Finding talent just isn’t what it used to be — 3x more hiring managers say that hiring has gotten harder since 2016 rather than easier. Isn’t technology supposed to make things easier for us?

Hiring markets are shifting towards freelance work at an unprecedented pace. Today, 35% of the North American workforce classifies as a freelancer, up from 6% in 1986. The latest estimates show the market expanding to a staggering 50% by the year 2027 (Freelancing in America:2017 — Edelman Intelligence).

Why has hiring gotten more difficult in spite of technology?

The pool of candidates available for hiring into traditional employment continues to shrink. Over 15 Million skilled workers in North America have exited the realm of traditional employment in favor of freelancing. And that number is accelerating — almost 5 Million individuals currently freelancing part-time are thinking about making the leap to independence in the near future (Edelman).

Competition has increased. Never before has access to candidates at this magnitude been available. The prevalence of LinkedIn, and online job boards has amplified the reach of each job postings. In fact, HR professionals in the high-tech industry were more likely than those in any other industry to indicate that global competition was a factor in their increasing difficulty finding qualified candidates (The New Talent Landscape — Society for Human Resource Management)

How to gain a competitive advantage in hiring

What does this all mean for HR? The good news is that technology has made today’s top talent more accessible than ever before. The bad news, those who are easy to find get inundated with recruiter messages. Standing out in the crowd makes it that much more essential to attract top candidates.

1. Make your company more flexible

Does the role that you are hiring for need to be full-time? What if you found the perfect candidate but they were only available 10 hours a week during the evenings. Could you adapt your business to support that? Access to vast new talent pools becomes available for companies that adapt their strategy to incorporate remote or part-time workers.

Make use of freelancers, or independent contractors as a flexible talent force. In a recent survey, 62% of HR managers said they use some form of flexible talent today to help scale up to meet project needs or find skills that aren’t available in house (Edelman).

2. Find improved channels to reach your target candidates

Meetup groups, online communities, online platforms are increasingly being used to narrow in on a desired community. Finding, and building some credibility in a niche community of talent can pay big dividends in hiring speed and success.

More candidates aren’t always better. Take into account that the average job posting receives 250 applications today, yet only 2% of those are chosen for an interview (Top HR Statistics — Glassdoor).

3. Recognize that the hiring market is competitive

Take steps to improve the communication and desirability of your company, starting with the job posting. Invest time into communicating what your company is all about. Showing your company in the best light, and highlighting the unique features about it.

One thing you can do today

To start, try to think seriously about what it is about your company that really attracts talent. Take the time to ask your employees what they like about working for you, and why they stay. Each company has something unique to offer, telling the right story can go a long way to finding the character that matches.