In the game of talent acquisition, recruiting candidates means being able to follow a constantly moving target. Tomorrow’s careers—and the tools to help fill these roles—may not even exist yet, but it’s up to recruiters to stay nimble and informed on the industry’s future and the challenges they’re set to face.

We’ve put together an eye-opening look at what recruiters might be able to expect from the talent acquisition industry of tomorrow. Dive into these surprising statistics to see what the future of talent acquisition holds:

1. Exclusive research from HR.com found that 50% of employees surveyed believe artificial intelligence will play an important role in recruitment and talent acquisition.

From automation to analysis, HR professionals are prepared for AI tools to augment and support common tasks recruiters face on a daily basis. Coordinating an entire day’s worth of interviews with multiple interviewers in different locations will soon be handled automatically, thanks to Yello’s forthcoming AI-based Interview Day Scheduling.

Taking time-consuming administrative tasks away from recruiting coordinators, AI is set to empower recruiters to spend more quality time with candidates and less time with simple tasks that intelligent software can complete with the click of a button.

2. In 2018, staffing firm Robert Half saw a 10 to 20% increase in ghosting.

Ghosting, when employees stop coming to work without notice or candidates fail to show up for interviews, has become such a problem that the Federal Reserve Bank cited ghosting as a contributing factor to the labor market’s difficulty filling open positions at all skill levels.

Though ghosting can be considered a sign of a strong economy, some say it highlights a generational divide where candidates and employees might feel uncomfortable with direct confrontation.

To avoid being ghosted during the recruitment process, offer a high-quality candidate experience that prioritizes transparency and honesty to keep candidates engaged and interested in your organization. 

3. Gen Z will make up 20% of the workforce by 2020.

Born from 1997 onward, the oldest members of Gen Z are now turning 22, placing many of them fresh out of college. They’re joining their millennial, Generation X, and baby boomer counterparts in the office, and like each generation before them, they’re joining the working world with very different workplace priorities and lifestyle preferences.

Since Gen Z never lived in a pre-internet world, for example, it should come as no surprise that one in five college students and recent grads surveyed in the 2018 Yello Recruiting Study mentioned a company’s lack of technology could keep them from accepting a job offer.

If your organization hasn’t started paying attention to the approaching wave of Gen Z talent, it’s time to start.

4. 84% of employees would be willing to leave a current position for an organization with a better reputation.

More than ever, building and maintaining a positive employer brand is crucial to attracting and retaining talent. In an age where employees feel more empowered to make their voices heard, crafting a strong employer brand is not simply a matter of marketing: it’s the way to truly communicate your organization’s values, beliefs and commitments.

5. Over the next 20 years, 180 million women worldwide are at risk of losing their jobs to automation.

Women’s jobs across in clerical, service and sales, as well as those in the workforce aged 40 and older, are predicted to be affected disproportionately. These numbers are complicated by the fact that women are often less likely to become managers or professionals in sectors like technology, placing them in roles that will may become automated.

Organizations must make efforts to not only recruit and employ women to high-level positions, but to provide access to additional growth and educational experiences to prepare today’s workforce for tomorrow’s challenges.

6. 88% of Millennials and Gen Z workers believe their ideal workplace is diverse.

A commitment to workplace diversity isn’t just nice to have—it’s become embedded in the DNA of what the current and future generation of employees expect from their employers. In fact, 54% of employees surveyed indicated they would consider looking for a new job if their employer wasn’t committed to creating a diverse workplace.

Fortunately, diversity recruitment software makes it easy to follow through on a commitment to diversity by helping recruiters build diverse talent pools, organize diversity hiring events and easily communicate with candidates of all backgrounds.