Recruit
Recruitment best practices are constantly changing. To keep up, it’s important to be familiar with recruitment buzzwords. Not only will this ensure you know what people are talking about when these terms come up in conversation, it will also give you an indication of what to expect in the future in the world of recruitment and HR.
The following recruitment buzzwords need to be in your vocabulary.
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Employer Value Proposition
Everyone has heard the term “unique value proposition.” As a reminder, it’s how a company positions a product or service as the best solution to a problem. Employer value proposition (EPV) is a similar concept for recruitment: it’s the narrative an employer puts forth to convince candidates to work for the company over any other.
The tactics an employer uses to ensure candidates are aware of EVP fall under employer branding. An employer branding strategy may involve highlighting:
- Company culture
- Opportunities for training and advancement
- Rewards for good work
- Striving to making the company better for employees
The ultimate aim is to use EVP to become a talent magnet: a company known to be a great place to work that finds it easy to attract top job applicants.
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Culture Fit
Companies are no longer just interested in whether candidates have the right qualifications and experience — they also want to ensure a new hire shares the values of the rest of the team and cares about the company’s mission. This is what culture fit refers to.
When employers put an emphasis on culture fit in the application process, they create a positive company culture that retains talent for longer and sees better results from projects.
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Employee Experience
Employee experience (EX) refers to a worker’s entire employment journey at a company: from hiring to exit. It is more extensive than employee engagement because it considers the experiences of job applicants and workers leaving the company as well as the experiences of current employees.
Companies that care about EX use regular check-ins with workers to see how employees feel about every stage of employment. Companies also look for ways to help employees enhance their sense of belonging and well-being to improve quality of work, increase productivity, lower absenteeism, and maximize retention.
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Quiet Quitting
A trend that emerged just a couple years ago is quiet quitting, also called soft quitting. It is when employees don’t actually quit their jobs but only do the bare minimum.
When the labor market is tight, employers may have no option but to keep quiet quitters on their teams. In these cases, the best course of action may be to improve working conditions to help employees feel engaged again. However, you may have no option but to replace some workers, such as if an employee has a bad attitude and refuses to change.
If you notice that quiet quitting has become a thing at your company, it’s worth creating a strategy that includes hiring new talent as a last resort.
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Quiet Thriving
The opposite of quiet quitting is quiet thriving. This is when employees find small positives in their jobs that they use to keep themselves motivated. Examples include:
- Feeling connected to their coworkers
- Having opportunities to meet personal goals
- The chance to develop their careers, perhaps due to the support of a mentor
- Enjoying many everyday tasks
- Knowing the company values their work
It’s useful for companies to learn what employees are using to quietly thrive. As well as highlighting these aspects in job posts to encourage more people to apply, you should find ways to take these positives a step further to engage employees.
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Talent Poaching
Talent poaching is when a company steals top employees from a competitor. This tends to happen when certain skill sets are in high demand or when there is a shortage of a particular type of talent. Everyone in the human resources department needs to be familiar with the concept of talent poaching — recruiters because they may want to try the practice for themselves and other HR professionals to prevent it from happening at their own companies.
If you want to engage in talent poaching, you need to keep a close eye on your competitors to find out what skills and other qualities their employees possess.
Before making a move, though, it’s crucial to be aware of the legal implications of talent poaching. You should also ensure you go about it ethically to protect both your own and the employee’s reputation. Lastly, you’ll need to be able to provide the employee with what he or she wants in terms of salary, benefits, and a workplace environment. These same things will help you retain your top employees to prevent talent poaching from a competitor.
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Augmented Reality
Although augmented reality is far from being a new concept, it is relatively new in terms of being a recruitment buzzword. Companies are just beginning to realize how this technology may be able to revolutionize the recruitment process.
Augmented reality involves superimposing digital information over a user’s view of the real world. In recruitment, this allows companies to create interactive scenarios that a candidate is likely to face in the workplace. Employers can use this to see how candidates would act in a particular scenario to evaluate their skills, decision-making, and problem-solving capabilities.
In many cases, using augmented reality is more effective than simply asking candidates what they would do. Plus, it gives candidates an indication of what it would be like to work at the company, which may increase the odds that they’ll accept an offer.
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Quick Quitting
Typically, employers want workers to stay at the company for at least a year — less than this contributes to their first-year attrition rate, which lowers recruitment ROI. Unfortunately, a growing trend is quick quitting: resigning after just a short amount of time, sometimes as little as a few weeks.
There are ways to reduce quick quitting:
- Choose candidates who are unlikely to leave the company within a year. A history of quick quitting may be an indication that an applicant is high risk, but you should also think about whether a candidate is a good culture fit for the team.
- Ensure you retain employees by providing them with what they want — this means asking them what perks matter to them.
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Anti-Perks
Anti-perks are benefits a company offers that employees don’t actually care about. They’re one of the most common ways a company may throw money away on recruitment and retention efforts.
