What does the future hold for recruitment?

June 15, 2020

With more and more businesses starting to reopen and an air of uncertainty for candidates surrounding job security, our Recruitment Consultant, Michelle Day comments on what the future of recruitment will hold. How will things change moving forward?

Can anyone remember what recruitment looked like before the Coronavirus? It was a tough market then and now it will be even harder, as a candidate and as a business.

Businesses are looking to save money now more than ever, along with candidates being indecisive on where they look to work, candidates want to make sure that it is going to be a good move for the long term, businesses are very much being judged on their financials and what they can bring to the employee; benefits and perks, work-life balance, work from home options and job security.

With a lot of companies struggling to keep afloat or maintain the current team that they have, it is going to be tough to see recruitment back to where it was back in 2017-18. 2018 was a good year for me as a consultant, lots of new clients coming on board and recruitment was booming, an increase of companies taking on new staff, growing and thriving, which means we as consultants can do what we do best, RECRUIT!

Business development is going to be key moving forward, going back to old school ways of recruiting in a 360 role which I love to do best. The joy of meeting new clients and the buzz of picking up your first job, impressing, and utilising my skillset, matching you up with the right people. However, business development is going to be very different now in 2020, are we going to be allowed to visit our client’s premises? Will we be reliant on video meetings? Do you think this will save time in the long run? will we become more productive with our time? I think so…I think it will be a new way of working, not only for us as recruiters but also for businesses, candidates will hopefully become more flexible with video interviewing and meetings, which I think in the long run will save time, and will also filter out who is more committed to the role that they are applying for if they are willing to adapt and overcome, then this proves dedication to the client, which is more than what you see prior to the coronavirus, for example, no shows for interviews and ghosting, I am not saying that this will stop but it will definitely show who is more committed to particular roles with the flexibility of the candidate.

The best advice I can give a candidate that has possibly lost their job due to the virus, is to make sure that you get a glowing reference (if possible) from your previous employer, make sure you have a good LinkedIn account, showcasing your skillset and a professional photograph, not one of you in your bedroom with a glass of wine, or a closeup selfie that is for your Facebook, really sell yourself, would you employ you? Contact recruiters that are possibly working with an employer that you would love to work for, practice some interviewing questions, we are here to help you find your next adventure if you need assistance with your CV or proofreading, or whether you need some support or guidance, get in touch.

For businesses right now that are looking to recruit, there is a lot of highly skilled workers that are now on the lookout or will be from the end of June, this could be a good time to take on someone new that will provide longevity and possibly has a lot to offer your business, without the scary salary expectations, do you have a digital marketing strategy which reflects your company brand and ethos? This will really help with your recruitment in the long term and has really helped other clients across Wiltshire find the right people for their business.

I am looking forward to the challenge that recruitment will bring after this pandemic and how we will all work differently together; I am looking forward to working with new candidates that might be new to the job market in a very long time and new clients across the South West.

For now, I will carry on being mummy and wait until my time comes to put my recruitment hat on and do what I love to do best!