Developing Workforce Strategies: Key Trends to Observe in Talent Acquisition and Employment
In the current business climate, D&I specialists are finding themselves in high demand as organizations grapple with the challenges of a rapidly changing workforce. Early retirements and churn in the C-suite have put immense pressure on companies to plan for the replacement of key leaders, lest they face vulnerable gaps in their leadership teams and a significant loss of knowledge from departing employees.
The pandemic has exposed the weaknesses in succession planning for many organizations that failed to prepare for COVID-19. However, the hiring trend is not all doom and gloom. Despite the challenges, 75% of organizations are currently hiring, with another 10% planning to hire before the end of 2020.
This hiring surge can be divided into two streams. First, organizations that did not have a senior D&I leader in place are scrambling to fill new positions. Second, those that previously had a chief D&I leader but are now seeking a fresh perspective and approach to make greater progress.
Companies that have successfully navigated the new virtual talent market are those with strong pre-pandemic hiring and onboarding practices, or those that have quickly adapted and enhanced their processes. Employers are under pressure to quickly identify preferred candidates and get them offers, as they risk losing the best candidates if they hesitate.
The key strategies being employed by these successful organizations include embracing remote work and global talent mobility, integrating AI and technology in recruitment, fostering workforce agility and continuous evolution, balancing in-office and flexible policies, using strategic workforce planning, and leveraging contract and interim talent.
Remote work and global talent mobility allow organizations to access broader talent pools, including talent relocation and global mobility programs to navigate cross-border employment dynamics. AI acts as a recruitment assistant, enhancing efficiency and precision in hiring, while fostering workforce agility emphasizes hiring adaptable professionals who can learn new technologies quickly and prioritize cross-functional fluency and critical thinking.
Balancing in-office and flexible policies is crucial, as some companies push for return-to-office mandates to boost collaboration and innovation, while many workers prefer flexible or hybrid arrangements. Organizations must manage this paradox carefully to avoid attrition while maintaining productivity.
Strategic workforce planning involves conducting workforce audits to assess current strengths and skill gaps, forecasting future talent needs aligned with business goals, and designing hiring plans that respond to emerging trends in sectors such as AI, healthcare, and services. Leveraging contract and interim talent helps organizations handle workload spikes, test new roles, or bridge transitions without long-term overhead.
In 2025, the pandemic-influenced hiring environment demands a balance of technology, flexibility, strategic foresight, and employee-centric policies to attract and retain talent effectively. There is an increasing demand for employers to become more inclusive and diverse in their hiring and business practices, with more than half of S&P 500 companies already having a chief D&I officer in place.
However, the sheer number of people looking for work right now has led to unprecedented responses to job postings, with many employers receiving 300 or even 400 applications for the same posting. This flood of applicants, many of them unqualified, is frustrating for both employers and the best candidates.
Despite these challenges, top talent and good jobs remain in high demand, with the top candidates likely to have multiple job offers. The demand for leaders who possess the capabilities to lead transformation in response to the ever-changing world is critical.
A shining example of a company that has successfully navigated the virtual onboarding landscape is Numeris, a Canadian company that had a mature virtual onboarding process before the pandemic and was able to easily transition their award-winning 100-day onboarding journey to a completely virtual environment.
In conclusion, the pandemic has necessitated the adaptation of essential business practices to a virtual environment, including recruiting, hiring, and onboarding. Organizations that embrace flexibility, technology, strategic foresight, and diversity are best positioned to attract and retain top talent in this new landscape.
- In the current hiring surge, a significant number of organizations are focusing on recruitment for diversity and inclusion positions, understandably seeking fresh perspectives to make greater progress in these critical areas.
- To stay competitive in the future, companies will need to leverage technology in their recruitment processes, as AI and remote work are now essential tools for accessing diverse talent pools and streamlining the hiring process.
