For many, especially those seeking employment, 2024 was a largely perplexing year. Despite notable layoffs in some sectors, the monthly jobs reports showed continued growth in others. The unemployment rate wavered slightly, reaching its peak in mid-summer before starting to decline again. Even so, it seemed as though employers were hesitant to make major hiring decisions for much of the year. And while I’m sure myriad factors contributed to this climate, one thing became increasingly apparent over the last few months: 2025 is forecasted to be a very different story. From industry scuttlebutt to the trends discussed at recent conferences, most HR professionals believe talent acquisition will make a comeback in Q1 of next year. Which means it’s time to get ready now.
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Recognizing this, the teams from Plum and Fountain recently got together and formalized a partnership. Sitting on both companies' advisory boards, I know precisely what these technology providers can do – especially when put together. Here’s how Plum + Fountain can help you prepare for the return of hiring.
1. Streamline Sourcing and Engagement
Discovering quality people quickly is paramount when the volume of open roles -and applications -increases. Whether for seasonal surges, hiring spikes or even hard-to-fill positions, the importance of smart sourcing sometimes goes overlooked. Fountain’s AI-powered Assist and Reach offerings make it possible to target top-of-funnel efforts in order to find and reach the right candidates faster.
2. Align Talent with Business Needs
Once a candidate pipeline exists, it’s important to move the process forward for everyone involved. That means getting a better understanding of each applicant in terms of their skills, abilities, and career aspirations. Plum helps recruiting teams condense hours of evaluation through a science-backed psychometric assessment that facilitates data-driven candidate matching.
3. Deliver Positive Candidate Experiences
Candidate experience always counts – and the fiercer the competition, the more critical this becomes. Candidate-focused solutions like Plum and Fountain meet the needs of today’s applicants with solutions for communication, career insights and more. In tandem, these technologies remove common pain points and ensure candidates feel valued.
4. Envision What’s Possible
Though an uptick in hiring might represent filling an immediate need, the days of getting “butts in seats” are over. Career development and talent mobility matter across industries, and Plum and Fountain understand that. PlumFlourish and PlumThrive are redefining the employee journey starting at the point of hire. The former gives candidates the power of self-discovery, while the latter provides the data and analytics needed to plan for the longer term.
5. Support Improved Retention
Though it might seem antithetical to factor retention into hiring preparation, recruiting and retention are, as Plum has expressed, two sides of the same coin. Overlooking retention as part of your overall hiring strategy will likely impact costs further down the road. As such, Fountain’s platform makes it easier to reinforce human connections and keep employees engaged, while Plum helps you understand how individual skills contribute to team operations.
These five factors will help your organization prepare for January if the experts are right. If not, don’t worry – talent acquisition trends are cyclical, and with solutions like Plum and Fountain in your tech stack, you’ll be ready whenever the pendulum swings back.