You may not know it, but Q1 is the busiest hiring time for most companies. If you're gearing up to hire or job search, you'll want to know what the latest trends are. This week we look at hiring in 2015--what's new and what you need to know.

1) Emerging Human Resource Trends in 2015: Is Your Business Ready? from The Huffington Post

"You've heard about Generation X and Generation Y, but now you need to know about Generation Z. These individuals were born between 1995 and 2010, and many are likely to be seniors in college by the end of 2015. Generation Z workers will start to enter the workforce as interns and entry-level employees, and they are going to go fast. You may want to get in on the action by snatching up highly talented college seniors before competitors hire them."

2)  5 Top Hiring Trends from Tribune India

"While it started a few years back, this year we saw a lot of them joining across levels and roles. Unlike the previous years where this was driven by lack of job opportunities abroad, there is demand for people with cross geographical or niche experiences and they are motivated by the opportunity here."

3) Hiring Solutions and Hiring Trends for 2015: How to Hire Better from New Hire

"In order to get the talent you need, your recruiting is going to have to be both slower and faster. By slower I mean: you must plan further in advance, start recruiting well before you need a person to start, and expect the process to take longer than before. By faster I mean: you must review candidates more quickly, move through the interview process with dispatch, and make offers without dilly-dallying. Expect candidates to negotiate for more money, benefits, and flexibility."

4) 2015 U.S. Job Forecast from Career Builder

"Companies will be ringing in the New Year with more job openings, according to CareerBuilder’s annual job forecast. More than one third of employers expect to add full-time, permanent employees in 2015, the best outlook from the survey since 2006. Salary increases – including raises for minimum wage workers – are also on the agenda of hiring managers."

5) Small businesses ramp up hiring, projecting big year in 2015 from MarketWatch

"Small businesses are gearing up for a “promising” year in 2015 – and plans to hire among the strongest ever. That’s the assessment of the National Federation of Independent Business, the leading lobby group for small businesses. The NFIB on Wednesday said the percentage of business owners who added jobs in December rose sharply while the number of small firms that cut positions “remained historically low.” More than half of the 568 member companies surveyed also said they were looking to hire last month. Plans to hire improved 4 points to a net 15% on a seasonally adjusted basis. That’s “one of the stronger readings” in the NFIB’s survey history, the group said."

Susan LaMotte is the founder of exaqueo, a workforce consultancy that helps  companies build cultures, employer brands and talent strategies. Contact exaqueo to learn more about how we can help you build a workforce that’s aligned with your company culture and develop an employer brand that will allow your business to scale the right way.