Coronavirus leaving you breathless?
Admit it, you only clicked on this article because I put Coronavirus in the title. Coronavirus is everywhere you look; the media have whipped us all up into a frenzy and convinced everyone that we need to stockpile 10 years’ worth of hand sanitizer, face masks, dried or tinned foods and infinite toilet rolls.
Recruitment can be challenging. That is without Corona going around.
We are going to have to face new challenges. A new workforce culture… many companies have altered their recruiting efforts to take into account the spread of coronavirus.
This is uncharted territory and we all have to do the best we can.
My thoughts on this are… Be at the forefront! Now look, I’m not saying that we should trivialise Coronavirus and not take its potential impact and spread seriously, but we need to exercise some serious common sense here (I am aware this is something that is ironically not that common).
Life is not about what happens to us, it is about what we become because of what has happened to us. Hard work and challenges create humility, strength, and expertise in any of us if we but let them. Let your hard work mould you into an even stronger version of yourself.
“Most businesses will incur serious costs from the outbreak and the recent volatility in the markets, this means recruiters should expect business to slow in the coming months”
“We’re already hearing feedback that employers are pausing their hiring plans while they wait for the worst to pass.”
This is what are doing the rounds in the corridors of recruitment agencies… my question is… What is the positive we can take out of this?
Instead of wishing that your job was easier, wish that you were better at doing it. Try doing your same old job in a different way, or with a different attitude, and see how much you shift into a more positive place.
The amount of personal satisfaction and happiness by doing what you love is priceless.
Help clients understand the usefulness of interviewing candidates via Skype or Zoom.
Many employers would continue to hire for essential roles, and some sectors such as health and social care and logistics, are already recruiting more workers. The widespread use of home working during the outbreak could be a positive step-change for some. With people across the world being advised or required to work from home, it will be interesting to see if this trend continues after the pandemic is quelled. As recruiters, we know jobseekers are increasingly looking for flexible work, including the option to work from home.
The global pandemic will change the way employers hire for the better!
Much of the evidence about work from home points to positive benefits, including improved work-life balance and increases in job satisfaction and productivity!
For many people, this is a chance to explore the realities of working from home, both good and bad. As a society, we’re driven by the standard motivations of money, work and family life, and currently the way we achieve these motivations is changing. We have to function outside of normal parameters to reach the same goals. Work-life balance, mental health and the technological 4th Industrial Revolution aren’t just buzz words anymore. They’re being stress-tested to the max, which I believe, will see us make some significant strides in the best and most efficient ways to deliver an overall, more manageable balance between work and home life.
Adapting to new ways of working as a result of Covid-19 is critical!
It’s abundantly clear that hiring professionals will have to think outside of the box to keep the industry moving. The key to weathering this storm, is to keep calm and focus on finding alternative ways of working, to ensure business continuity throughout the coming months. If you, as recruiter, do not adapt to the reinvention of everything your fears of becoming redundant will come true.
The bright side for us as recruiters: It’s now easier to contact candidates as they’re not stuck in meetings or travelling.
At DataTech we have been using Skype, Zoom and WhatsApp to interview candidates and have meetings with our clients… the technology used to contribute to minimizing the risk of the Coronavirus.
Online interviews also suit potential hires as they take up less time and are more convenient, saves them travelling time, and minimizes human contact amidst the Covid-19 outbreak.
This is uncharted territory and we are all doing the best we can
Coronavirus is already having a significant impact on the jobs market, employers plan to hire, and the recruitment industry as a whole, experts have warned.
Recruiters engage in some of the most career-impacting activities in our society: helping people find fulfilling work that matches their skills and connecting talented people with enterprises that need their skills in order to grow and prosper. When done right, recruiting is a true win-win.
When recruiters make this magic happen, it may seem like they have an unrivalled mastery of the complexities of human interaction.
The new impacts we can have to embrace the challenge is to adapt… I see exciting times ahead. Think of a fresh, new, risky, heart-pumping way to do anything and everything.
There is no doubt that how companies deal with this unique situation will change the candidate market even further.
Certain things are likely to see this become mainstream much sooner than anyone expected.
Candidate talent, and businesses, are going to look to use recruiters who understand their story, the journey they’ve been on over the last few months, and the very real impact it has had on their lives.
Be safe and be a recruiter extraordinaire!
By: Therese Otten