The 2020-2021 global coronavirus pandemic created upheaval, especially in countries that had become accustomed to plentiful cheap labour where employees were just so grateful to have a job that they would take unacceptable levels of abuse in order to keep them. These employees, forced to stay home when the pandemic closed doors, realised that not only did they dislike their job, but that they did not need to stay in a poorly paid position – the whole world was out there for them! Fortunately, the UK’s job market has never been so poorly handled by managers, and businesses, largely, have recovered from the pandemic. Recruiters are back in business, and they say that these are the hottest industries with the highest demand in the last part of 2021 and spilling over into 2022.
More Niche
Recruiters are specialising more and more. Rather than dealing with, for example, retail executives, they are narrowing it down to clothing retail executives or grocery chain management. This is opening up opportunities for those who have reached the peak of their industry – they can begin to work as consultants to recruiters and businesses, telling them what to be aware of, what to avoid, and what to actively embrace, business trend-wise.
Big Data
Data is the new currency and software engineers and architects are just beginning to surf an immense wave that looks set to run for a long, profitable time. Data protection laws are a large part of this, and candidates who understand the fine line between acceptable data gathering and illegal intrusion could be set to make their name – and their fortune – in the business!
Analytics
Gathering data is one thing, seeing and understanding trends in it is quite another. Already an established field, analytics is growing apace, as retailers try to keep up with customers needs and wants – sometimes even before the customer is aware of that need or want! This is the perfect field for those with an eye for pattern recognition, intense attention to detail and an almost intuitive understanding of what trends people are following, even as they become established.
Artificial Intelligence
AI is the art of writing computer code so successfully that computers or robots seem to have near human sentience. While older people might think of AI as being something space-age and belonging to sci-fi films, in fact AI is already all around us in the form of voice activated assistants such as Alexa, Siri and Google. The fledgling field is set to become huge in the near future as we rely more and more on our devices to lead our lives more comfortably and safely.
Mental Health Officers
As the world becomes a little more kindly towards mental health issues, businesses are beginning to hire mental health compliance officers, in much the same way that factories took on Health and Safety employees when those concerns became too large to ignore. This field is set to boom in 2022 as people struggle with the after-effects of the pandemic, the return to work and commuting, and the effects of having been isolated for so much of the last eighteen months.
Diversity Managers
Much like mental health officers, diversity managers are being hired to investigate processes and policies and point out flaws that might disenfranchise minority or ‘othered’ groups – lack of disabled access, for example, stringent rules on appearance that discriminate against natural Black hairstyles, or even a heteronormative culture that can make LGBTQ people feel unwelcome.
Hospitality
One industry that has been hard hit by Brexit as much as by the pandemic is hospitality. While low-level employees can usually be found, it is in management that there are serious shortages. Running a restaurant or overseeing a hotel is quite different to simply clocking on for a shift, no matter how arduous the work, and there are likely to be many new hopeful ventures looking to employ managers who can guide the business to success.
Social Media
Finally, brand management continues to be important, with increasing emphasis on social awareness deemed more important by the newest generation of consumers. Environmental protections, the calling out and condemning of racism, and the push for tolerance towards others: these issues and others are examined by young consumers before they even think about looking at the products and services on offer. A good social media manager can ensure that your brand is remembered for all the right reasons, as well as attracting a good-sized following to keep interest current and high.
Now you have seen some of the employment trends expected to rise throughout 2022, why not find a good headhunter agency here, and see where your career will take you?
