The latest statistics point to a job market
that saw steady rather than spectacular progress in 2016. The Office for
National Statistics’ recently released UK labour market report shows that there
were 31.8 million people in work as of September to November last year, an
improvement by 294,000 on a year earlier.
However, time invariably marches on, with
many candidates for science jobs and their potential employers now turning
their attentions firmly to 2017. What are some of the trends that will likely
define the science recruitment market in the year ahead?
1. A culture of engagement
As the CIPD’s Employee Outlook report for
autumn 2016 has stated, while the
UK’s net job satisfaction has improved since spring 2016 – now sitting at +40
– this is still some way short of the +48 recorded for autumn 2015.
As a result, it’s fair to say that most
science organisations could probably improve their engagement strategies, which
looks likely to be a key focus in the coming 12 months. More engaged employees
will be more effective brand ambassadors, which will significantly aid your
recruitment drive.
2. The continued primacy of
mobile
According to Pew Research Center, 28%
of all Americans have used a smartphone to search for a job, rising to 53%
of those aged between 18 and 29 – and you can bet that similar trends are
continuing to hold sway on this side of the Atlantic.
It therefore couldn’t be more important to continue the optimisation of your
science organisation’s online presence for mobile users. If potential
candidates visit your site via their smartphone or tablet and find it
inaccessible, slow-loading or difficult to navigate, they are unlikely to
remain for long.
3. Workplace diversity
remains crucial
The benefits of more diverse workforces are
well-documented, but nonetheless bear
repeating. Firms with greater diversity in their
personnel are more adaptable, can offer a broader range of skills and
experiences and deliver better overall results.
Management consultancy McKinsey &
Company, for example, found that companies in the top quartile for gender
diversity were 15%
more likely to financially outperform those in
the bottom quartile . For ethnic diversity, the figure was 35%.
4. Treating the candidate like a customer
That term that has been mentioned so often in
recruitment circles in the last few years – ‘candidate experience’ – certainly
won’t go away in 2017. In fact, science employers will need to make even more
of an effort to make candidates feel as pampered as a customer, throughout the
recruitment process, if they are to lure the biggest talent.
With Millennial and Generation Z jobseekers
notoriously impatient compared to those before them, more emphasis is set to be placed on a swift and efficient candidate
experience than ever before.
5. Centring an employer brand
around the employee
With so many avenues through which
disgruntled (or for that matter, contented) current or former employees of your
organisation can voice their true opinions of what it is like to work for your
firm, it is becoming even harder to preserve a certain image of your
organisation without your employees’ cooperation.
2017 will
therefore be a year in which you need to be more alert than ever to
manage your employer brand, in large part by cultivating the best possible
working environment.
Are you a science employer looking to work
with experts in such sectors as biotechnology, pharmacology and medical devices
to secure the talent that your firm needs in the 12 months ahead? Talk to Hyper
Recruitment Solutions about the wide-ranging, specialised and informed
recruitment solutions on which we have built our reputation.
