Recruitment marketing trends of 2023: from soft skills to gamification

Recruitment marketing trends evolve every year. By now we know that online options have become indispensable in the recruitment process. And those options keep developing every year. Curious about what's going to be hot and happening in this area next year? These are the recruitment marketing trends of 2023!

Employer branding stays at #1

Years ago, companies could take their pick of employees. That luxury no longer exists: because of the tight labour market, it's now the employees who make the demands. Partly due to the ageing population, the labour shortage may last a long time yet. Unfortunate, but don't despair. With employer branding you can put your company in the spotlight! It's smart to stand out to your target group so you keep attracting sought-after candidates.

You can do this by making your company's core values visible. Core values are the qualities that best describe your company. Ideally, you also name values that set your company apart from your competitors. When potential candidates recognise themselves in these values, it sparks their interest and they apply more often. So start strengthening your employer brand as soon as possible!

The ultimate candidate experience with employer branding

The pandemic made people realise they want more than earning money and spending their days in the office. So they've also become much more critical when applying for a new job. That's why a positive candidate experience is more important than ever. The candidate experience covers all the phases candidates go through during the application process. This "experience" begins with the first thing candidates see or hear of your company. That could be an ad, the company website, but also a conversation with someone who works there. You may also have noticed that applicants now take a different attitude. It's shifting from "do they like me?" to "do I think this company suits me?".

Making a good impression is therefore essential for an optimal candidate experience; that's how you make sure applicants want to work for you, and want to keep working for you. Find out which areas of the company need optimising, so you can offer your new employees a seamless experience! And last but not least: as an employer, you want to know what drives your ideal candidate. These days many candidates value a hybrid working environment and secondary employment benefits, but which benefits attract your specific target group? Get to know your target group well. Only then can you paint a clear picture of your ideal candidate and attract them.

Soft skills!

One of the more popular recruitment marketing trends is focusing on soft skills. Think of personality traits, social competences and skills. In this tight labour market, finding candidates with the right hard skills has become quite a task. That's why having a diploma in the right field has long since stopped being essential. What matters more is that candidates have the right soft skills to be able to learn the skills the job requires. Required skills, or "hard skills", are measurable, functional or technical skills. Find out whether it's possible to train new employees in these within your company. Are you prepared to be flexible?

Is the diversity in your company already inclusive?

A diverse organisation is made up of diversity in race, gender identity, ethnicity, nationality, visible and invisible disability and sexual orientation. Research has shown that a diverse organisation performs better financially. Employees also feel welcome and valued in a diverse working environment. The younger generation in particular considers diversity hugely important in an employer. So it's a good idea to make your recruitment marketing as diverse as possible. You can do this by showing different ethnicities in your visuals or by using inclusive language.

Gamification

This recruitment marketing trend is an interactive tool that challenges and attracts candidates in a fun and surprising way. It tests the soft and hard skills a role requires. By using a game in the recruitment process, you grab attention, challenge candidates and give applying a high fun factor. Gamification helps strengthen your company's image. It also lets you test skills, so you attract the right candidates. On top of that, you reduce the time it takes to hire someone, because the skill has already been tested. A win-win situation!

And now: time to put these recruitment marketing trends to work!

Is your company ready to implement these trends? With these recruitment marketing tips, you're guaranteed to take the lead in the recruitment race. Need a little help? No problem. We're here to help you!