Talent recruitment has changed over the years, with influence from globalisation, technological advancements and education.
Long gone are the Days of the Employer, where jobseekers bend backwards just to appeal to potential hiring companies.
Welcome to the Age of Self.
The Age of Self is led by a ‘me first’ attitude which prides in individualism and putting one’s needs ahead of an employer’s.
As a result of globalisation and advances in technology and communication, people view work from a different perspective.
Work has changed
Previously, work was seen as a life-long vocation. Work was definitely more functional-based than it is value-based.
It’s no coincidence we refer to working as ‘the daily grind’ which suggests a routine.
This way of working is set to be redefined with the arrival of the 4th Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), where the concepts of automation, Artificial Intelligence (A.I) and Machine learning are implemented. In addition, the commercialisation of smartphones, development of mobile communications technology, cloud technology and messaging applications, a job is no longer confined to the office from 9-to-5.
Eventually, this gave rise to the trend of ‘work-life balance’ as work sheds its traditional image.
For the past 18 years, Chris Frost has recruited into the digital space and witnessed first-hand the shifts in the employment landscape. He has worked with digital-first companies, traditional companies on a journey to digital traditional and the supplier ecosystem around these companies from agencies to consultancies and tech vendors.
“Many employers are still hung up on the past, with systems and processes that might have worked in 2010 but don’t leave them well equipped to function in 2020 and beyond.” – Chris Frost
Company’s office equipment and IT assets regularly undergo a review and upgrading process, so shouldn’t their processes and approaches to human capital be subjected to the same?
How did the scales tilt the balance from an employer’s market back into the favour of employees?
Could the emergence of a new generation of employees – known as Millennials, be the reason why power dynamics have skewed?
After all, they were projected to overtake Baby Boomers as the largest living adult generation in 2019. The sheer size of their population explains the dominance of their generation’s behavioural traits and values in the labour market.
As employers and recruiters, we have to rethink our means and methods to attract and retain talents of tomorrow. This, in turn, will help to future-proof our companies.
What compels people to leave their jobs? On the flip side, what motivates people to work?
We will explore these themes further in the next parts.