How to plan for success in 2021 - a guide for recruitment leaders

What does the future hold for recruitment? 2021 will see changes associated with Brexit, new tax legislation (IR35), and our industry, the economy, and the jobs market, will continue to be affected by COVID-19.

As Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, Director-General, CBI said in her opening keynote at REC2020, our virtual conference, “This is an opportunity for your profession to establish itself as the central heartbeat of strategic change and economic transformation."

So, what's your game plan for 2021?

Here are the top five things that recruitment leaders need to consider:

• Leadership
• Recruitment technology
• Culture
• Employer branding
• Future planning

Leadership

"This is a great time to invest in people, and technology – prepare for the future and take advantage of the amount of talent available in the market." - James Reed, Chairman, The Reed Group

What does it mean to lead in a post COVID-19 world? We spoke to some of the elite leaders in the industry at our REC2020 conference to learn how they approach leadership.

Head to our digital guide to watch this keynote panel discussion or to read some of the top takeaways on crisis management, reflections from past recessions and trends that are here to stay. You'll also find a comprehensive masterclass on leadership by Jump Advisory Group.

Recruitment technology

"Automation is a key part for us to continue working as an industry, but this need for technology has also humanised some of our interactions and made them even more meaningful." - Rob Fairbrother, Business Application Specialist, Microsoft

The pandemic has showed us how much we rely on tech, but how do you generate buy in from leadership to invest in new technology? It’s all about demonstrating commercial value and the ability to:

• drive business performance, and
• solve a business-critical issue.

Head to our digital guide to watch the full discussion featuring experts where they cover the latest technologies and strategies you need to explore to drive your technological innovation.

Culture

It's likely that employers will have more choice in the future when trying to find candidates. But accessing a wider talent pool calls for some radical thinking in how we source and engage with jobseekers. Our digital guide has answers to some of the pressing questions raised by recruiters and employers alike at the REC2020 conference including:

• How can we improve the candidate experience given recent events?
• How can we change the dynamics of recruitment in the UK to be more people-centric?
• How can recruiters add value in talent, well-being and productivity?
• If we are more aware of the benefits of diversity and inclusion, how do we encourage businesses and recruiters to adapt to this changing landscape?

Employer branding

Bringing in new people shouldn’t be the only focus for employer brand, it’s also about engagement with your existing talent. How do you create a successful employer brand strategy? How do you measure its impact? Should you consider 'employee-owned' business model as part of your strategy?

You'll find plenty of insights on these in our digital guide.

Future planning

Defining what the new norm could entail and how it differs from what we envisioned as we entered this new decade will require radical thinking. Leaders will need to reassess their entire business environment, identifying what has changed and its permanency. Leadership expert and CEO of Marsh Commercial Anthony Gruppo has some great tips for future-focused leaders on planning for the future including the five questions you need to ask yourself. Head to our digital guide to find out more.