Are you hiring? Five recruitment trends to look out for in 2023

CEO of IT channel recruitment agency Robertson Sumner, Marc Sumner, gives the channel a heads up of what's shaping the jobs market

2023 has already seen a wave of major tech worker purges in the form of Salesforce, Amazon and Cisco.

And partners of every stripe have identified recruitment as one of the key challenges to executing their growth plans, as SCC Cyber and Hypercale MD James Henigan reiterated last week.

Here, CEO of IT channel recruitment agency Robertson Sumner, Marc Sumner, gives the channel a heads up of what trends they should know are shaping the jobs market.

Five recruitment trends to look out for in 2023

As the technology industry changes, having a strategic hiring plan becomes critical.

In fact, since the start of 2023, I have just read the announcement about major layoffs coming in 2023 at both Amazon and Salesforce with "over-hiring" given as one of the key explanations.

If key disruptors such as these are rethinking their hiring plan, should you?

Despite these and other high-profile announcements in 2022, the total number of roles being created in the UK tech industry continues to rise.

As the sector evolves, businesses are focussing efforts on increasing the use of automated process and remote working policies, these process decisions significantly impact the triggers points and reasons for hiring.

The ‘HOW' and WHY' we hire talent is changing.

What are the key trends most likely to affect the technology industry during 2023?

Economic Uncertainty

As the UK finds itself creeping into recession the economic uncertainty that this brings can have a significant effect on hiring plans and the availability of talent.

Reliance on technology should mean the technology industry is well protected against wholesale job losses however candidates and companies may be more likely to delay hiring decisions until the economic outlook is clearer.

The Boomerang Effect

We are likely to see a massive rise in companies looking into rehiring former employees over new ones.

We have seen up to one in four people regret their decision to leave during the "Great Resignation".

As businesses try to fill in pre-existing or new roles into the new year, make it a priority to reach out to former employees.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly popular in the technology industry, and it is likely to become even more prominent soon.

AI can automate certain tasks, such as CV vetting, and helping streamline your recruitment processes.

Additionally, AI can help to improve the accuracy of data analysis and provide valuable insights.

Gen Z are joining the workforce

By the year 2025 it is estimated that 27 per cent of the global workforce will be made up of Gen Z.

According to a recent survey 54 per cent of Gen Z'ers won't complete an online job application if the hiring process is too long, antiquated, or complicated.

Prioritising a straightforward interview process, with proper communication through each step, will help hiring managers reach talent while they're still engaged.

Remote and hybrid working isn't going away it is getting more popular

The rise of remote and hybrid working is another trend that is likely to continue and become more popular into the new year.

In 2022, there was a lot of controversy on whether in-office work was more productive, but on average, remote work productivity was higher.

Hiring managers should keep hybrid work or work-from-home as an option to attract top talent with varying priorities.

Whilst businesses face plenty of uncertainty in 2023, by driving awareness of some of these key trends, there is a real opportunity to get ahead when it comes to hiring talent for your teams.

Good luck with your hiring in 2023.