It’s that time of year again when campus placements are in full swing. The traditional campus hiring has evolved at lightning speed since Covid drove recruitment into disarray. In the midst of the crisis, employers began relying on technology to ensure continuity of their campus hiring programmes.  

As a result, the hiring cycle was broken down and restructured to meet the challenges in the sector optimally. The change also opened up bigger opportunities, explosive potential, and a whole different outlook for students.  

Here are five campus hiring trends that will impact pre-final and final year students approaching placement in 2022:

Hybrid campus recruitment model

The way campus recruitment is done has been transformed. The hybrid model, combining the best of on-campus and off-campus recruitment processes has become the latest trend for campuses across the world. With the emergence of virtual recruiting, companies can now easily hire exceptional, diverse talent from across the country.

However, this does not dismiss the possibility of in-person events. Hybrid recruiting is the way of the future, with a balance of virtual and in-person activities. What started out as a stopgap solution has solidified into an advanced recruitment solution, and is here to stay. 

As organisations continue to optimise their virtual hiring tools, their focus will extend beyond the talent pool from shortlisted colleges. This will give a boost to students as job opportunities will increase manifold.  

Shifting employer expectations

The pandemic has altered employers’ perceptions of a candidate. Rather than relying solely on academic records, hiring managers to wish to see more concrete evidence of a candidate’s trainability and potential for fulfilling a role and fitting into the company culture.  

To discover eligible candidates, employees are scanning soft skills and previous job experiences during pre-assessment rounds as thoroughly as ever. This fosters a fair procedure for students by removing restrictions that traditionally prevented firms from selecting candidates solely on the basis of their GPA. 

Diversity and inclusion 

Workforce diversity is a global trend that has had a tremendous impact on employers’ hiring strategies, and consequently campus placements. The financial performance of a business is directly connected to an inclusive work culture.  

When it comes to task execution, diverse teams have been shown to be more productive, innovative, diligent, and dependable. This trend also means big opportunities for students — not only during hiring drives but also in the form of becoming a part of a diverse and enriching work culture.  

Employee well-being

Prioritising employee satisfaction has recently grown from a trend to a necessity in a number of businesses. There has been an emerging trend of Gen Z candidates seeking help from their companies after experiencing the hardships brought on by the pandemic.  

The International Labour Organisation has released a framework to assist workers during these difficult times. Support can take the form of financial assistance, a more considerate leave policy, child-care assistance, and mental health counseling.  

For students- this trend marks a new era, one where employee satisfaction and needs are being prioritised in organisations. As employers become more aware of the need to ensure workforce satisfaction, students can also expect a new culture of support and satisfaction.  

Candidate-driven job market 

We’ve seen a major shift in the recruitment sector as the world continues to struggle with the pandemic. What was once a well-established employer-driven market has been completely turned on its head into a candidate-driven environment.

In fact, today’s job market is candidate-driven in 90 per cent of cases. This trend creates a plethora of options for candidates, as firms must work even harder to attract and retain top talent. In a candidate-driven market, candidates have more leverage to negotiate better compensation, more flexibility, and overall benefits.

This means that they have access to greater employment opportunities and professional options, translating to greater job offers, better growth scope, and a more happy career journey. 

Throughout 2022, these trends will continue to shape the candidate-driven job market. Not only will taking these into account help candidates launch their careers, but also empower them to lead their journeys with confidence. 

(The writer is Chief Operating Officer, HirePro.)