4 Exec-Level Hiring Predictions for 2022...

Posted on 24th January 2022 | Thought Leadership

One month in to the new year and already we're seeing hiring trends that will shape the rest of the year. Here's a few of our predictions for the remainder of 2022...

1. Market continues to become more and more candidate led

We see no change this year in the swing from an employer-led market to one where people now hold most of the cards. In fact we only see this dynamic becoming more prominent as the year goes on. In 2008 we saw a similar impact on jobs as we did in the immediate aftermath of the 2020 pandemic. Whilst jobs returned more gradually during the post-credit-crunch recovery, the boom we’ve seen over the last twelve months shows no signs of slowing in 2022 and has emboldened a talent pool whose reaction to the pandemic has been to reevaluate what’s really important and use these insights to shape career decisions. 

2. Counter offers increase but become less effective

As highly sought after senior managers lose the risk adversity that was largely apparent during 2020 and early 2021, they have invariably began to explore opportunities outside their current employment. As jobs continue to boom through 2022, the old ‘last resort’ retention tool the counter offer will be wielded more and more, however as other drivers outside salary and overall remuneration take more and more prominence (ie: culture, organisational purpose, value of the role to society etc), employers will need to become more innovative about how to tempt top talent to stay once they’ve made the decision to leave.

3. New C-Suite roles emerge

With the emergence of new C-level appointments in recent years such as Chief Diversity Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer raising the prominence of individual areas of organisational purpose, in 2022 we predict we’ll see the growth of C-level roles with even broader scope, ie: the Chief Purpose Officer, employed to develop organisational purpose and embed appropriate behaviours across the business, but ultimately ensuring that people have meaning behind their work. For many organisations, this remit will simply fall to other executives rather than creating a separate role in itself, but for employers who recognise a need to transition away from traditional value models and embrace a new more purposeful way of working, this will be even a crucial appointment and one which has the potential to dramatically enhance levels of organisational impact and propensity of achieving their vision.

4. Reputable search firms in demand more than ever

As employers continue to struggle to appoint quality talent as the year goes on, more and more will begin to embrace the benefits of partnering with a credible search partner to support them through these difficult times for hiring. As search firms enjoy this period of continued growth, the more future-focused players will be investing in more and more innovative delivery capabilities, more intelligent search technology and more effective research models, meaning their effectiveness over internal recruitment teams and DIY efforts from employers will only grow. Those who can demonstrate that even the trickiest of assignment can be delivered on will go on to develop mutually rewarding long term partnerships. 

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