Recruiting trends can come and go, some with expensive price tags for new tech that might be involved. During 2020 we’ve seen a vast shift toward tech that enables remote meetings, candidate interviews, and even virtual recruitment events. The rapidly changing hiring landscape demands that HR teams be flexible, but also stick to the core recruitment tools that have proven to work. The following recruiting trends have proven they are here to stay and are sure to boost your recruitment now and into the future.

1. AI & Programmatic Recruitment

Artificial intelligence (AI), which relies on algorithms and data to improve processes and undertake complex decision-making, can take much of the busywork of HR off the hands of HR professionals. There are so many ways that AI has streamlined processes for HR professionals, from chatbots that can engage candidates throughout the process, to resume scoring that can select top resumes from hundreds of applicants.

One important type of tech in particular is recruitment advertising, which has evolved in the age of social media. With programmatic job ad platforms, employers are able to target quality candidates with their ads by finding them where they search online. Combining the forces of Big Data and AI, programmatic is able to create cost-effective job ad campaigns by purchasing ad space and monitoring ad effectiveness in real-time. According to Pandologic’s Programmatic Recruitment Demystified in 2012, about 25% of digital display ads were purchased through programmatic; just five years later, that number jumped to nearly 75%. The industry has taken notice, and the tremendous efficiency gains and ease with which organizations can implement this tech has proven that this recruiting trend is still on the rise.

2. Branding & Recruitment Marketing

An emphasis on employer branding remains one of the key ways to keep candidates engaged and interested in an organization, even when there are no open vacancies. It’s key to let people know you are a desirable place to work! A robust recruitment marketing strategy will provide the groundwork for filling future vacancies and can keep candidates interested until a job is available. The brand is not simply for customers or clients but is a way to engage candidates who want to be a part of an organization they know—particularly one that has a reputation for being a good employer. According to Glassdoor, simple brand awareness can affect candidates’ decisions to apply to vacancies, with 40% of candidates more likely to apply to a company they know to have a good reputation—particularly in its workplace practices and benefits.

3. Recruitment Videos & Webinars

What’s important isn’t just “high tech,” but ubiquitous tech. Employing everyday tech that people use, like text messaging, can offer HR teams convenient ways to engage potential candidates.

Recruitment videos, for example, can attract more candidates to your job postings. Videos aren’t just the latest in trendy recruiting gimmicks. According to CareerBuilder, a job posting with video increases the application rate by 34%. Whether an applicant has heard of your organization or not, a brief recruitment video offers an initial introduction to the company and gives applicants a better sense of your brand and workplace culture. This allows candidates to envision what it’s like to work at your organization and can be far more effective than simple words on a page in the job ad.

Similarly, virtual recruitment events offered through webinars can provide potential candidates with a convenient way to get to know your organization better without having to travel beyond their own home. Speaking to actual employees virtually gives candidates an excellent sense of what it is like to work at a company. Virtual interactions have become really popular in the era of social-distancing, but the convenience (and travel costs savings) will mean this recruiting trend is likely here to stay. Simple everyday tech solutions can engage more candidates and meet them where they are.

4. Diversity & Inclusion

This is not a recruiting trend, so much as a recruiting must. The Millennial generation that makes up a vast portion of the entering workforce expects diversity and inclusion, and companies are taking notice through initiatives baked into their processes. And yes, while companies that fail to be inclusive risk sending the wrong message to potential candidates, fostering an inclusive working environment isn’t just about perception. A diverse workforce can better serve a more diverse customer base, provide a greater diversity of perspective when it comes to problem-solving and creative solutions, and has been shown to correlate to better business outcomes. Diversity isn’t a trend—you need to now incorporate practices to create a diverse employee base as your standard way of hiring. Your workplace, and the work you produce, will be better for it.