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Three Hiring Trends To Watch In 2020

Forbes Human Resources Council
POST WRITTEN BY
Eric Friedman

If you are in the talent acquisition space, it is hard to ignore the tidal wave of rapidly changing hiring technology, alongside a historically strong candidate-driven market. Companies that don't strategically consider hiring trends run the risk of being left behind. A new talent acquisition approach is needed.

In the age of automation, the opportunity for companies to optimize the hiring and training process is greater than ever. Armed with cutting-edge tools and insights, businesses can streamline processes, eliminate inefficiencies, mitigate biases and leverage internal talent. To keep up, you need to have your finger on the pulse of modern hiring practices and the latest innovations. With that in mind, here are three hiring trends to consider in 2020 and beyond.

1. Top companies are dropping degree requirements and instead emphasizing skills.

Apple, Google, Netflix and other top companies have dropped degree requirements, and this is becoming the norm. In a recent interview, Kelli Jordan, director of IBM career and skills, explained that the company has dropped degree requirements for “the vast majority of jobs,” but that doesn't mean they've lowered their standards.

IBM has turned to administering skills tests to ensure candidates have what it takes to succeed in positions ranging from software engineer to accountant. IBM is most certainly not using a one-size-fits-all skills test. To fully realize the benefits of skills testing, companies must customize assessments to measure the skills that will be used on the job. In my experience, the benefits of utilizing a tech solution for this portion of the hiring process are immense. Skills tests can decrease human effort while maximizing profit potential and minimizing bias in hiring decisions by objectively predicting fit and performance.

In 2020, I won't be surprised if an increasing number of companies follow suit and drop degree requirements. In the tight labor market, businesses don’t want to be walled off from considerable sections of the talent pool.

2. Business leaders are driving inclusive hiring.

Over the past decade, the conversation around workplace diversity and inclusion has intensified. As the ability to hire and develop talent continues to become a critical business imperative, boards and CEOs are increasingly prioritizing cultivating talent and inclusive work cultures.

A recent PwC survey found that 76% of directors agree that board diversity enhances the performance of the company. This sentiment is shared by more than 800 CEOs who have signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace.

This momentum will likely spill into 2020, as companies begin to put words into actions. Online job postings for diversity and inclusion positions rose 30% between August 2018 and August 2019 alone, according to research by Glassdoor.

3. Companies are working to make the interview process more objective. 

To attract and retain skilled talent who can move the needle on employee diversity in 2020, companies will need to place an increasing emphasis on strategic inclusion and diversity plans. Modernizing the interview process is an emerging trend that is well warranted.

A new study, conducted by researchers at Yale, shows that interviewees are judged based on their social status within seconds of beginning to speak. I wasn't shocked to hear this — from gender bias to racial bias, traditional interviews can be flawed measures of candidates’ potential.

As companies shift their focus toward building a more diverse and inclusive workforce, blind interviewing technology may prove to be one of the most useful tools. The sophisticated technology removes candidates' identifying information from typed responses to interview questions, thereby helping to eliminate the potential for bias.

Team-based hiring is another trend that has been gaining traction, as it can help limit the impact of one interviewer's potential bias. When blind interviews are scored on predetermined criteria by more than one employee, discrepancies in scoring can be addressed, and multiple perspectives can be considered. Companies that are successful in creating objective interviews can then accurately identify talent with the necessary skills.

The three trends covered represent only a portion of the massive innovations predicted to influence hiring in 2020. Even so, they exemplify why innovation is often best when it’s boldest, and why companies should always guarantee those big ideas are given room to grow.

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