Top 5 Hiring Trends Expected to Emerge in 2017 If a recruitment startup can build a database of shortlisted profiles with feedback documented in a proper format, this could become a game changer

2016 witnessed a massive change in which companies hire. Few companies preferred hackathons over recruitment drive to find the best fit. Another recruitment portal started eavesdropping social signals to find the perfect match for the organization. I saw some companies attending Startup events only to hire the right talent who can blend in the startup culture. Many recruitment startups came up with innovative ideas too. I am sure that 2017 would also see innovation in the recruitment space. Based on the traction built in 2016, I think these could be the emerging trends in 2017

1) HR Bots : Well, it's an irony to replace the "Human" Resource Manager with a "Bot" but the entire HR process is awaiting a metamorphosis with the injection of technology booster. While the HR manager would still be taking the final calls but the bots would assist them in day to day activity. In the future,You can imagine the recruitment manager talking to a chatbot and saying " I need JDA consultant in Bangalore with 5 years of experience" and the bot would match this request to the resume database of the company and other job portals to which the company has subscribed to. It would also send a message through company's linkedin account to the possible match. The bot can prepare the detailed Job Description and post it on the job websites and Company's social media account. They can perform multiple functions with the usage of AI and Natural Language Processing.

2) Curated Profiles: If a recruitment startup can build a database of shortlisted profiles with feedback documented in a proper format, this could become a game changer. It takes almost a week for the HR to schedule the first round of interview. When I say a week, I am talking about the time taken to discover a candidate, collect basic information, screen the profile for role fitment and schedule the first round of technical discussion. Imagine that if a candidate is not found suitable in the first round, then the entire effort is wasted. It would definitely add immense value to a company or a recruiter to find candidates who have cleared the first level of interview. This could also solve the problem of hiring bulk candidates for an IT company. The solution can be extended to blue collared job market too. To make this a success, technology should enable the filtering based on certain data points, gamification and tests. Another level of Human intervention should be done to validate the results on certain parameters. In 2016, some players initiated it but this process still needs to reach a maturity level.

3) Employee Referral: Employee referral is another channel which has not been utilized to it's full potential in India. Many companies give reward to the employees who help in closing a position through their reference. The company should run the employee referral program more efficiently and reward their employees who bring their buddies in the organization. The employee should be instructed to screen the profiles before referring them for an open position. A leading IT Services and Consulting Company gives incentive to their employee whose referral clears the first round of screening by the project team. This incentive is on top of the referral bonus received for successful hire. The Organization should also encourage their employee to share the open positions in their social network. In this way, the reach of the job would multiply significantly.

4) Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO): Many organizations are outsourcing a function of their hiring process or the entire recruitment process to a third party. This certainly helps the company to save time and money as the recruitment process can be handled by experts in this domain. A major IT consulting firm has given a contract to a recruitment firm, which has deployed dedicated resources in the company. Another IT company manages recruitment in the US with resources deployed in India and working in US shift timings. I am sure that we will see more flavors of RPO in 2017 based on Company's requirement and contract.

5)Location based, app based hiring: In 2016, we came across few players who claimed to show a matching job in the neighborhood, however this has not yet become a preferred choice for job seekers. Most of the active job seekers can switch for a better profile as long as it is in the same city. I think the nextgen app would need to match the market segment with their needs. For example, if they can show a job with a matching skill in the same tech park or the same vicinity, the candidate would be keen to switch the job. Take another example of an H1 visa holder who relocates to the US and actively looking for a job. The app can solve the problem of it can share job in the same region from the companies which would facilitate visa transfer.

Let's wait and watch to see which Hiring methodology trends in 2017.Hoping to see lot of innovation in the hiring industry.