Three macro trends to impact tech recruiting in 2024, Gartner

There are three macro trends impacting recruiting technology that HR leaders need to address in 2024, according to Gartner, Inc. These macro trends include:

1. Generative AI hype will serve as a larger tipping point to determine how best to use AI in recruitment.
2. Amplified regulations will lead organizations to be more vigilant.
3. Elongated buying cycles will heighten the need for HR to be more cautious about vendors.

The latest research around recruiting technology were announced today during the Gartner ReimagineHR Conference, taking place here through tomorrow.

“This year, recruiting has been focused on leveraging new technology investments for talent attraction and engagement, enabling more streamlined worker transitions, and slowly consolidating technology market,” said Emi Chiba, principal analyst in the Gartner HR practice. “As we look to 2024, while these trends will evolve, we see new macro trends emerging that HR leaders will need to address.”

The Shifting Conversation Around Generative AI
One of the hottest topics in the workplace today is generative AI, and this hype has shifted the conversation about artificial intelligence as a whole. HR and recruiting leaders are actively determining where AI is applicable, and which use cases make sense for organizations to augment human recruiters.

Many organizations have already implemented AI in their recruiting processes – to personalize candidate outreach, complete mundane tasks like scheduling, or conduct candidate matching assessments.

“While AI has become widespread in recruiting, generative AI is not at the same level of applied maturity in the recruiting process,” explained Chiba. “In 2024, we expect generative AI use to continue increasing, particularly to draft job descriptions, candidate communications, and even interview questions.”

Regulations are Amplified as Ethical Concerns Grow with Generative AI Gaining Traction
The hype surrounding generative AI is also causing a shift in how organizations are looking at the ethics of AI as a whole. The regulatory uncertainty of 2023 will likely persist and intensify in 2024 as more laws are enforced. As more companies seek to incorporate generative AI in their day-to-day, the conversation around responsible AI will be front and center.

“Despite increasing regulations, organizations will continue to lean into generative AI,” said Rania Stewart, senior director analyst in the Gartner HR Practice. “As organizations experiment more with AI, HR leaders must hold their AI vendors co-accountable while maintaining attentiveness.”

Elongated Buying Cycles Remind Buyers to Proceed with Caution
Buying cycles for talent acquisition tech have been elongated in 2023 as general uncertainty in the market led to increased scrutiny of the business case for talent acquisition tech transformation.

This trend will continue well into 2024. This is problematic for businesses as longer buying cycles can cause vendors to resort to hastily pulled-together new products that they’ve rushed to market to maintain their bottom lines.

As a result, it is more important than ever for HR leaders to be intentional when buying technology. In turn, this can further elongate the buying cycle. Before buying, HR leaders must consider their priorities, how they’ll measure success, and hard vs. soft requirements. Gartner