Recruitment has drastically fallen during the pandemic. Candidates have postponed their job searches and many firms have temporarily closed or reduced their services to protect their existing staff.
Looking to the future, recruitment will need to restart – albeit gradually – at some point. Some businesses will already have failed to survive the financial implications of the pandemic, while others will be eager to avoid the same fate. With the economy in turmoil and many jobless or furloughed workers ready to return to work, what does the future of recruitment look like following this period of uncertainty?
Remote working
Covid-19 has made working from home a necessity. It has also brought to light just how accessible and beneficial remote working can be. Going forward, it is likely that recruiters will see a rise in remote working positions as the need for face-to-face contact has, for many, become obsolete. From a client’s perspective, this will reduce the costs associated with running a workplace or office; however, they may need to make allowances for subsidising heating, internet fees, and any office supplies that remote working staff require.
For recruiters, it means a much larger talent pool from which to choose potential candidates. Without the restrictions of physically placing a candidate in a workstation, the possibilities of finding the right person for a position will extend much further – perhaps even globally.
Digital aid
Throughout the pandemic, we have probably relied on technology more than ever. For those working from home, it has been an essential tool to enable people to keep working and to stay in touch with their teams.
Recruitment CRM software in the UK has probably never been more valuable for storing information and records, improving client and candidate relations, and tracking interactions. As our systems are cloud-based, they are accessible from anywhere, which has been incredibly important during this time. Going forward, platforms such as Zoom and Skype will become more prevalent, even for the interview process. This will be a tough challenge, as so much relevance can be placed upon body language, social cues and the general feel of face-to-face contact that you just don’t get online; nonetheless, it is a practice that employers and recruiters will need to adapt to.
Interim hires
It is possible that when the economy opens up again, many employers will need a lot of help with backlogged work and the general re-opening process. This will be an incredibly busy and stressful time, with experts predicting that recruiters can expect to see an influx of temporary or interim positions becoming available. Some of these may naturally evolve into full-time posts; however, faced with the daunting task of re-opening quickly, no employer wants a lengthy recruitment process or to be stuck with a permanent bad hire. Interim positions will be a good solution to this dilemma.
