Recruiting is constantly evolving, but with the new year and a new decade, the most strategic of companies are seeking ways to remain competitive in an ever-changing workforce. We have gathered a list of what top-performing candidates will prioritize when job-searching to the hiring trends to come in 2020:

Culture Is Key
In a world of increasing transparency and corporate accountability, a strong company culture is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a must have. Company culture has a significant impact on a company’s ability to recruit and retain top talent. A recent Glassdoor survey confirmed that workers increasingly value company culture over cash, and since today’s candidates have the ability to get an insider’s look at your organizational culture through platforms like Glassdoor and social media, companies can no longer just talk the talk — they need to walk the walk as well. Furthermore, there’s a growing body of research proving that company culture drives real business results. Companies with better cultures tend to perform better financially, attract talent more easily and have more satisfied customers.

Further Prioritize Diversity
In the last few years, the conversation around workplace diversity
has intensified and reached new importance. This has been fueled by a variety of factors, including the #MeToo movement, expansion of gender pay gap disclosure policies in the U.S. and United Kingdom, and rising concern about a lack of diversity in tech and C-suites across the economy. More companies this year finally got serious about cultivating more diverse and inclusive workplaces. A recent Glassdoor survey found 64 percent of workers said their company is investing more in diversity and inclusion than in prior years.

In 2020 and beyond, as companies continue to usher in a new era of hiring action-oriented diversity and inclusion teams, we expect to see a wave of hiring for leaders and managers that will help carry forward the mission of building a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

More People Will Find Their Next Job on a Mobile Device
As more aspects of our lives move onto mobile devices, the use of traditional desktop PCs is rapidly declining. That tectonic shift is having a huge impact on candidate experiences today. In 2020, we expect to see employers wake up to the importance of streamlining their mobile job application experiences. Older legacy systems risk losing out on candidates when outdated application systems aren’t mobile phone friendly.

Social Media Presence Will Be a Part of the Hiring Process
Today, your digital footprint is what will set you off in the right direction. Recruiters spend time researching the social media profiles of applicants and will dismiss a candidate if the candidate’s social media activity or online presence is questionable. This is why it is especially important to keep private accounts private and to ensure that all public accounts reflect the applicant in a positive and professional light.

Flexible Work Schedules will Become the Norm — Not the Exception — For Professionals and Employers Alike
Though with changing freelance laws in California, and predicted shifts in New Jersey, it may feel even scarier to go out on your own, employees will continue to seek flexible and remote opportunities. In fact, according to the International Workplace Group’s 2019 annual survey, 50% of employees worldwide are already working outside of the so-called mothership, at least 2.5 days a week. Another 80% shared if they were deciding between two new gigs, and one had more laid-back rules with being in office, they’d go for it. While flexible work environments are not new, 2020 will be the year that they begin to normalize for both employees and employers. This will allow employers to fill more project-based, temporary, and freelance opportunities while reducing costs, and eliminate the geographical restrictions that prohibit them from finding the perfect match.