Recruitment in the Covid Environment

It doesn't take a genius to tell you that Covid 19 has changed the world. We have all shed tears and many of us have, or are, sadly greiving for family and friends alike.

If ever there was such a thing a medical 'asteroid' crashing into our beautiful planet Earth, then this Pandemic is pretty much it.

The blame game is already in full swing as to how this all started and when, and yes I am not naive enough to think we are winning the battle with the Virus.

Saying all of that, at some point the Global Economy, People's Livelihoods, and Humankind have to face the fact that even without a Vaccine, we have to learn to live with Covid.

Life will be different in the short ot medium term at least, and perhaps going forward we will find that remote working, less dense working environments, flexible working hours and a reduction in 'just-in-time' will become the 'norm' rather than the 'exception'.

One thing we can all agree on is that workforce headcounts are going to be reduced.

So why would companies still need to use Recruitment Companies as before?

Well put very simply, in my humble opinion at least, they don't...........

OK, that was a bit depressing if you are a recruiter reading this, and I can hear many of you shouting at me, or preparing to rant in the comments sections below.

But let's take a step back, and look for positives.

Company Directors, once Furlough or other financial support packages come to an end, will look at their Profit and Loss Accounts, and whilst some will have seen an increase in sales, others will have seen theirs pushed over a cliff-face. Governments have been paying the wages of their employees, so hopefully many companies are still solvent, albeit in the short-term. But now they face the crunch...... Cost Cutting.

Now I am going to assume that there will be a bounce back eventually, so how do we as recruiters continue to offer a service that is relevant, cost-effective and most importantly useful to businesses to help them recover?

Of course these 5 things are obvious, but many of us are guilty of forgetting them in good times, so here goes:-

1. Help your clients look at their workforce with an unbias approach, and be honest ! Workforce cost planning will be a driving force to success or failure of your client's business. If there is not an opportunity to assist them at this stage, just agree to maintain communication, and always offer a supporting hand (virtual!)
2. Do not oversell in the current climate. Your clients will need assitance, not overbearing sales professionals pushing candidates (just because you can). Only present candidates that are relevant to a requirement, and be sure that that requirement has already been agreed with the client.
3. Price yourself appropriately. If you don't compromise, your competitors will, with the premise that profit is required, not turnover for turnover's sake. If you can help by offering a more generous payment term for a defined period, then do so (don't wait for the client to ask you as they may be embarrassed by the process).
4. Don't be afraid to present candidates that at first appear over qualified for a role. In a market where a number of highly skilled professionals will be available, look to upskill your client's workforce (at a cost effective rate !). Understand that the budget is however set, so that candidates should not expect to move to a similar pre-Covid Salary Level.
5. Look to offer additional services as part of the recruitment package. Your partnership with a client will strengthen long-term if you assist them at their most challenging point.

Everyone has become an 'expert' in remote working, so understand that you have to add value. Show that you are not simply sitting at your desk, looking at databases of CVs, and be sure that you know every candidate you are offering at all levels, and within all industries.

Every Recruiter must now wear a 'Headhunter' hat (I hate that terminology), and even though your CDBs and CRMs will be being populated as never before with candidates, you MUST get to know each one like they are your best friend.

Competition between External Recruiters, Internal Recruiters and Direct Applicants will never have been as high for a very limited number of vacancies. Be sure that your candidate is not only your best candidate, but the right candidate.

Recruitment has never been an easy industry, and right now, it's never been more challenging. But from adversity comes opportunity, and I am pretty hopeful that we will all come through this stronger, more tolerant and far more able to counter any further pandemics in future.

Stay safe, and be sure to contact me if you need any assistance. Together we are stronger.