Some perks are never appealing enough to contribute significantly to hiring and retention. Examples include:
- unlimited vacation days that employees never have the chance to use
- mandatory social events outside of working hours
- free dinners that are only available if employees work until late
Other perks may be popular at some workplaces but not be what your employees are looking for, such as gym memberships, pet-friendly workplaces, and video games.
Finding out what the majority of employees would like in terms of benefits — and advertising them to ensure employees and candidates are aware of their existence — will help you avoid the waste of money that is anti-perks.
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Well-Being Washing
One reason why companies may invest in anti-perks is for well-being washing. The term refers to creating an image focused on employee well-being while not actually doing anything of substance.
It may be that the people in charge of employee well-being are misguided or that the well-being programs are still in their early stages. In any case, well-being washing may result in attracting applicants who are disappointed when they start working, causing them to quickly search for new employment.
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Microlearning
An effective way to support retention efforts is with microlearning. This is also a good solution for acquiring talent that doesn’t have quite the skills you’re looking for but does have the potential to be a great fit.
Microlearning uses bitesize modules to teach employees new skills. Since each module only takes a short time to complete, employees can easily fit it into their work schedules and are more likely to stay engaged than if they were to take a long e-learning course. It is also a more budget-friendly solution for employers than traditional upskilling methods.
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The Great Regret
During the latter years of the pandemic, millions of people quit their jobs in search of greener pastures. This was called the Great Resignation. However, it turns out that a large proportion of workers came to regret jumping on the resignation bandwagon — one survey found that 26% of people who quit regretted their decision. This led to a new buzzword: the Great Regret.
For many, the regret was due to the difficulty finding a new job. However, almost half of the people who did find a new position said the new job didn’t live up to their expectations. This is useful to know because it’s an indication that many companies are falling short in providing workers what they want from their jobs. Businesses can use this to their advantage by finding out what employees value and making the effort to offer them these benefits. Often, it’s something as simple as allowing remote or hybrid work or allowing employees to have flexible schedules.
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Office Peacocking
If remote work is not an option (or if an employer would like its workers to be in the office more often), companies may incentivize workers through office peacocking. This involves creating a more inviting space, such as by investing in updated decor, switching from cubicles to a more modern office layout, or providing free food and premium coffee.
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Work–Life Integration
Work–life balance became a buzzword during the pandemic when the massive shift to remote work meant more people needed to learn to draw a line between their jobs and their personal lives. This concept is undergoing a new transition as people come to realize that it is often impossible to separate these two aspects of their lives.
Employers who acknowledge this phenomenon talk about work–life integration. During recruitment efforts, they stress the opportunities for flexibility in new ways. Employees may need to take short breaks during the day to deal with family issues and make up the time by working a little later than normal.
Alternatively, employees may need to put in extra hours for a couple days to meet an important deadline, but they will then have the freedom to take some time off later in the week. It’s all about giving individuals the opportunity to do their best work without sacrificing other aspects of their lives.
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Quiet Hiring
Unlike regular hiring, quiet hiring doesn’t involve bringing any new talent to the company. Instead, the company either utilizes skills it already has available in current employees or uses contractors. This tends to be a short-term solution to fill gaps.
There are risks to this practice. For instance, if you ask existing employees to take on additional work, they may feel that they have too many responsibilities and suffer burnout. Relying on contractors, on the other hand, may mean you don’t have people who understand your company on a deep level and team building may be more difficult, especially if contractors only stay for a short time.
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Fractional Work
An alternative to quiet hiring is fractional work — a type of part-time work that’s growing in popularity. It involves a worker (called a fractional employee) taking on the same kinds of responsibilities as a full-time senior employee but working fewer hours. The employee will usually be on a monthly retainer rather than a permanent contract. This provides the company with expertise at a more affordable rate, which may be key to growth and the capability to scale up and down as needed.
Fractional employees typically carry out duties related to marketing and sales strategy, budget management, or innovation. They are typically experts who are looking for greater flexibility or the chance to work on several projects at the same time. They may also prefer a position where they are fully focused on the tasks that interest them — the fact they don’t have non-specialist duties like admin tasks is also a cost-saving measure for the company.
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Rage Applying
Workers frustrated in their current positions may resort to rage applying. This is defined as sending a large number of applications in a short amount of time to find anything to replace a current job. It is often in response to feeling overworked or undervalued.
Workers who are rage applying may not always put sufficient time and effort into their applications, which results in cover letters and resumes that are not tailored to the position. In addition, they may apply for positions that are not right for their skill sets or career aspirations. Alternatively, they may prove not to be serious candidates, such as if they applied while upset about something but later rethink the decision to leave their current jobs.
Having said that, there is always the possibility that you’ll encounter a candidate who rage applied and could be a great fit for the position. If your company is able to offer what the candidate is lacking in his or her current job, this may be a great opportunity to acquire top talent.
