Simple Recruitment explore the impact of the current pandemic on the Recruitment industry – Will virtual recruitment become the new norm?
“Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is affecting the majority of the world in some form and the situation changes at an hourly rate. The recruitment industry is certainly not immune to the impact the virus is having on businesses right now and it is very possible that the legacy of COVID-19 may forever change the nature of recruitment and the workplace landscape”. Says ukrecruiter.co.uk
Recruiters in areas that have so far been hardest hit by COVID-19 have increasingly turned to online communication tools to avoid face-to-face meetings where possible. Video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams are being used both to communicate with clients and to interview and ‘meet’ with candidates. This is something we may see more and more in the UK as a way to continue to safely recruit as the situation develops.
Currently, businesses are increasingly reducing non-essential travel, encouraging remote working and having to be fluid as they keep up to date with public health advice, and given the increasing desire felt by many for flexible working opportunities and the ecological impact of travel by air and car, the adjustments made in response to Coronavirus could very well change the way we work in the long term.
What can we take from all this and how do we progress forwards? COVID-19 is a global issue and as such is likely to affect the recruitment industry. Data indicates a reduction of applications on average across all industries and no-one knows how this will play out.
However, there are ways we can mitigate the impact, such as utilising online communication tools in the recruitment process and encouraging employers to emphasise the benefits of working for their organisation, including, where possible, flexible working. The recruiters that weather the Coronavirus storm will be those that adapt as the situation unfolds.
