While the subject matter of today’s post doesn’t sound particularly interesting, there is a good reason you should definitely take a moment to observe and study this year’s recruiting statistics. Simply put, looking at these statistics will help you understand how the industry is developing and moving forward, which is vital for guiding your business strategy, outlook and decision-making process.

So without further ado, let’s look at some of the most important recruiting and HR statistics and best practices you need to know if you want to have another successful year.

The Importance of Employer Branding

• 84% of Employees Would Easily Leave their Current Company

You probably know by now that having a strong online presence and building a brand is important, but it could matter even more than you think. According to research from the Allegis Group Services, a good reputation can persuade passive candidates and turn them into applicants. What’s more, the same report revealed that 11% of applicants would decline an offer from a company with bad reputation – even if they were unemployed.

• 59% of Organizations are Investing More in their Brand

It seems that business owners across all industries are slowly beginning to realize just how much branding matters. In fact, many businesses are now actively trying to build a stronger employer brand in order to attract even more top applicants. According to LinkedIn’s latest Global Recruitment report, a majority of business are planning to devote even more of their budgets to brand management.  

The Emergence of a Candidate-Led Market

• Around 90% of Recruiters Think that Recruiting is now Candidate-Driven

As recent GlassDoor research has shown, in 2011 only around 50% of recruiters believed that recruiting was candidate-driven. However, the market is rapidly evolving, and in just five short years, things have changed a lot. Today, the way you approach recruiting from the first moment an applicant interacts with your company all the way through the offer email matters more than ever. Essentially, next year, companies will have to start treating candidates just like they treat their customers.

• The Number of Online Job Seekers Doubled in the Last Ten Years

Thanks to the Internet, using your local newspapers to look for a job is practically obsolete at this point. More than ten years ago, the number of online job seekers reached only slightly above 25% of US citizens. But in a recent survey of more than 2,000 US adults, the Pew Research Center found out that almost 55% of Americans use the web to research available jobs, and 4% of them regularly apply for jobs online.  

The Impending Hiring Problems

• 47% of Declined Job Offers are Due to Candidates Accepting other Jobs

Now, one of the most important things you have to keep in mind when you’re interviewing a candidate is that he or she is probably negotiating with a few other companies at the same time. MRINetwork research has shown that nearly half of the job seekers today have declined job offers in the past, simply because the company was taking too long to finish the recruitment process.

• 97% of Companies Need Competent Project Managers

While nowadays, it doesn’t take more than a few seconds to do a proper project management tool comparison, it takes a skillful project leader to make sure that every project meets the deadline and stays within budget. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, practically every company believes that project management skills are critical for success in the business world. And that is why competent project leaders are one of the top priorities of any recruitment team.

Final Thoughts

With the New Year just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about your goals, if you want to achieve your business objectives in 2017. A smart recruiter knows that if he wants land those top candidates, he has to strategize his year in advance. But an even smarter recruiter knows that he has to research the current trends and be aware of what’s most important to follow in his specific niche.