The role of employer image in attracting and retaining talent is becoming more and more important. However, the dynamics of trust are changing, with people putting more stock in personal suggestions and recommendations, as clearly demonstrated by social media. The same message on a company’s social media and an employee’s private profile will have a different tone, reach and contribution. On average a personal post created by an employee can achieve a level of engagement twice or three times as much as a corporate post, thanks to personal contacts and more trust.

The growing job market requirements both locally and globally are forcing employers to identify HR policy improvements capable of attracting and retaining today’s workforce. Yet strategies for attracting talent, adopting GenAI tools, understanding and satisfying workers’ needs are only the tip of the iceberg. With increased challenges to reduce staff turnover and create an inclusive and growth-oriented working environment, organisations should be putting more effort into identifying the current market trends and building their value proposition. In this article we will present the findings of ‘Workforce Radar’, a PwC US study of organisations across the PwC network, and the findings of ‘Hopes and Fears 2024’, a PwC survey of more than 20,000 employees, business leaders and HR leaders.

‘Don’t hire yourself!’ is a campaign-like slogan resonating loudly across the Nordic countries this autumn to warn employers against giving in to the temptation to hire only people like them and to encourage them to cast their net wider for the talent they need. This article highlights the manifestations and consequences of bias in candidate selection, puts forward arguments for recruitment that is open to diversity and inclusive in the light of the latest EU demographic trends, and makes specific recommendations for guidelines and activities in the recruitment process.