Consider these trends when recruiting and developing human resources in Russia in 2023.

What processes occurring in the labor market are changing the relationship between employees and employers right now? Analysts asked HR specialists themselves to answer this question. Representatives of more than 300 Russian companies from different sectors of the economy took part in the survey. The responses were analyzed and resulted in a list of 5 key HR trends in the Russian labor market that are worth paying attention to in 2023:

1. The rebirth of remote work

2. Employee Retention Rate

3. Strengthening HR automation

4. Searching for talent within the company

5. Relaxation of requirements for candidates

HR trend #1. Remote work at maximum speed

In 2020-2021, the massive transition to remote work was triggered by the coronavirus. When the pandemic subsided, companies around the world, including in Russia, began to gradually return to offline. A hybrid format of interaction has become a priority: a few days at home, but a couple of days at the office.

According to consulting company B1 (ex-EY), more than 70% of employees in the United States work in this mode.

In Russia, geopolitical events had a key impact on the labor market in 2022. Employers had to face two waves of mass relocation of personnel: first in February-March, then in September-October.

This has affected all HR processes taking place in the labor market: from the selection and adaptation of new employees to organizing the effective work of teams. And while some companies have moved abroad with their entire team, others now must work as a distributed team in a global remote environment. In 2023, the trend towards remote interaction continues. 

Although some HR specialists predicted a quick return of those who left to Russia, this did not affect individual industries. For example, previously in short supply IT and digital specialists now prefer to build an international career where more resources and tools are available to them – without blocking well-known social networks and advertising platforms.

This means that Russian employers need to now look for new approaches to recruiting and managing personnel – both within the country and on the international market.

HR trend #2. Employee retention comes first

Against the backdrop of global news in Russia, the main HR strategy followed by employers has changed. The focus now is not so much on recruiting new employees, but on retaining existing staff. This approach to working with personnel in 2023 was chosen by 71% of HR specialists. Personalization of work with employees at all stages of the Employee Journey Map is becoming critically important: from the first contact with the employer during the period of hiring and adaptation to regular measurement and increasing employee engagement.

The goal is to create conditions for the team so that employees enjoy their work and produce results that are meaningful for the business. To retain employees in the company, HR specialists resort to various organizational design tools, improve internal communications, develop an employer brand and expand the benefits package.

For example, in critical situations, it is important for employees to know that they can always receive psychological support and legal assistance.

HR trend #3. Automation of HR processes for everyone

The first two trends in the HR sphere predetermine the third. For employees to work effectively in new conditions, including in global distributed teams, and not think about leaving, new HR tools are needed. Some experts even combine them into a separate area – Virtual Care.

Automation makes it easier for companies to move towards HR Zero. A product-based approach to HR, modern technologies and convenient user interfaces helps save time and simplify the work of recruiters, HR managers, managers, and employees. Artificial intelligence now helps screen resumes.

You can tell a newcomer about the rules of conduct in a company using a mobile game. Reminders to complete engagement surveys are sent automatically. And interactive dashboards contain so many hints that the manager can understand the report on the team’s status without outside help.

In addition to purely HR services, employers are also interested in new tools for remote and hybrid work. If in 2020 companies massively mastered video conferencing services, task trackers and online boards for collaboration, now, according to Human Resource Executive surveys, experiments are already underway with VR technologies and metaverses.

HR trend #4. Searching for new talents within the company

In critical situations, when everything around is unclear and changeable, the willingness of employees to change jobs sharply decreases. This is additional stress that they try to avoid.

On the one hand, this means that it is easier for employers to retain staff. For example, some specialists refuse to move to other companies on more favorable terms because they received a reservation from mobilization, and it applies to a critical position for the business, and not to a specific person.

On the other hand, this aggravates the problem of personnel shortage, because new experienced candidates simply do not appear on the market. In addition, in 2022 the phenomenon of “silent dismissal” appeared. Employees who have chosen such a career strategy do not quit, but perform only the necessary minimum of tasks required of them. This approach to work is a protest against the cult of productivity and the constant pursuit of advanced training. It is most typical for the zoomer generation, as well as for burnt-out specialists who do not have the strength to change anything.

Gartner experts note that in 2023, a new HR trend is emerging in response to “silent hiring.” With its help, companies are trying to acquire business-critical competencies without increasing their staff.

The priority area here is training and retraining of already hired employees locally, which is accompanied by an increase in internal mobility of personnel.

Companies will create talent exchanges, work with the personnel reserve and more actively rotate specialists between departments.

HR trend #5. Recruitment Transformation

Changing priorities in the HR strategies of Russian employers also affected approaches to the selection of new employees. The main HR trend here is the revision of candidate portraits.

The requirements for them are being relaxed. To expand the recruitment funnel, employers are ready to train newcomers to the level they need. The demographic segments that companies prioritize are also changing. Employers are now more willing to hire women and older applicants for key positions.

In addition, international recruiting is gaining popularity. Every fourth employer in Russia said that due to the massive outflow of specialists abroad, it has become more difficult to find suitable personnel in the domestic market.

Therefore, now recruiters will be more active in attracting foreign employees. And if we take into account that some companies have moved abroad, then we again return to the first HR trend of 2023 – about a global distributed team.