours in traffic only to meet a person that they do not want to work with.
To save time it will better to initially meet via skype or a similar platform to assess role suitability and culture fit before committing to sitting hours in traffic. With the upsurge of virtual teams and digital workspace, candidates may in the near future never breathe the same air as their colleagues and the hiring process for the most digitally advanced companies may be 100% online.
So here is a conundrum, certain sectors are facing a skills shortage when other sectors have a surplus of candidates. We always hear how scarce jobs are, yet thousands of jobs are posted daily, and some are left unfilled for months. Many jobs are fast becoming redundant due to automation, AI and other forms of robotics. Transferable enterprising skills are fast becoming more valuable than technical skills. This is not necessarily bad news for the workforce, it just means one needs to transform to remain employable.
Staying ahead of the curve gives you the upper edge, allowing you to make mistakes and learn earlier than the rest and when the new becomes the norm you will be the expert. This is also true about job hunting, it is important to adopt and adapt early rather than later and relish all the benefits that come with digital transformation in the labour market.
