8 Hiring Trends You Need to Know for 2024

2023 was a dynamic year for the job market in the United States, with ups and downs and forecasts met and missed. With that said, the U.S. economy added 199,000 jobs in November 2023, continuing a trend of steady growth.

As employers create more jobs, hiring qualified people to fill those available positions will be a challenge. You'll have to be savvy about 2024 hiring trends if you want to recruit the best candidates, and this article will help you dominate 2024 by staffing a rock-solid workforce.

Hiring Trends to Watch in 2024

Some exciting evolutions are underway in the job market right now. Take a look at these employment trends, and see if you can implement any of them into your recruiting strategies.

1. Embracing AI in HR

One of the biggest HR trends in 2024 will be the accelerated use of AI. Many companies have AI algorithms on their applicant tracking system (ATS) that automatically reject or move applicants forward in the hiring process.

The algorithms scan each resume for specific keywords; if those keywords aren't present, the resume likely never reaches the desk of a recruiter. While these algorithms are commonplace in 2023, the most significant trend in 2024 will be making sure that these algorithms do not fall into racial or gender bias.

You will also see an increase in the use of generative AI. This technology will help HR departments write and refine existing job descriptions over time. AI will help you craft compelling job ads that will entice the exact candidates you’re looking for.

Another emerging use of AI will be in management. AI management algorithms will track employee performance and recommend areas for improvement and development based on metrics set by HR.

2. Upskilling/Reskilling Employees to Fill Skills Gaps

It's more crucial than ever for your employees to have highly diverse skill sets. Employees are not buying the idea that you're going to provide a job for them that they can work for the rest of their lives anymore. They know they can't rely on one skill to carry them through their entire career. 

Upskilling involves enhancing your team's skills so they can match the demands of evolving trends in your industry. Providing your workforce with online courses and workshops that help them fill skill gaps internally will be a huge part of retaining your best talent.

Reskilling is when you help your employees adapt to a new career. The advent of AI is phasing out many careers, and reskilling involves revamping a current employee's skill set. Many employers today find it more lucrative to retrain their current workforce than to let them go in favor of AI.

3. Ensuring Engagement: A Holistic Approach

In today's world, top talent at the entry-level tier can be just as crucial to your company's success as a C-level executive, meaning you need to provide a positive experience for all candidates. 

Engaging applicants from the moment they submit their application until they accept their offer is essential for building your employer brand. Creating a seamless experience for candidates going through a hiring process will be a massive part of making sure they don't accept an offer from your competition.

This also allows an employee to showcase their unique value. The main idea here is to make them feel like a valued member of your team before they even accept an offer. If they feel there is a mutual level of respect before they even start, they'll have a much better chance of sticking with your organization for the long haul.

4. Improving the Employee Experience

Now more than ever, retaining top talent by fostering an engaging workplace environment is ideal. While the Great Resignation may seem a blip in time, its statement is clear: the best talent wants to go where they feel appreciated. Here are a few strategies you can use to make working for your company a satisfying experience:

Make work-life balance a priority: Though many may say such an idea doesn't exist, you can still offer some flexibility in your employees' work schedules to make it a little more comfortable. The last thing you want is a former employee to leave a bad review saying you tried to work them to death.

Create a positive company culture: People like rewards and recognition for their accomplishments. Giving them a chance to shine where they feel they make an impact is important.

Invest in employee development: As mentioned, even your employees know they can't just depend on one skill set to carry them throughout the rest of their careers. Being willing to invest in ways for them to grow is going to be a massive step in retaining top talent.

Supercharge employee perks: In addition to workplace flexibility and growth opportunities, offer unique benefits like wellness and mental health support programs, generous PTO, and inclusive healthcare benefits that may even make up for higher wages that a competitor may offer them down the road.

5. Uniting HR and PR

When it comes to hiring the best talent, it's paramount that these two departments work together. Your HR team might focus on more internal processes, and PR may lean more toward the external image of the company, but bringing these two departments together can be a powerful force.

The biggest thing you can do with these two departments is to align brand messaging. You’ll want to have your HR team take notes from your PR team on how they’re selling your company to your customers. 

Have your HR department use the same tone in your job ads that the PR team is using in marketing content. This helps your PR department protect your employer brand in the event someone is fired and leaves a negative review of your company.

Aligning the messaging of these two departments will increase retention rates dramatically by giving future employees an accurate picture of what their work environment will be like.

6. Recruiting Early

You’ll see a huge uptick in companies recruiting employees right out of high school in 2024. Employers aren’t waiting on college graduates anymore.

Moreover, a lot of top talent is skipping college in favor of heading straight into the workforce. By acknowledging this emerging trend, you can supercharge your workforce with fresh talent. 

A great way to start is by leveraging the platforms that the younger generation is using today. Creating engaging content on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok that highlights the perks of working for your company can get people talking and make your business the place everyone wants to work.

7. Expediting Hiring Processes

There’s still fierce competition for the best talent in the hiring landscape. You’ll have to be proactive in the hiring process in 2024 to stay ahead of the curve.

A significant trend next year will be considering the speed at which you hire potential candidates. Those who are highly sought after are likely being approached by multiple other companies. If your hiring process is too extensive, you might lose your best prospect to your competition.

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8. Elevating Employer Brands

Everything being discussed here can boil down to one main emerging trend: creating a great employer brand. Your employer brand is how prospective candidates perceive your company and what sets you apart from your competitors.

You’ve seen the “Best Places to Work” lists floating around for over a decade. The companies at the top of these lists are doing a great job developing their employer brand and continue to set and take advantage of emerging trends in HR. 

A considerable hiring trend you’ll see in 2024 will be HR departments with a social media presence that is just as engaging or even more so than the main company brand. Creating content that showcases your company’s culture, employee perks, and values accurately will give the best talent tangible reasons to consider working for your company.

Next Steps Going into 2024

Just being aware of these 2024 hiring trends you see above already makes you one step closer to hiring a powerful workforce. Watch this free webinar now to dive deeper into these topics and prepare for success in the upcoming year, and explore our entire Resource Center for more hiring advice.