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Rolling Recession
Rolling recession refers to a slowdown in some industries while others continue to expand. It means the economy is not undergoing a full recession, but a particular sector may be feeling the pinch.
It’s useful for employers to know when a rolling recession is occurring because it makes them aware that their sector could be one of the next to experience a contraction. This may influence recruitment decisions — for instance, companies may decide to avoid expanding their teams until economic conditions are clearer. It also puts a focus on retaining talent to avoid expenses that come with replacing an essential employee who leaves.
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Labor Hoarding
During economic slowdowns, it’s common for employers to lay off workers for budgetary reasons. The opposite trend is labor hoarding: employers put in extra effort to keep workers, even if they currently have insufficient projects for these employees.
Labor hoarding became a popular trend after the pandemic when companies experienced the consequences of making too many layoffs and then struggling to find talent when the economy heated up again. It’s worthwhile keeping employees if you can afford to do so because you’ll save money in the long term on rehiring and training, especially if there’s a quick reversal of market conditions.
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Purple Squirrel
Recruiters use the term “purple squirrel” to refer to a candidate who meets all the requirements of an open position. It means the candidate not only has the qualifications, skills, and experience you need but is also the right culture fit.
Taking a purple squirrel approach to recruitment is risky, as it may be that few people meet your criteria — and there’s no guarantee that those who do will want to work for your company. For this reason, searching for purple squirrels is often too time consuming to be worthwhile.
To have any chance of success at finding a purple squirrel:
- Need to create a clear strategy of how to find and then attract such candidates, which includes good employer branding and negotiation skills.
- Consider which qualities are crucial and which are simply nice to have.
- Expanding your reach may help, such as searching for candidates abroad.
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Boomerang Employee
A worker who leaves the company only to return later is called a boomerang employee. If the employee was a valued worker who left on good terms, recruiters may feel like they’ve hit gold when they receive such an application.
The fact that boomerang employees are a growing trend right now is good news for a number of reasons.
- The employee already knows how the company functions and is likely to know many of the current team members, meaning he or she will be able to hit the ground running.
- The employee will most likely be returning after having gained additional skills and experience in the interim, which will be useful for taking your business to the next level.
- The employee wants to return is an indication that your company is doing something right.
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Industry Hopping
Gone are the days when a worker stays in the same job for a lifetime. In fact, it is now common to change careers more than once. When this also involves moving into a new sector, it’s called industry hopping. Workers may do this because they want to find something more meaningful, job prospects have changed, or they find their current industry toxic.
Applicants who are industry hopping may not have the qualifications that recruiters are specifically looking for, but they may make up for this through transferable skills. This emphasizes the importance of not being overly strict in your hiring criteria and considering applicants on an individual level, to the extent this is possible.
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Affinity Bias
Another way employers may dismiss candidates who could be a great fit is by falling into the trap of affinity bias. This refers to preferring people with a similar background, experiences, or interests, often unconsciously. In recruitment, it means that those involved in the decision process may favor candidates who are similar to them — although these candidates may not always be the best choices. It also leads to less diverse teams, which may result in less innovation and reduce competitiveness.
The first step to overcoming affinity bias is to be aware of its existence. It’s important that those who are involved in decision-making in the recruitment process consider why they are leaning toward a particular candidate. It’s also worthwhile using practices that make affinity bias less likely, such as screening applicants with AI, using blind hiring, or sticking to the same interview format for all candidates.
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Ghost Jobs
A ghost job is a position a company doesn’t need to fill in the foreseeable future. Employers use ghost jobs as a strategy to evaluate what talent is available, determine how competitive the market is, or maintain a pool of qualified candidates to quickly fill positions should they open up. Recruiters may create a job post for this purpose or leave one up after they fill a position.
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Candidate Nurturing
Part of a ghost job strategy may be candidate nurturing. This involves cultivating a relationship with applicants who show interest in the company and could be a good fit in the future. It extends to maintaining connections with candidates who are not right for the open positions you have but could be a good fit for your team. You can also use candidate nurturing to connect with people who are not looking for a job right now, such as students who won’t graduate for a few months yet.
Candidate nurturing involves any activities that keep talent engaged with your business. Efforts should be personalized to each individual, bearing in mind each person’s interests and career goals.
- Checking in on candidates on a regular basis
- Sending them links to relevant articles
- Inviting them to webinars
Listening to what candidates have to say will be useful for learning more about each individual and receiving feedback to improve the nurturing process.
Embrace the Future of Hiring with Global Talent
One of the biggest trends in HR that encompasses many of the above buzzwords is global hiring. It’s becoming popular because it takes advantage of the new capabilities of remote work by giving companies access to talent in a way that’s affordable and scalable.
Gain the best possible workers for your team by partnering with Remote People. Not only will we take care of your international staffing needs, we’ll provide you with HR services ranging from onboarding to payroll. Talk to one of our HR experts to get started.
