Contrary to popular belief, recruitment has not ground to a halt across all sectors. Yes, times are tough for many organisations, but for some, the lockdown is a blessing in disguise. Every cloud has a silver lining. Tech companies are still recruiting as are some large employers, even if they are not necessarily going for permanent staff. And there are other areas that are recruiting, too, so they’d better ensure that their temporary recruitment software is fully up-to-date and legally compliant.
Where is recruitment taking place?
In diverse areas such as Norfolk, Moray and Omagh, there has been an increase in the number of job ads placed recently. Unsurprisingly, the number of roles advertised in the NHS has increased; nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals are all in demand, but that is not the end of it. Other roles that are in high demand are security guards (no surprises there since it seems they are an installation in all supermarkets now), cleaners and roofers. This all looks like a sign that the economy will start to improve, if not exactly bounce back.
Which areas are losing out?
The south-west and north-west are the two areas of the country that have seen a fall in the number of advertised vacancies. We all know about the problems that airlines and the aviation industry are having, and there doesn’t seem to be any respite for that on the horizon. High street retail has been in trouble for some time, and it looks increasingly as though that trend will continue as we are all shopping online more.
How can recruiters help?
Make sure you use specialist recruitment agencies that have experience in your business area. If your preferred supplier is not already a specialist in that area, perhaps you could have a discussion with them about expanding their work areas. We all need to diversify and do things differently in these strange times.
Those recruiters that already specialise in your area will likely be spending any spare time they have checking in with people already on their books to find out their current employment status. They will also be making sure that their processes are up-to-date and that their software can cope with a large influx of work.
Where will it end?
Times may be tough for the economy in general, and things will never be exactly the same again, but we will likely eventually be able to get back to the low unemployment of pre-lockdown times. Organisations need to embrace the new technology, be willing to try different things and change the way they operate. This may mean more temporary contracts for some time to come. It may also mean different jobs and workplaces forever. Graduates may not get their dream job for a while, but the lockdown doesn’t have to be the end.
