When the past twelve months have been so great, it seems bizarre to be writing about future recruiting patterns for 2021. It has been a year marked by acute unrest. A global pandemic has transformed daily life. George Floyd's death re-sparked the fight for Black Lives Matter. Catastrophic bushfires, demonstrations, and presidential scandals have occurred. In our memories, 2020 will forever remain as a moment of extreme disruption. But how can we really start looking forward to this?

The expression used to explain all this year was unprecedented. And yet, in particular, in recruiting, COVID and the social dialogue have helped to speed up a number of problems and procedures that were already in motion. For years, flexible job arrangements have been on the rise. Diversity, diversity, and inclusion (DEI) in the area of talent has now become the most significant element. And the optimization of technology systems has often been championed as the key force behind development.

The burners were placed on these recruiting patterns in 2020 and they are only expected to grow in the coming months.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

In 2021 and for years to come, DEI will be a bedrock theme. As it should rightly be. The activities of the summer served as a clear reminder of the work to be carried out. Recruitment and HR would need to double-down on their attempts to infuse DEI into everything they do to change the landscape. It's also important to note that it will be their motivations that drive where talent goes as Gen Z becomes the dominant group in the workforce. A study from Monster found that 83 percent of Gen Z applicants said that when choosing an employer, a commitment to diversity and inclusion was significant. This isn't something that corporations can afford to turn a blind eye to.

There is also a compliance trend on the horizon, coupled with this demographic trend towards DEI. Companies are expected to become more transparent than ever with the emergence of the ISO international standard for human resources reporting and the SEC's decision to make this the regulation instead of a guideline. Direct employee records, including data on diversity, would potentially be made public. This would have huge repercussions. It is no longer possible for organizations to profess ally-ships and hide behind a curtain of ignorance. DEI is going to have to become the standard. Diversity and inclusion are changing the tide, so in 2021 it will be prudent to take it seriously. It makes moral sense and it makes sense for your business.

Work from anywhere

Jobs from anywhere will have an impact for the next decade on anything in people's space. Its widespread importance cannot be overlooked; the subject also took pride of place on the cover of the November/December issue of HBR. And while vaccine reports are a siren call in a haze of confusion, we're actually years away from any semblance of what was once normal. As a reactionary effort against COVID, remote work swooped in, but the advantages are obvious and well known. I have already seen how it works in recruiting, dominated by demands for virtual interview strategies, virtual onboarding best practices, and remote team management.

So if you're waiting for the dust to settle before making any company operational decisions, I'd advise you to lean on the situation as it stands. In the coming years, blended work is only expected to grow. So it's important to start galvanizing around this WFA model, no matter the shape. If we look back to the recession in 2008, it was the agile businesses that first bounced back, the ones that adapted and innovated. So, as soon as possible, be courageous. As the battle for top talent rages on, it will be the businesses who prevail overall with strong foundations and agile mindsets.

Conclusion

Predicting where recruitment patterns are going has never been more difficult. We're all so firmly in the COVID trenches and economic instability, it's difficult to see the chaos through. But what we certainly know is that change is inevitable, and it's coming quickly. Place yourself appropriately, accept distinction and, when you may, innovate.