Four Things HR Professionals Need from Employers Now More Than Ever

Talent acquisition professionals and recruiting experts continue to face significant hiring challenges within the tight labor market. Record-level turnover and job openings have led to increased competition for talent, high recruiting costs, and a considerable candidate gap for employers.

This September 26th as we celebrate Human Resources Professional Day, let’s remember the incredible contributions and achievements of HR teams and professionals. Human Resources Professional Day offers a moment for organizations to rally around their HR teams, lift them up, and support them in their efforts to create a more strategic, welcoming, and inclusive workplace. 

To honor HR professionals on this day, our friends at JazzHR, an Employ Inc. brand, are excited to share four things HR and talent acquisition professionals want — and need — from employers now more than ever. 

#1: The Right Talent Acquisition Technology

In today’s competitive labor market, simply having an applicant tracking system or a few other point solutions is no longer enough to help recruiting teams find and hire top talent. HR professionals and talent teams need the right talent acquisition technology that allows them to optimize and automate their hiring workflows. 

Employers should invest in solutions that help HR and talent teams hire better and faster. The 2022 TA Tech Buyer’s Guide offers a thorough examination of the complex talent acquisition technology landscape and gives companies actionable insights on how to accurately evaluate providers. With 73% of companies planning to increase their investment in talent acquisition technology throughout 2022, it’s essential to know the most impactful solutions that can deliver better candidate experiences, support HR and talent acquisition professionals in their roles, and streamline the hiring process for key stakeholders. 

Without the right technology, HR professionals and recruiters are forced to waste time on tedious tasks that could be automated. As a result, they are less productive and more likely to leave your company in pursuit of a better tech stack. Aptitude Research indicates that 1 in 2 recruiters would leave their current company for another organization if it had better technology. But when recruiters have a say in the technologies they use, they are more likely to stay at an organization.

#2: The Opportunity to Be Heard 

Recognizing the contributions of recruiters, their opinions on the technology they use, and their treatment in the organization is vital. According to the new Employ Quarterly Insights Report, HR decision makers and talent professionals are feeling significant pressure in their roles, especially when it comes to finding talent. Here are the top five reasons for their increased stress levels:

• Not enough quality candidates: 58%
• More open roles to fill: 50%
• More employees leaving the organization: 46%
• Competition from other employers: 44%
• Inability to meet candidate expectations (e.g. salary requirements, benefits, and perks): 35%

HR decision makers and recruiters are also clear on where they want additional support, and it is up to organizational leaders to listen. To be successful, HR professionals want organizations to invest more in:

• Candidate relationship management: 36% 
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion: 36%
• Career sites: 35% 
• Job board postings and job broadcasts: 34%
• Applicant tracking systems: 32% 

By investing in resources and solutions that empower recruiting teams to automate tasks, focus on nurturing candidates, and make their teams more productive, organizational leaders can empower HR professionals to excel even within a difficult hiring environment.

#3: Streamlined Feedback and Collaboration 

HR and talent teams are essential in every business. Direct communication and collaboration from the teams they support is vital to their success. Shortening feedback loops in the hiring process helps recruiters relay information and updates quickly to candidates throughout the recruiting process, and it ensures greater communication between hiring managers and talent teams. 

Delaying any stage of the hiring process can result in losing valuable candidates that recruiters have spent hours, days, and weeks attracting to the role. Reducing time to hire gives HR teams a significant competitive advantage, which is why Verified First provides accurate and thorough results with industry-leading turnaround time. 

A good candidate is hired typically within just 10 days in today’s fast-moving job market. It can be frustrating as a recruiter to be excited about a high-potential candidate, only to lose them due to long feedback times from a hiring team or slow screening processes. Leveraging the right tools and assisting HR teams in their hiring efforts with fast communication and collaboration is one of the most valuable areas of support that organizations can provide. 

#4: The Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

When companies commit to diversity, equity, and inclusion, HR professionals and recruiters are more effective in their roles. In fact, 49% of HR professionals report that job seekers regularly ask about the company’s DEI program, and 44% of candidates say they would turn down a job or interview offer if a company lacked a commitment to DEI according to Employ’s 2022 Job Seeker Nation Report.

HR professionals who understand what is important to candidates and where they are coming from are more likely to be successful in their efforts to connect with and nurture talent. The Employ's Quarterly Report states that the most successful recruiters and HR decision-makers have doubled down on the DEI efforts of their organization. Fortunately, 65% of HR decision makers and recruiters said their organization is putting more emphasis on diversity in hiring in 2022 than in 2021. And 69% said diversity will be a priority for recruiters and talent acquisition professionals in the next year.

In Conclusion 

On September 26th, celebrate the incredible accomplishments and contributions of HR professionals. Because of their efforts, your company continues to attract top talent, retain high-performing and diverse employees, and drive business performance. Make sure that as you celebrate HR teams on this day that you also work to continuously listen and invest in your HR and talent functions to support their value in the organization. To get started with Verified First’s background screening solutions with JazzHR, view our partner page to learn more.