Career Center News
Job Market Trends From a Recruiter's Perspective
November 16, 2022
By Madelynn Lutenski
Flipping through the company ‘Rolodex’ is a thing of the past. With online networking and virtual job postings, the job market has drastically changed. Both employers and candidates have access to an abundance of opportunities like never before.
For over 30 years, Greg Rhodes has worked alongside businesses to find the best talent. At the Grand Rapids talent acquisition firm, AEBetancourt, Rhodes currently works as a Business Development Consultant.
The internet and online posting sites have “been an amazing change from the past 5-10 years. For the employer, it becomes a matter of using those resources the best way they can to properly post a position whereas, in the past, it was open postings, want ads, newspaper postings, and things like that. People are finding jobs and opportunities through networking. The models of recruiting are completely different than even 3-4 years ago,” said Rhodes.
A big trend that the consultant has seen is the desire to work from home. The pandemic has permanently altered the way in which people work. During the height of COVID-19, employers sent employees home and implemented work-from-home policies.
As businesses return to the office, employees are requesting to continue working from home or have a hybrid model. Whether to save time on the commute, save money on childcare, or increase personal productivity, employees have adapted to the flexibility that working from home has given them.
“The conversation of work-life balance has also been a huge thing. Workers reflected on whether their employer helped them get through pandemic challenges well, and what work environment they thrived in,” said Rhodes. “As a recruiting company, we saw a lot of people take the opportunity to change jobs during the pandemic. There was a lot of change going on because people didn’t like how their employer was communicating, or how the company dealt with Covid-19. The employees got to explore new avenues. Overall it was a huge culture change.”
Due to the pandemic, the job market has become a revolving door of employees leaving their jobs and employers looking for new talent.
“In order to be competitive, employers need to do some really unique things. Companies need to be able to recognize their company culture and understand if it is desirable for a candidate. In addition, what is offered in terms of benefits, bonuses, and the compensation structure itself, has a big bearing on attraction. Companies need to analyze what makes them competitive in the marketplace,” said Rhodes.
Another trend that the consultant has witnessed is an increase in recruiting bonuses. Employers are encouraging current employees to begin recruiting on behalf of their company. Offering employees additional compensation for finding new hires has proven to be effective in discovering and retaining talent.
When it comes to finding an internship or post-grad job, Rhodes comments “If there’s one big word in the job search today, it's networking.”
Being able to accurately describe who you are, your past experiences, and future career aspirations are essential to finding success in today’s job market. Taking advantage of LinkedIn to connect with industry professionals, find mentors, host informational interviews, and build professional relationships will boost your chances of landing a role in your field.
“A person that stands out is one who takes the time to think through what's going to work well for them, what they are looking to do, and what would be ideal for them,” said Rhodes.
To begin your networking journey and leap into the world of LinkedIn, listen to the Work Like a Laker Podcast episode, How to Network When You Have No Network.
Networking guidance, career exploration tools, and additional Career Center resources can be found at www.gvsu.edu/careers.